# RAKEZ or Shams > Compare two Northern Emirates zones often shortlisted on cost: RAKEZ, with facilities from desks to industrial sites in Ras Al Khaimah, and Sharjah Media City, focused on media and service licences. - Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/rakez-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 | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (Free zone) | Sharjah Media City (Free zone) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | From, no visa | Not published | Not published | | From, one visa | AED 14,000 (12 months · promotion) | Not published | | From, two visas | Not published | Not published | | Lowest package price | AED 6,000 (12 months · starting price) | AED 6,875 (starting price) | | Licence issued in | 1–3 business days (The current service catalogue gives a 1-3-working-day target for business setup.) | Not published | | Residency visa in | Not published | Not published | | Renewal price | AED 14,000 (The current all-inclusive SME promotion promises the same AED 14,000 annual renewal price.) | Not published | | Licence types | Commercial, Professional, Industrial, Freelance | Media, Freelance, Services, E-commerce | | Facility options | Flexi desk, Office, Warehouse, Industrial | Flexi desk, Office | | Visa options | Not published | 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 - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone · From, no visa: A no-visa product is published, but it does not confirm included visas or is not a like-for-like package. It is listed under other published prices. - 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. - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone · From, two visas: A 2-visa product is published, but it does not confirm included visas or is not a like-for-like package. It is listed under other published prices. - 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. - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone · Residency visa in: No published residency-visa processing time was found for this zone. - Sharjah Media City · Residency visa in: No published residency-visa processing time was found for this zone. - Sharjah Media City · Renewal price: Marketing states a fixed lifetime renewal cost subject to terms, but no exact renewal total was found. - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - Sharjah Media City · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ). 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 ### Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case. [Read the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/rakez) ### 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 has more facility options? RAKEZ publishes a wider range, from flexi-desks to warehouses and industrial facilities. Shams centres on desk-based media and service licences. ### 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, Ras Al Khaimah Economic 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 - [Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/rakez) - [Sharjah Media City guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/shams) - [All comparisons](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare) ## Machine-readable - [RAKEZ or Shams (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/comparisons/rakez-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. “RAKEZ or Shams.” Updated 2026-10-09. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/rakez-vs-shams [Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/rakez-vs-shams). “RAKEZ 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/rakez-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.