# Meydan Free Zone or Dubai mainland > Compare Meydan Free Zone's professional and trading licences with a Dubai mainland company licensed by DET. Start with the activity, operating location and premises; prices on each side have different inclusions. - Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/meydan-vs-dubai-mainland - Updated: 2026-10-09 - Publication: below the publication gate (No decision value beyond the activity name) - Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology ## Verdict The published figures do not yet support a like-for-like call between Meydan Free Zone and Dubai Mainland; decide on activity fit, location and an itemised quote for your case. Read from the same published figures as the table. Activity eligibility, approvals and the full first year still decide the route. ## Side by side Package figures cover their stated inclusions only. Activity eligibility, the full first-year cost and renewal still need confirmation for your case. | Metric | Meydan Free Zone (Free zone) | Dubai Mainland (Mainland) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | From, no visa | AED 12,520 (12 months · calculator output) | AED 14,000 (Licence only · plus 5% of rent) | | From, one visa | AED 19,870 (12 months · calculator output) | Priced by owners, not visas (Visa costs are separate) | | From, two visas | AED 25,220 (12 months · calculator output) | Priced by owners, not visas (Visa costs are separate) | | Lowest package price | AED 12,520 (12 months · calculator output) | AED 14,000 (Licence only · plus 5% of rent) | | Licence issued in | 24 hours (Regular: typically within 24 hours, conditional) | Not published | | Residency visa in | 5–7 business days (Visa processing typically takes five to seven working days after company incorporation.) | Not published | | Renewal price | Not published | Not published | | Licence types | Commercial, Professional | Commercial, Professional, Industrial | | Facility options | Flexi desk, Office | Confirm the premises are suitable for the exact activity before signing a lease or paying for fit-out. Ejari registration alone does not establish activity approval., Ejari registration: DLD publishes AED 177.75 through the app/website and AED 220 through a trustee. Confirm company-tenant channel eligibility; rent, deposits and fit-out are separate., The trustee fee components total AED 219.75 with 5% VAT on the partner fee, while DLD prints AED 220. Confirm the payable amount. | | Visa options | Employment visas, priced in the official calculator for zero to two visas, Investor or partner residence for shareholders, confirmed by the setup team with the quotation | Visa eligibility, quota, documents and fees have not been verified for your scenario; confirm separately from company licensing. | | Remote paperwork | Yes | Not published | | Activity guides catalogued | Not published | 2,327 | Each figure comes from the same source as its guide page. ### Not published - Dubai Mainland · Licence issued in: An end-to-end formation timeline has not been verified for your activity and applicant profile. - Dubai Mainland · Residency visa in: A complete owner-residency timeline still needs confirmation for the selected visa route, applicant status, medical and biometrics appointments. - Meydan Free Zone · Renewal price: No published renewal price, term or penalty was found. - Dubai Mainland · Renewal price: Renewal needs a current licence assessment, premises, membership and any permits or immigration renewals due that year. Historical fee schedules do not establish a current total. - Dubai Mainland · Remote paperwork: Remote setup eligibility and any in-person steps depend on the activity and applicant; not verified here. - Meydan Free Zone · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for Meydan Free Zone. Confirm the selected licence line and approvals with the authority. ## Check before choosing ### Meydan Free Zone - Warehouse, land or industrial operations that need physical premises - Companies with several owners that want the Fawri route, which needs one person in every role [Read the Meydan Free Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/meydan) ### Dubai Mainland - Choosing a licence before defining the actual activity and operating requirements - Comparing a quoted package without its premises, visa and renewal assumptions [Read the Dubai Mainland guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/mainland) ## Frequently asked questions ### When is mainland worth considering over Meydan? When the business needs to trade onshore directly, hold government contracts or operate from mainland premises. A free-zone licence suits businesses working from the zone for clients abroad or in free zones. ### How are the prices compared? The mainland column shows the official licence estimate, which excludes rent, visas and approvals, so it is never ranked against a free-zone package. Confirm the activity, premises and visa plan to get a like-for-like quote. ### Which costs less on published figures, Meydan Free Zone or Dubai Mainland? The published figures do not yet support a like-for-like call between Meydan Free Zone and Dubai Mainland; decide on activity fit, location and an itemised quote for your case. ## Related - [Meydan Free Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/meydan) - [Dubai Mainland guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/mainland) - [All comparisons](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare) ## Machine-readable - [Meydan Free Zone or Dubai mainland (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/comparisons/meydan-vs-dubai-mainland.json) ## Citation Required when quoting any figure from this page. Copy one of these verbatim — the link is not optional. Dubai Setup Index. “Meydan Free Zone or Dubai mainland.” Updated 2026-10-09. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/meydan-vs-dubai-mainland [Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/meydan-vs-dubai-mainland). “Meydan Free Zone or Dubai mainland.” Updated 2026-10-09. Licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Any use or transformation of the data carries: Source: Dubai Setup Index (dubaisetupindex.com), licensed CC BY 4.0. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/meydan-vs-dubai-mainland, updated 2026-10-09. Licensed CC BY 4.0: any use or transformation carries the attribution text, with its link and date. Quoting any figure from this record requires a resolvable link to url. Keep the figure's unit, what it covers (licence only, package, government fee) and the updated date with it. A starting price is not a total setup cost, and an unknown amount stays unknown. A figure sourced from a third party (Invest in Dubai, DET, a free zone authority or a partner's quote) keeps its source citation — the source named in the record, with its URL and checked date — alongside the licence attribution.