HAFZA develops sector-focused clusters: oil and gas services, a food park, the maritime industry, industrial manufacturing and logistics. Yet you can start here without a factory too — its office packages are built for companies with a single shareholder and one visa. Below we break down how registration works, which formats are available and what to budget for.
Company Formation in HAFZA
Why businesses choose HAFZA
The zone’s strongest argument is infrastructure that office-only free zones simply cannot replicate. Here is what a resident gets:
- A dedicated port with a 14-metre berth and a 7-metre inner harbour — cargo handling without external terminals
- 30 million m² of industrial land: plots from 2,500 m² leased for 25 years with a renewal option
- Sector clusters — oil and gas, a Food Park, the maritime industry, manufacturing and logistics
- A range of office packages from Start Up with one visa to Supreme with a quota of up to 12 visas
- Ready-built warehouses of 200, 400 and 600 m² with an office area, a fire-safety system and up to 150 kW of power
- 100% foreign ownership and free repatriation of capital and profits
Steps to register a company in HAFZA
The procedure runs through the zone’s investor department and comes down to a few clear steps:
- Choosing the licence type: commercial (Trading, General Trading or E-Commerce), service or industrial
- Choosing the legal form — an FZE with one shareholder, an FZC with several, or a branch of an existing company
- Selecting the facility format: an office package, a ready-built warehouse or a plot for your own construction
- Submitting documents — passports of the shareholders and the manager, plus the parent company’s licence and charter for a branch
- Paying the registration and licence fees, signing the incorporation documents and the lease agreement
- Receiving the licence, arranging the visa quota and opening a corporate bank account
Office packages with a ready-made space are issued within a few working days. Industrial projects on a plot take two to four weeks: the administration approves the construction plan and the technical requirements. You may build on 60% of the leased plot area.
Cost of setting up a company in HAFZA (2026)
HAFZA does not publish tariffs on its website — the price is built from the chosen package, the number of visas and the number of activities. The administration states plainly that the package rate depends on the number of product categories or service activities. Use the cost structure below as a guide and request an exact quote before you pay.
| Cost item | Amount, AED | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Start Up Business package (1 shareholder, 1 visa) | on request | No dedicated office, up to 3 activities |
| Smart Business package (10 m² office) | on request | Quota of 4–7 visas, up to 5 shareholders |
| Deluxe / Standard / Supreme packages (12–40 m²) | on request | Quota of 2 to 12 visas depending on floor area |
| Ready-built warehouse 200 / 400 / 600 m² | on request | With an office area and 20–150 kW of power |
| Industrial plot from 2,500 m² | on request | 25-year lease, fixed rate for the first 5 years |
| Investor or employee visa | on request | Medical test, Emirates ID, resident status |
It is worth requesting a quote for two or three configurations at once: the gap between a package with three activities and one with ten can be significant. For industrial plots, the price depends on the location within the zone and its proximity to the berth.
Taxation in HAFZA
HAFZA companies operate under the UAE’s general tax regime: corporate tax of 9% on profit above AED 375,000 a year and 0% below that threshold. VAT of 5% applies to most transactions inside the country. A resident holding Qualifying Free Zone Person status may tax its qualifying income — for example from manufacturing and export — at 0%. The status is confirmed annually when reporting to the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), so it is best to plan your income structure before registration.
Who HAFZA suits
The zone comes into its own where a business needs land, a berth and power capacity:
- Manufacturing companies — from metalworking and building materials to food production in the Food Park cluster
- Traders and logistics operators who move large consignments through Hamriyah Port and keep a warehouse in the zone
- Service and engineering companies serving oil and gas, maritime and industrial projects
“HAFZA is a choice driven by infrastructure, not by the price of a licence: a berth, power capacity and development plots under one jurisdiction cannot be assembled in any office zone”, notes a senior lawyer at Dynasty Business Adviser.
Open your company in HAFZA with Dynasty Business Adviser
Dynasty Business Adviser will match the licence type and facility format to your activity — from an office package to an industrial plot — request current tariffs from the administration, prepare the documents and guide the process through to the licence, visas and the opening of a bank account.
Get a consultation
Pricing is current as at the publication date (13 July 2026) and verified against open sources, including hfza.ae; confirm tariffs directly with the zone administration before payment.
