Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone in 2026: Licences, Published Costs and Visas

Dubai South is the 145-square-kilometre district being built around Al Maktoum International Airport, halfway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and it hosts one of the newer ways to get a Dubai free zone licence. Search results mix up its three routes — the Business Hub flexi-desk licence, the Business Park office route and the Logistics District — and few show the prices Dubai South itself publishes. This guide is for founders, freelancers, logistics firms and e-commerce sellers weighing Dubai South in 2026. It covers each route, the published costs as we read them on 9 October 2026, visas, set-up steps, tax, and how Dubai South compares with JAFZA and DMCC.

Quick answer

Dubai South is a Dubai free zone regulated by Dubai Aviation City Corporation. Small businesses usually start with the Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone, whose licence with flexi-desk access starts from AED 12,500 (a limited-time price of AED 11,375 was shown on 9 October 2026) and can be issued in one business day. Companies needing real offices lease space in the Business Park, where each 8 square metres supports one visa.

• Business Hub: up to up to 5 business groups or activities included; visas added as you grow

• Business Park offices from AED 1,200 per sq m a year (small, fitted) down to AED 550 per sq m a year (shell), excluding service charges

• Business Centre serviced offices from AED 25,000 + VAT a year, units from 9 sq m

• Company registration in 3–5 working days after complete documents (Business Park)

• Register for corporate tax within 3 months; 0% only on qualifying income

What Dubai South is

Dubai South describes itself as Dubai's largest single urban master development. It's built around an aviation and logistics ecosystem centred on Al Maktoum International Airport (also known as Dubai World Central, or DWC), with business, logistics, aviation and residential districts in one city. The free zone is regulated by Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC), whose Free Zone Management team issues visas, no-objection letters, access cards and work permits, and runs an employment dispute service for licensees and staff.

You'll see three set-up routes on Dubai South's own business set-up page:

1. DWC LLC company or branch — a free zone company (or branch of an existing company) with leased premises in the Business Park, Business Centre or Logistics District, registered through Dubai South's customer portal;
2. Freelancer licence — a professional licence for individuals;
3. Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone (DSBH) — a fully digital licence with flexi-desk access, aimed at start-ups, SMEs and solo founders.

The location is the main draw. The Business Park sits between Dubai and Abu Dhabi with direct road access to Al Maktoum airport and Jebel Ali Port, and the Logistics District links the airport and the seaport through a customs-bonded corridor. The trade-off is distance from older business districts such as Downtown, DIFC and JLT, and a commute that relies on roads and RTA buses from Expo metro station until the planned metro extension arrives.

Route 1: Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone

The Business Hub is the route most searchers mean by "Dubai South business hub free zone". It's a separate licensing platform inside Dubai South, with its own website, cost calculator and channel-partner network, and offices in the Business Park.

What it publishes:

• Price. A trade licence starts from AED 12,500, including the business licence and access to a flexi desk. On 9 October 2026 the home page also showed a limited-time price of AED 11,375, with no end date. Treat that as a promotion and check whether it applies to renewal.
• Activities. Up to up to 5 business groups or activities at no extra cost; more can be added for a fee, with no upper limit. Popular groups include general trading, e-commerce, commercial brokerage, marketing management, events management and project consultancy. Some activities need third-party approval.
• Speed and paperwork. The licence can be issued in one business day, the process is 100% digital, and the Business Hub advertises passport-only registration for straightforward cases.
• No office or visa minimum. You don't need to rent an office to start, and visas are optional — what it calls a pay-as-you-grow model.
• Banking. Eligible licences can come with a business account number and an instant IBAN. The cost calculator shows this as AED 1,500 on top of the licence fee, subject to terms.

Visas, medical tests, Emirates ID and bank account help can all be added through the calculator, and the Business Hub's Beyond Hub service handles investor, employee, dependent and golden visa applications. Its terms say visa allocation fees (for adding quota) are separate from the fees for processing each visa — a distinction to check in any quote.

Refunds if something is rejected

The Business Hub's terms set out what you get back if an approval fails. If a licence application is rejected by state security, compliance or another regulator, the refund is subject to a AED 2,000 administrative deduction, and the same deduction applies if an investor or partner visa is rejected; for an employee visa the deduction is AED 1,000. Payments of AED 2,000 or less aren't refunded at all, and refund claims must be made within 180 days. Have your passport, activity and background in order before paying.

Route 2: Business Park and Business Centre offices

If you need a real office — for staff, a larger visa quota or a bank that wants to see premises — Dubai South's commercial property team leases space in the Business Park, which it describes as 11 modern buildings with units from 320 sq ft, on-site licensing and visa services, dual licensing, and no paid-up share capital requirement. It says UAE residents don't need a no-objection letter from their employer to set up.

Business Park published terms (read 9 October 2026)

AED 1,200 per sq m a year

Fitted small office, 30–70 sq m

Excludes service charges

AED 900 per sq m a year

Fitted office, 120 sq m and above

AED 550 per sq m a year

Shell office, 300 sq m and above

one visa per 8 sq m

Visa entitlement

Of leased office space

3–5 working days

Company registration

After complete documents; excludes third-party approvals

Leases run for at least a year, and Dubai South accepts four post-dated cheques a year. A DWC LLC can have 1 to 8 shareholders and 1 to 6 directors. Parking is provided at one space per 50 square metres of leasable area.

The Business Centre is the serviced-office option for start-ups and SMEs: furnished offices with Wi-Fi, utilities, pantry and meeting rooms, with rent from AED 25,000 + VAT a year for units from 9 square metres. Dubai South pitches it as suitable for opening a bank account — a physical, furnished office often helps with UAE bank onboarding.

Worked example: what a Business Park office means for visas

Priya runs an aviation-parts trading firm and needs six staff on company visas. At one visa per 8 sq m, she needs at least 48 square metres of office. A 50 sq m fitted office at the published starting rate of AED 1,200 per sq m a year works out at about AED 60,000 a year before service charges and VAT — our arithmetic from Dubai South's published rate, not a quote. On top come licence and registration fees, the establishment card and the six visas, which Dubai South prices through its portal.

If Priya only needed one visa for herself, the Business Hub's flexi-desk licence from AED 12,500 plus one investor visa would be far cheaper. The office route pays off once your team grows, or when you need premises next to the airport.

Route 3: Logistics District and EZDubai

The Logistics District is Dubai South's industrial side. Dubai South says it stretches about 18 kilometres and has several zones:

• the Freight Forwarding Zone, with direct access to Al Maktoum International Airport's cargo terminals;
• EZDubai, a dedicated e-commerce zone for B2B and B2C operators;
• the Contract Logistics Zone, linked to Jebel Ali Port by a customs-bonded logistics corridor that Dubai South says can move cargo between the seaport and the airport in as little as 20 minutes.

Ready-built warehouses include single-user buildings — Freight House (2,600 sq m with an expandable 550 sq m office) and Logistics House (2,630 sq m, 11 metres high, with an expandable 570 sq m office) — and multi-tenant Freight Complex and Logistics Complex units that can be combined as you grow. Built-to-suit facilities are also offered.

EZDubai is set up around the e-commerce supply chain: supply centres on plots from 10,000 to 100,000 sq m, e-fulfilment centres from 10,000 sq m, last-mile centres near the airport from 5,000 sq m, return-and-repair centres from 250 to 5,000 sq m, and Business Blocks offices from 28 square metres for smaller e-commerce firms. Dubai South doesn't publish rents for these facilities online; they're quoted by its leasing team.

How to set up a company in Dubai South

Setting up in Dubai South

1. 1

   Pick the route

   Business Hub for a digital flexi-desk licence; Business Park or Business Centre if you need an office or a bigger visa quota; Logistics District for warehouses and air or sea cargo.

2. 2

   Check the name and activities

   Use the Business Hub's free name check and activity list, or ask Dubai South's team. Note any activity needing third-party approval.

   Business Hub name check
3. 3

   Get a written quote

   Use the Business Hub cost calculator, or ask Dubai South leasing for office or warehouse terms. Ask for the licence, registration, establishment card, visa allocation and visa processing fees separately.

4. 4

   Apply and pay

   Business Hub applications are fully digital. Office and logistics companies register through Dubai South's customer portal, which covers incorporation, licensing, visas, access cards and NOCs.

   Dubai South customer portal
5. 5

   Receive the licence

   Business Hub: about one business day. Business Park: 3–5 working days after complete documents.

6. 6

   Register for tax, then apply for visas

   Register for corporate tax on EmaraTax within 3 months. Apply for the establishment card and visas; each visa holder completes a medical test and Emirates ID biometrics.

   Tip: Late corporate tax registration costs AED 10,000.

Most applicants need a passport copy for every shareholder and director, a photo, the visa or entry-stamp page if they're in the UAE, and an activity description. Corporate shareholders and branches need the parent's certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, board resolution and power of attorney, and ultimate beneficial owner details — normally notarised and attested by the UAE embassy in the home country. Dubai South's documents library holds the online registration form, articles of association template and pass applications.

Visas and residency

How many visas you can sponsor depends on the route. Office tenants in the Business Park get one visa per 8 sq m of leased office space. Business Hub companies start without a quota and buy visa allocations as they hire. Freelancers get residence through their own licence.

The process is the same everywhere in Dubai: an entry permit (or change of status if the person is already in the UAE), a medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics, then the residence visa. The Business Hub says investor visas issued through a company are typically valid for two to three years, and that it supports dependent visas for spouses and children and golden visa applications for eligible founders. Only the first stages can be done remotely; each visa holder must come to the UAE.

Corporate tax, VAT and the 0% rate

Corporate tax. Every Dubai South company must register for corporate tax, whether or not it expects to pay. A company that is a Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on qualifying income and 9% on other taxable income. It needs adequate substance in the free zone, audited financial statements and non-qualifying revenue within 5% of total revenue or AED 5 million, whichever is lower. Failing a condition costs the status for 5 tax periods.

Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 lists the qualifying activities. Logistics services, financing and leasing of aircraft, and distribution of goods in or from a designated zone are on the list, and income from transactions with other free zone persons can also qualify, which suits Logistics District and aviation businesses. A Business Hub consultancy billing mainland clients usually earns non-qualifying income. Many small Dubai South companies will be better off electing Small Business Relief if revenue is AED 3 million or less (available for periods ending by 31 December 2029); you can't combine it with QFZP status. Returns are due within 9 months of the year end. Test your numbers with our UAE corporate tax calculator.

VAT. Register once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 in 12 months. Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017's original list of designated zones (as reproduced by Grant Thornton) names "Dubai Aviation City" and Jebel Ali Free Zone, among others. Designated zone treatment applies only to goods within fenced, customs-controlled areas, and the Federal Tax Authority says status must be checked separately for each tax — so ask Dubai South whether your specific premises count before you rely on it. Services are taxed at 5% as normal. See our UAE VAT guide.

Dubai South vs JAFZA and DMCC

Dubai South vs JAFZA vs DMCC (published figures, 2026)

	Dubai South	JAFZA	DMCC
Location	Around Al Maktoum airport, between Dubai and Abu Dhabi	Jebel Ali Port	JLT and Uptown Dubai
Entry-level licence	Business Hub from AED 12,500 incl. flexi desk	Licence from AED 5,000 a year (one group), plus premises	Jump Start AED 43,780 incl. flexi desk and 1 visa
Activities included	Up to 5 groups or activities	Up to 7 activities in one group	Depends on licence
Visa rule	1 visa per 8 sq m of office	2 visas per workstation	up to 3 visas with a flexi desk
Set-up time	3–5 working days (office) / one business day (Hub)	3 to 14 business days	About 10 working days
Warehouses and land	Yes — Logistics District	Yes — plots from 5,000 sq m	Limited
Best for	Start-ups on a budget, air cargo, e-commerce fulfilment	Sea-freight trading, manufacturing, large warehouses	Trading and services wanting a central address

Location

Dubai South

Around Al Maktoum airport, between Dubai and Abu Dhabi

JAFZA

Jebel Ali Port

DMCC

JLT and Uptown Dubai

Entry-level licence

Dubai South

Business Hub from AED 12,500 incl. flexi desk

JAFZA

Licence from AED 5,000 a year (one group), plus premises

DMCC

Jump Start AED 43,780 incl. flexi desk and 1 visa

Activities included

Dubai South

Up to 5 groups or activities

JAFZA

Up to 7 activities in one group

DMCC

Depends on licence

Visa rule

Dubai South

1 visa per 8 sq m of office

JAFZA

2 visas per workstation

DMCC

up to 3 visas with a flexi desk

Set-up time

Dubai South

3–5 working days (office) / one business day (Hub)

JAFZA

3 to 14 business days

DMCC

About 10 working days

Warehouses and land

Dubai South

Yes — Logistics District

JAFZA

Yes — plots from 5,000 sq m

DMCC

Limited

Best for

Dubai South

Start-ups on a budget, air cargo, e-commerce fulfilment

JAFZA

Sea-freight trading, manufacturing, large warehouses

DMCC

Trading and services wanting a central address

Choose Dubai South if you want a low-cost Dubai licence and don't need a central address, or if your business revolves around air freight, e-commerce fulfilment or aviation. Choose JAFZA (our guide) if you ship by sea, need a large warehouse or land at Jebel Ali, or want one of the UAE's most established logistics zones. Choose DMCC (our guide) if you want a central Dubai address, metro access and a big business community, and can carry the higher cost. Dubai South and JAFZA are close to each other, so logistics companies sometimes compare them on the specific warehouse rather than the zone.

After set-up: renewal and running costs

A Dubai South licence runs for a year at a time unless you buy a longer term, and the renewal bill covers the licence, the flexi desk or office lease, the establishment card and any visas falling due. Ask for the renewal price in writing when you sign: promotional first-year prices don't always carry over, and visa renewals land on different dates from the licence if you hired during the year.

Keep your shareholder, director and beneficial owner records current on the portal whenever anything changes — Dubai South's rules page publishes the UAE anti-money-laundering and beneficial-owner regulations its licensees must follow. Budget for bookkeeping, a corporate tax return every year and, if you want QFZP status, an audit. If you stop trading, close the company properly — cancel visas, settle the lease and deregister from tax — rather than letting the licence lapse, because fines keep building on an expired licence.

Common mistakes

• Confusing the offer with the price. The Business Hub's AED 11,375 was a limited-time price; its standard "from" price is AED 12,500. Ask what renewal costs.
• Budgeting for the licence only. Visa allocation, visa processing, medical, Emirates ID, insurance and the instant IBAN are extras.
• Choosing a flexi desk when you need staff. Visas in the Business Park depend on office size; plan space for your hiring.
• Assuming 0% tax. Services to mainland clients usually aren't qualifying income — compare QFZP with Small Business Relief.
• Ignoring rejection deductions. If a licence or visa is rejected, the Business Hub keeps AED 2,000 of an investor-visa or licence payment.
• Missing the corporate tax deadline. Register within 3 months.

Official links

• Dubai South — business set-upDWC LLC, freelancer and Business Hub routes
• Dubai South Business Hub Free ZoneLicence from AED 12,500, cost calculator
• Dubai South — Business ParkOffice rents, visa ratio, FAQs
• Dubai South — Free Zone ServicesVisas, NOCs, permits, disputes
• Dubai South — documents and formsRegistration forms and templates
• Dubai South customer portalIncorporation, licensing and visas
• FTA — Free zones and designated zones (TAXP010)Tax treatment of free zones

What to do next

Work out how many visas you'll need in the next two years and whether you'll handle goods. If it's one or two visas and services, get a Business Hub quote; if it's a team or a warehouse, ask Dubai South leasing for office or logistics terms. Then compare the full year-one and renewal cost with JAFZA, DMCC and Meydan using our startup cost calculator.

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

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Dubai South free zone licence cost?

On 9 October 2026, Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone said its licence with flexi-desk access starts from AED 12,500, with a limited-time price of AED 11,375 shown on its home page. Up to up to 5 business groups or activities are included. Visas, medical tests, Emirates ID and extras are added through its cost calculator, so get a full written quote.

What is the difference between Dubai South Business Hub and Dubai South Business Park?

Both sit in the Dubai South free zone, regulated by Dubai Aviation City Corporation. The Business Hub is a fully digital, flexi-desk licence product for start-ups and freelancers, priced from AED 12,500. The Business Park is 11 office buildings where you lease a physical office, form a DWC LLC or branch, and get one visa per 8 square metres of office space.

How many visas can a Dubai South company get?

In the Business Park and Business Centre, Dubai South says companies are entitled to one visa per 8 sq m of leased office space. Business Hub licences use a pay-as-you-grow model: you start without visas and add investor or employee visas later through its Beyond Hub service. Each residence visa needs a medical test and Emirates ID biometrics in the UAE.

How long does company setup take in Dubai South?

Dubai South says a company in the Business Park generally takes 3–5 working days to register once all correct documents are in, excluding third-party approvals. The Business Hub says its licence can be issued in one business day through a fully digital process. Visas and bank accounts take longer.

Is Dubai South better than JAFZA or DMCC?

It depends on what you need. Dubai South's Business Hub is cheaper to enter than DMCC's packages and suits small service and trading firms; its Logistics District suits air cargo and e-commerce near Al Maktoum airport. JAFZA suits port-based trading, warehousing and manufacturing at Jebel Ali. DMCC suits firms that want a central Dubai address.

Do Dubai South free zone companies pay corporate tax?

Every Dubai South company must register for UAE corporate tax within 3 months of incorporation. A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on qualifying income and 9% on other taxable income, provided it meets substance, audit and de minimis conditions. Small companies can instead elect Small Business Relief if revenue is AED 3 million or less.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 9 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 South Business Hub Free Zone — home page — Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone · accessed 9 October 2026
2. 2.Cost Calculator — Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone · accessed 9 October 2026
3. 3.About Us — Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone · accessed 9 October 2026
4. 4.Business Activities — Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone · accessed 9 October 2026
5. 5.Residency Services (Beyond Hub) — Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone · accessed 9 October 2026
6. 6.Terms and Conditions — Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone · accessed 9 October 2026
7. 7.Business Park — Dubai South · accessed 9 October 2026
8. 8.Business Centre — Dubai South · accessed 9 October 2026
9. 9.Free Zone Services — Dubai South · accessed 9 October 2026
10. 10.Business Setup — Dubai South · accessed 9 October 2026
11. 11.Logistics — Dubai South · accessed 9 October 2026
12. 12.Warehouse — Dubai South · accessed 9 October 2026
13. 13.EZDubai — Dubai South · accessed 9 October 2026
14. 14.FAQs — Dubai South · accessed 9 October 2026
15. 15.Free Zones and Designated Zones for Tax Purposes (TAXP010) — Federal Tax Authority · accessed 9 October 2026
16. 16.Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 on Qualifying Activities and Excluded Activities — UAE Ministry of Finance · accessed 9 October 2026
17. 17.Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017 on Designated Zones (VAT alert with list) — Grant Thornton UAE · accessed 9 October 2026