Dubai Internet City in 2026: Licensing, Tech Activities, Costs and Office Options

Dubai Internet City is where Microsoft, IBM and Cisco set up their regional offices, and where thousands of smaller software, AI and IT firms followed. If you're a tech founder or the person opening a regional office for an overseas technology company, this guide explains how DIC licensing really works in 2026: who issues the licence, which activities and company types are allowed, the fees the Dubai Development Authority publishes and the ones it doesn't, how office size decides your visa quota, the start-up routes through in5 and GoFreelance, a worked AED budget, corporate tax for software income, and the mistakes that delay setups.

Quick answer

Dubai Internet City (DIC) is TECOM Group's technology free zone on Sheikh Zayed Road. Companies are licensed by the Dubai Development Authority (DDA) as an FZ-LLC (minimum paid-up capital AED 10,000) or a branch. The DDA charges a AED 3,500 registration fee; the licence fee depends on your activities — about AED 15,000 a year for one segment is a common estimate. You need an office lease of at least a year, and visas follow space: 1 visa per 60 sq ft.

• Activities: software, AI, cloud, IT services, telecoms, e-commerce, blockchain and similar tech

• Registration takes about 7 working days on DIC's figures once documents and payment are in

• Start-ups can join in5 Tech; solo professionals can use GoFreelance at AED 7,500 a year

• Mainland work needs a DDA dual licence or a DET permit under Resolution No. 11 of 2025

• Register for corporate tax within 3 months; service income to clients is rarely 0%-qualifying

What Dubai Internet City is

Dubai Internet City was unveiled by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on 29 October 1999 and set up as a free zone by decree in 2000, making it one of the region's first dedicated technology clusters. It sits on Sheikh Zayed Road between Dubai Marina and Al Sufouh. It's one of TECOM Group's business communities, alongside Dubai Media City, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai Science Park and others. In 2024, its 25th anniversary year, DIC reported more than 4,000 customer businesses and a community of over 31,000 professionals, and an impact study it commissioned with Accenture credits it with adding AED 100 billion to Dubai's GDP over 15 years.

Two names matter when you set up. TECOM Group, listed on the Dubai Financial Market, owns and leases the real estate and runs the community; its commercial portfolio was 96% occupied in the first half of 2026, with 94% of customers renewing. The Dubai Development Authority (DDA) is the independent government regulator that registers and licenses companies in TECOM's free zone communities and sets the rules they operate under. Services such as visas, licence renewals and permits are delivered through axs, TECOM's digital service platform.

DIC is for technology businesses. Its FAQ lists the kinds of companies it welcomes — technology services, software, artificial intelligence, cloud, virtual reality, network solutions, e-commerce, big data, IT services, telecommunications and blockchain. It doesn't license manufacturing; TECOM points manufacturers to Dubai Industrial City. Media companies usually belong in Dubai Media City and education businesses in Dubai Knowledge Park, both licensed by the same DDA.

Company types and licensing

DIC offers two routes, according to its FAQ:

• a new Free Zone Limited Liability Company (FZ-LLC), owned 100% by individuals or companies, with a minimum paid-up capital of AED 10,000; or
• a branch of an existing UAE or foreign company, with no minimum capital — the parent stays fully liable.

Your licence lists the activities you're allowed to carry out, drawn from the DDA's Licensing Categories Decision. The DDA prices licences by activity, so a company combining software development, IT consultancy and data services may pay more than one with a single activity. Some activities need a no-objection certificate from an outside authority — telecoms, fintech, health data and anything touching regulated content, for example — and the DDA asks for those NOCs again at each renewal.

Licences are valid for one year and renewed annually, and DIC says the trade licence is issued within 48 hours of paying and submitting all documents. A company can also transfer in from another UAE free zone, subject to DDA approval, and an owner can hold different businesses in the same community within DDA rules.

What Dubai Internet City costs in 2026

DIC's FAQ describes its pricing as competitive and aligned with market rates but doesn't publish a price list. The DDA's own service pages publish some fees; others come only on a quote.

Dubai Internet City set-up figures (2026)

AED 3,500

DDA registration fee

new FZ-LLC

~AED 15,000

Licence, one activity segment

estimate — DDA tariff by activity

AED 10,000

FZ-LLC paid-up capital

not a fee

1 visa per 60 sq ft

Visa allocation

commercial space

Published by the DDA. A new FZ-LLC pays a AED 3,500 registration fee, plus AED 10 "Knowledge Dirham" and AED 10 "Innovation Dirham" on each transaction. The licence fee is "calculated based on selected activity(s)" under the DDA tariff.

Estimated. The DDA's activity tariff isn't shown on the service page. A DIC requirements publication hosted by a consultancy lists the licence at AED 15,010 a year for one activity segment and the registration at AED 3,510 — figures that match today's AED 3,500 registration fee plus the AED 10 dirham charges — so about AED 15,000 a year per segment is a reasonable planning number. Treat it as an estimate and ask for the DDA invoice amount before you commit.

Quoted. Office rent isn't published. TECOM quotes commercial space, coworking and business-centre options by unit, and the minimum lease to start a business is one year.

Visas. Each employee or investor visa carries immigration, medical, Emirates ID and insurance costs on top of the establishment card. TECOM's published GoFreelance prices — AED 2,000 for the establishment card and AED 5,042 for a two-year visa — are a fair guide to what TECOM's platform charges, but confirm FZ-LLC rates through axs.

Offices and the visa quota

In DIC, space drives headcount. The FAQ says a company can sponsor one employee for every 60 sq ft of leased space. That rule is the single biggest driver of cost for a growing tech team, so work backwards from hiring plans:

DIC's range runs from coworking and smaller commercial units to full floors and build-to-suit space, plus retail units, warehouses and light industrial units elsewhere in the community. The Innovation Hub is DIC's newer development of commercial, retail and event space. Because the minimum lease is a year and quotas follow area, a team expecting to double within 18 months should either take space with room to grow or agree an expansion option with TECOM upfront.

Start-up and freelance routes: in5 and GoFreelance

Not every founder needs an FZ-LLC and an office on day one. TECOM runs two lighter routes.

in5 Tech, based in Dubai Internet City, is TECOM's innovation centre for technology start-ups. Founders with an idea or a minimum viable product in tech, design or media can apply to its incubation programme, which offers creative workspace, tech facilities, mentoring, events and access to investors. There's also an annual membership and pay-by-the-hour venue and equipment hire. in5 has sister centres for design (d3), media (Dubai Production City) and science (Dubai Science Park). Shortlisted start-ups get workspace and support; licensing still runs through the DDA.

GoFreelance is TECOM's freelance permit for media, tech and education professionals. Its published licence is AED 7,500 a year, the establishment card AED 2,000 and a two-year visa AED 5,042. It's a permit in your own name: you can invoice clients and get residency, but you can't sponsor employees or trade under a separate brand. When you hire, you move to an FZ-LLC. Our Dubai freelance visa guide compares GoFreelance with other permits.

Worked example: a three-person SaaS company

Arjun and Mei are moving their B2B software start-up from Singapore. They set up a DIC FZ-LLC with one activity segment (software development and publishing), plan three visas in year one, and take a small office.

• DDA registration: AED 3,500, plus AED 20 in knowledge and innovation dirhams;
• licence: about AED 15,000 (estimate);
• paid-up capital: AED 10,000, deposited and still the company's money;
• office: three visas need at least 180 sq ft — say TECOM quotes AED 40,000 a year for a small unit (illustrative; use your quote);
• establishment card and three two-year visas: about AED 17,000, using TECOM's published GoFreelance rates as a guide, plus health insurance.

Year-one spend, excluding the capital, comes to roughly AED 75,500 before insurance, salaries and fit-out. In year two they pay the licence and rent again, but not the registration fee, and the visas renew on their own two-year cycle. If they'd started on GoFreelance, the founders could each have had a permit and visa for well under AED 15,000 — but no employees and no company to raise investment into. Model your own version in the startup cost calculator.

How to set up in Dubai Internet City

Dubai Internet City set-up

1. 1

   Choose structure and activities

   Decide FZ-LLC or branch, and pick activities from the DDA's Licensing Categories Decision. Check whether any need an outside NOC.

2. 2

   Agree space with TECOM

   Size the office from your two-year headcount at one visa per 60 sq ft; the minimum lease is one year.

3. 3

   Submit the application

   Apply through the DDA/axs portal with the application form, passports of shareholders, directors and general manager, the incorporation resolution and GM appointment.

   DDA — FZ-LLC registration
4. 4

   Provisional approval and payment

   The DDA lists up to 10 working days for provisional approval and two working days for registration; DIC quotes about about 7 working days overall once everything is in.

5. 5

   Sign documents and receive the licence

   Sign the articles and lease, deposit the paid-up capital, and collect the licence and certificate of incorporation.

6. 6

   Establishment card, visas, tax and bank

   Apply for the establishment card and visas through axs, register for corporate tax and open a bank account.

Corporate shareholders add attested parent documents and board resolutions, and every company files ultimate beneficial owner details for anyone holding 25% or more — see our UBO register guide. The common causes of delay are unattested foreign documents, activity descriptions that don't match DDA categories, and leaving the office search until after approval.

Mainland clients and the dual licence

A DIC licence lets you operate inside the free zone and serve clients outside the UAE or in other free zones. DIC's FAQ says operating elsewhere in Dubai needs a dual licence, which an FZ-LLC (not a branch) can apply for at the DDA customer service centres in Dubai Knowledge Park or Dubai Studio City. More broadly, Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025, issued on 17 March 2025, lets Dubai free zone companies get a licence or permit from the Department of Economy and Tourism to operate outside their zone. Many software companies sell remotely to mainland clients under contract; if you'll place staff on client sites or bid for government work, check which permission you need.

Corporate tax and VAT for tech companies

A DIC company is inside UAE corporate tax. Register with the FTA within 3 months of incorporation — the late penalty is AED 10,000 — and file within 9 months of each year end.

The 0% Qualifying Free Zone Person rate is narrower than many founders expect. Software development, IT consultancy and SaaS subscriptions sold to unrelated clients aren't on the list of qualifying activities in Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025, and revenue from individuals is generally excluded. Income from qualifying intellectual property — such as copyrighted software developed by the company — can be qualifying under a nexus formula, but the calculation needs specialist advice. Non-qualifying revenue above 5% of total or AED 5 million costs QFZP status for 5 tax periods.

Most small DIC companies are better on the standard regime: 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it, or Small Business Relief while revenue stays under AED 3 million, for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029. Use the UAE corporate tax calculator and read our corporate tax guide.

Try it — corporate tax on your DIC profit

Taxable Income (AED)

0% Band (first AED 375,000)AED 375,000.00

Taxable at 9%AED 525,000.00

Effective Rate5.25%

Corporate Tax PayableAED 47,250.00

Open the full Corporate Tax Calculator (PDF, save, compare)

VAT. Register when taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 in 12 months. Software and services sold to UAE clients carry 5%; services to overseas business customers can often be zero-rated as exports if the conditions are met.

Dubai Internet City, DMCC or IFZA for a tech company?

All three can license a software or IT business, so the choice comes down to address, team size and budget. DIC gives you the strongest tech-industry address in the region, a campus where your clients, partners and competitors already sit, and TECOM's in5 and GoFreelance routes. The trade-off is cost: you need a real office lease and the licence fee is higher than budget zones. DMCC has a large tech and crypto community in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, publishes package prices and also ties visas to space. IFZA is usually the cheapest of the three for a founder-led company that doesn't need to host clients, because it sells licences with flexi desks and visa allocations instead of office-linked quotas.

A rough rule: if you'll hire more than five people in Dubai within two years, or your customers will visit, DIC's office-based model makes sense. If you're a remote-first team of one to three, a flexi-desk zone or GoFreelance will cost a fraction as much.

Renewals and staying in good standing

Your licence and lease both run for a year, so diarise renewal at least a month before expiry. Renewal is done online through axs: you upload any NOCs your activities need under the Licensing Categories Decision and pay the tariff. An expired licence blocks visa renewals, new hires and banking, and fines follow. Keep your UBO register, shareholder records and registered address current, and tell the DDA about changes in managers or shareholders through the amendment services rather than leaving them to renewal time.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leasing too little space. At 1 visa per 60 sq ft, a 200 sq ft office caps you at three visas.
• Budgeting only the registration fee. The licence fee, office and visas are where the money goes.
• Forgetting the paid-up capital. An FZ-LLC must deposit AED 10,000; have it ready.
• Choosing a branch to save capital without weighing liability. The parent is fully liable for a branch.
• Planning around 0% QFZP tax. Service income to clients usually isn't qualifying.
• Placing staff at mainland clients without a dual licence or DET permit.

Official links

• DDA — FZ-LLC registration (natural person)Fees, documents and timeline
• DDA — commercial licence renewalRenewal and NOCs
• Dubai Internet City — FAQsCapital, visa quota, timelines, dual licence
• Dubai Internet City — in5 centresIncubation and membership
• FTA — Corporate Tax registrationRegister within 3 months of incorporation
• Dubai Media Office — Resolution No. 11 of 2025Free zone firms operating in mainland Dubai

What to do next

Write down your activities, your two-year headcount and whether you'll need staff at mainland clients. Ask TECOM for a written offer with the DDA licence fee and office rent itemised, then compare it with DMCC and IFZA for the same team size. If you're still a team of one, price GoFreelance first, and build your budget in the startup cost calculator.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

Who licenses companies in Dubai Internet City?

Dubai Internet City is a TECOM Group business community, but companies are licensed and registered by the Dubai Development Authority (DDA), the government regulator for TECOM's free zone communities. Licences, visas and other services are delivered through axs, TECOM's digital service platform. DIC was unveiled in October 1999 and is one of the region's oldest tech clusters.

How much does it cost to set up in Dubai Internet City?

The DDA charges a AED 3,500 registration fee for a new FZ-LLC, and the licence fee depends on your activities — long-standing DIC material and consultancy guides put it at about AED 15,000 a year for one activity segment (estimate). You also need an office lease of at least one year, an FZ-LLC paid-up capital of AED 10,000, and visa costs.

What is the minimum capital for a Dubai Internet City company?

DIC's FAQ says an FZ-LLC must have a minimum paid-up capital of AED 10,000. A branch of an existing UAE or foreign company has no minimum capital requirement. The capital stays the company's money — it isn't a fee — but it must be deposited and documented.

How many visas can a Dubai Internet City company get?

DIC allocates visas by leased space: 1 visa per 60 sq ft of commercial space. A 600 sq ft office therefore supports about ten visas. Plan your office around your two-year headcount, because adding visas later usually means moving to a bigger unit.

Can a freelancer work from Dubai Internet City?

Yes, through GoFreelance, TECOM's freelance permit for media, tech and education professionals. Its published licence is AED 7,500 a year, with an establishment card of AED 2,000 and a two-year visa of AED 5,042. A freelance permit can't sponsor employees; for that you need an FZ-LLC.

Can a Dubai Internet City company work with mainland clients?

A DIC licence is valid inside the free zone. DIC says an FZ-LLC can apply to the DDA for a dual licence to operate elsewhere in Dubai, and Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025 lets Dubai free zone firms get a DET licence or permit to operate on the mainland. Selling software or services remotely to mainland clients is common, but check your activity.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 12 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.Dubai Internet City — FAQs — Dubai Internet City (TECOM Group) · accessed 12 October 2026
2. 2.Registration — FZ-LLC with Natural Person — Dubai Development Authority · accessed 12 October 2026
3. 3.Commercial License Renewal — Dubai Development Authority · accessed 12 October 2026
4. 4.Dubai Internet City — home page — Dubai Internet City · accessed 12 October 2026
5. 5.About Dubai Internet City — Dubai Internet City · accessed 12 October 2026
6. 6.in5 Centres — Dubai Internet City · accessed 12 October 2026
7. 7.Dubai Internet City marks 25 years of empowering regional digital economy — Dubai Internet City · accessed 12 October 2026
8. 8.TECOM Group reports 9% net profit growth in H1 2026 — TECOM Group (via Zawya) · accessed 12 October 2026
9. 9.GoFreelance — TECOM Group · accessed 12 October 2026
10. 10.Hamdan bin Mohammed issues resolution to regulate free zone establishments operating outside designated zones — Dubai Media Office · accessed 12 October 2026
11. 11.Corporate Tax registration — Federal Tax Authority (UAE) · accessed 12 October 2026
12. 12.Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 on Qualifying Activities and Excluded Activities — UAE Ministry of Finance · accessed 12 October 2026
13. 13.DIC requirements FAQ (DIC publication, undated) — Farahat & Co (hosting a DIC publication) · accessed 12 October 2026