# Sharjah Publishing City or RAKEZ > Compare a Sharjah free zone built around publishing and print with Ras Al Khaimah's broad multi-sector zone. Both are shortlisted on cost; activity coverage and package scope decide which fits. - Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/spc-vs-rakez - Updated: 2026-10-09 - Publication: below the publication gate (No decision value beyond the activity name) - Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology ## Verdict Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone and Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone both show starting figures, but they cover different scopes, so neither is the cheaper route on this evidence. 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 | Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone (Free zone) | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (Free zone) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | From, no visa | AED 5,760 (12 months · calculator output) | Not published | | From, one visa | AED 14,345 (12 months · calculator output) | AED 14,000 (12 months · promotion) | | From, two visas | AED 20,010 (12 months · calculator output) | Not published | | Lowest package price | AED 5,760 (12 months · calculator output) | AED 6,000 (12 months · starting price) | | Licence issued in | Same day | 1–3 business days (The current service catalogue gives a 1-3-working-day target for business setup.) | | Residency visa in | 5 business days (The authority advertises UAE residency in five working days.) | Not published | | Renewal price | Not published | AED 14,000 (The current all-inclusive SME promotion promises the same AED 14,000 annual renewal price.) | | Licence types | Publishing, Printing, Related media | Commercial, Professional, Industrial, Freelance | | Facility options | Office, Publishing facilities | Flexi desk, Office, Warehouse, Industrial | | 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. - 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. - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone · Residency visa in: No published residency-visa processing time was found for this zone. - Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone · Renewal price: Normal renewal pricing was not completed in this pass. - Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone. Confirm the selected licence line and approvals with the authority. - 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. ## Check before choosing ### Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case. [Read the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/spc) ### 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) ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Sharjah Publishing City only for publishers? Its specialism is publishing and print. Check whether your exact activity is in its catalogue before comparing. ### 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, Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone or Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone? Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone and Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone both show starting figures, but they cover different scopes, so neither is the cheaper route on this evidence. Decide on activity fit, location and an itemised quote for your case. ## Related - [Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/spc) - [Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/rakez) - [All comparisons](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare) ## Machine-readable - [Sharjah Publishing City or RAKEZ (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/comparisons/spc-vs-rakez.json) ## Citation Required when quoting any figure from this page. Copy one of these verbatim — the link is not optional. Dubai Setup Index. “Sharjah Publishing City or RAKEZ.” Updated 2026-10-09. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/spc-vs-rakez [Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/spc-vs-rakez). “Sharjah Publishing City or RAKEZ.” 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/spc-vs-rakez, 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.