# Sharjah Publishing City or Shams > Compare two Sharjah free zones often shortlisted for lean service and media businesses: Sharjah Publishing City, built around publishing and print, and Sharjah Media City (Shams), aimed at media freelancers and service licences. - Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/spc-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 | Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone (Free zone) | Sharjah Media City (Free zone) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | From, no visa | AED 5,760 (12 months · calculator output) | Not published | | From, one visa | AED 14,345 (12 months · calculator output) | Not published | | From, two visas | AED 20,010 (12 months · calculator output) | Not published | | Lowest package price | AED 5,760 (12 months · calculator output) | AED 6,875 (starting price) | | Licence issued in | Same day | Not published | | Residency visa in | 5 business days (The authority advertises UAE residency in five working days.) | Not published | | Renewal price | Not published | Not published | | Licence types | Publishing, Printing, Related media | Media, Freelance, Services, E-commerce | | Facility options | Office, Publishing facilities | 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 - 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. - Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone · Renewal price: Normal renewal pricing was not completed in this pass. - Sharjah Media City · Renewal price: Marketing states a fixed lifetime renewal cost subject to terms, but no exact renewal total was found. - Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - Sharjah Media City · 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. - 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 ### 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) ### 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 ### Are both in Sharjah? Yes. Both licences carry a Sharjah address, so the emirate does not separate them. Activity lists, visa allocations and package inclusions do. ### 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 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 - [Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/spc) - [Sharjah Media City guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/shams) - [All comparisons](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare) ## Machine-readable - [Sharjah Publishing City or Shams (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/comparisons/spc-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. “Sharjah Publishing City or Shams.” Updated 2026-10-09. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/spc-vs-shams [Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/spc-vs-shams). “Sharjah Publishing City 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/spc-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.