The zone has always been strong in trade, logistics and light manufacturing, while its jewellery park brings jewellery makers together in a dedicated cluster. Its leasing formats cover any scale: from a workstation with a quota of 3 visas to a plot from 2,500 m² for your own factory. Below are the procedure, the prices and the taxes.
Why businesses choose SAIF Zone
SAIF Zone wins on the combination of setup speed and transport infrastructure. Its key advantages:
- A licence is issued within 1 hour once the terms are agreed — one of the fastest starts in the UAE
- A location right beside Sharjah Airport and the cargo centre, with the port 30 minutes away and Dubai 20
- Office formats with a ready visa quota: SAIF Office — 3 visas, Executive Office — 5, SAIF Suite — 8
- Ready-built warehouses of 125, 250, 400 and 600 m² and plots from 2,500 m² for your own construction
- A specialised jewellery park with a ready-made community of manufacturers
- A single window: visas, Sharjah customs, immigration services and banks all operate on site
Steps to register a company in SAIF Zone
The administration has reduced the process to a short sequence of actions:
- Choosing the licence type: trade (up to 3 similar product lines), service or industrial
- Choosing the legal form — an FZE with a single owner, an FZC with several shareholders or a branch of a company
- Selecting the premises: an office with a visa quota, a warehouse, a plot or a space in the jewellery park
- Submitting the application and documents — passports of the shareholders and the manager, plus, for an industrial licence, clearance from the occupational-safety department
- Paying the fees and signing the incorporation documents together with the lease agreement
- Receiving the licence, arranging visas and opening a corporate bank account
The licence itself is issued within an hour once the document set is ready. A full launch — with lease, visas and bank account — realistically takes one to two weeks, with most of the time going on medical tests, the Emirates ID and bank compliance.
Cost of setting up a company in SAIF Zone (2026)
The official SAIF Zone website does not publish a price list: the cost depends on the licence type, the premises and the visa quota, and the quote is prepared by the investor department. The cost structure, however, is standard for Sharjah’s free zones — here is what makes up the budget.
| Cost item | Amount, AED | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Licence (trade / service / industrial) | on request | Price depends on the activity and the number of product lines |
| SAIF Office — workstation with a 3-visa quota | on request | Furnished office on a dedicated (non-shared) basis |
| Executive Office (5 visas) / SAIF Suite (8 visas) | on request | Customisable offices, utilities included |
| Warehouse 125–600 m² | on request | Ready-built units with a built-in office |
| Plot from 2,500 m² for construction | on request | Staff accommodation can be added on |
| Investor or employee visa | on request | Medical test, Emirates ID, resident status |
When you request a quote, clarify the visa quota straight away: it is tied to the type of premises, and moving from 3 visas to 5 means changing the office format. For a trade licence, also count the number of product lines — more than three similar items will require a different licence type.
Taxation in SAIF Zone
SAIF Zone residents pay corporate tax of 9% on profit above AED 375,000 a year, while profit below the threshold is taxed at 0%. VAT of 5% applies to most transactions inside the UAE. A company holding Qualifying Free Zone Person status may apply the 0% rate to its qualifying income — primarily from transactions within free zones and from export. The status is confirmed each year through reporting to the FTA, and its conditions are worth working out before you choose your activities.
Who SAIF Zone suits
The zone was built around the airport’s cargo flows, and that defines its audience:
- Importers and exporters for whom proximity to Sharjah Airport’s cargo centre and fast customs matter
- Light manufacturing, assembly and packaging — served by warehouses with spare capacity and by plots
- The jewellery business: the specialised park covers production, storage and trade in one place
“Businesses choose SAIF Zone for its pace: a licence in an hour and customs on site is a rare combination for trading operations, one that saves weeks at the start”, notes a senior lawyer at Dynasty Business Adviser.
Open your company in SAIF Zone with Dynasty Business Adviser
Dynasty Business Adviser will request the current SAIF Zone tariffs for you, select an office or warehouse format to match the visa quota you need, prepare the documents and guide the registration 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 saif-zone.com; confirm tariffs directly with the zone administration before payment.
