# Meydan Free Zone or Shams > Compare a Dubai free zone aimed at cost-sensitive professional and trading licences with Sharjah Media City, aimed at media freelancers and service licences. Both are shortlisted for lean online and service businesses. - Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/meydan-vs-shams - Updated: 2026-10-09 - Publication: below the publication gate (No decision value beyond the activity name) - Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology ## Verdict No like-for-like starting price is published for Sharjah Media City, so the cost side of this comparison is open. 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) | Sharjah Media City (Free zone) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | From, no visa | AED 12,520 (12 months · calculator output) | Not published | | From, one visa | AED 19,870 (12 months · calculator output) | Not published | | From, two visas | AED 25,220 (12 months · calculator output) | Not published | | Lowest package price | AED 12,520 (12 months · calculator output) | AED 6,875 (starting price) | | 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 | Media, Freelance, Services, E-commerce | | Facility options | Flexi desk, Office | Flexi desk, Office | | 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 | Not published | | Remote paperwork | Yes | Yes | | Activity guides catalogued | Not published | Not published | Each figure comes from the same source as its guide page. ### Not published - Sharjah Media City · From, no visa: Checked 2026-10-09: A multi-step cost calculator exists on startwith.shams.ae. In this browser test the dummy-data contact step did not advance or return a price, and the page displayed PHP warnings. AED 5,750 Media and AED 6,875 Standard are headline prices, not newly verified 0/1/2-visa totals. - Sharjah Media City · From, one visa: Checked 2026-10-09: A multi-step cost calculator exists on startwith.shams.ae. In this browser test the dummy-data contact step did not advance or return a price, and the page displayed PHP warnings. AED 5,750 Media and AED 6,875 Standard are headline prices, not newly verified 0/1/2-visa totals. - Sharjah Media City · From, two visas: Checked 2026-10-09: A multi-step cost calculator exists on startwith.shams.ae. In this browser test the dummy-data contact step did not advance or return a price, and the page displayed PHP warnings. AED 5,750 Media and AED 6,875 Standard are headline prices, not newly verified 0/1/2-visa totals. - Sharjah Media City · Licence issued in: No published company-formation or licence-issuance time was found. - Sharjah Media City · Residency visa in: No published residency-visa processing time was found for this zone. - Meydan Free Zone · Renewal price: No published renewal price, term or penalty was found. - Sharjah Media City · Renewal price: Marketing states a fixed lifetime renewal cost subject to terms, but no exact renewal total was found. - Sharjah Media City · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - 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. - Sharjah Media City · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for Sharjah Media City (Shams). 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) ### Sharjah Media City Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case. [Read the Sharjah Media City guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/shams) ## Frequently asked questions ### Which suits a lean e-commerce or service business? Both license online and service activities. Meydan gives a Dubai address; Shams gives a Sharjah address with a media focus. Confirm the exact activity in each catalogue, then compare package inclusions. ### How are the prices compared? Only package prices at the same visa count and term are ranked against each other. A calculator output, a licence-only estimate or a product flagged as not like for like is shown in the table but never used to name a cheaper side. ### Which costs less on published figures, Meydan Free Zone or Sharjah Media City? No like-for-like starting price is published for Sharjah Media City, so the cost side of this comparison is open. Decide on activity fit, location and an itemised quote for your case. ## Related - [Meydan Free Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/meydan) - [Sharjah Media City guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/shams) - [All comparisons](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare) ## Machine-readable - [Meydan Free Zone or Shams (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/comparisons/meydan-vs-shams.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 Shams.” Updated 2026-10-09. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/meydan-vs-shams [Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/meydan-vs-shams). “Meydan Free Zone or Shams.” 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-shams, 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.