AFZA is the oldest free zone of the UAE. It was founded in 1985. It is the largest customs bonded zone in the Middle East. It became home for more than 7,000 international and local companies, factories and logistics firms, manufacturing plants and assembling units. The direct access to Jebel Ali Sea port, Al Maktoum International Airport and Expo 2020 Dubai has helped it to become an ideal hub for global trade and a well-integrated business setup solution provider. It has a single customs area, which helps to reduce cargo clearance times and costs. Shipping, logistics and trading companies are often based in this free zone.

JAFZA business step by step process

JAFZA company setup can be started without your presence, but you will need to make a visit to the free zone when the documents of your company are generated. Here is the list of basic documents for JAFZA company registration:

• Application form
• Brief Project Summary (1 page is sufficient)
• Passport copy
• Company name options
• Business activities
• The time-frame of Jebel Ali free zone company setup can be from 2 to 4 weeks. It depends on the business activity and the type of facility that you choose.

Advantages of JAFZA company setup

Some of the advantages of business setup in JAFZA include the following:

• 100% foreign ownership
• No personal, income, or corporate taxes
• Full repatriation of capital and profits
• Strategic location boosting opportunities
• No paid-up share capital required
• Wide range of business activities
• Simple and quick set up process
• World-class infrastructures
• Direct access to Jebel Ali Sea port and Al Maktoum International Airport
• Global connectivity
• Lots of facilities like plots of land Warehouses, Showrooms, Customised development solutions, Offices, Business Park, Retail outlets, On-site residence

Unique features of JAFZA business setup

It is a logistic corridor

• By sea: Jebel Ali Port has one of the best global ocean connectivities. It serves over 150 shipping lines which are capable to handle over 19 million containers per year.
• By air: Al Maktoum International Airport is considered to be one of the largest cargo airports around the globe.
• By land: The UAE region is fully equipped with extensive highway link. It makes the cargo travel fast and safely in Dubai and between the emirates.
• By Rail: Nowadays Etihad rail is under construction. It's going to link JAFZA to the whole Arabian Peninsula.

Licenses offered in JAFZA Dubai

The establishment of a business in JAFZA comes with a number of advantages, as previously stated. According to the type of your business setup in UAE, the category of your license can be different.The list of activities is quite vast, the following license categories are offered:

• Trading
• Industrial
• Service
• Logistics
• General Trading

Company with service activity can be registered only as a branch of an existing UAE Mainland entity. Trading, Industrial and Service licenses have 2 types. They differ according to the number of activities you can have under the license:

• 1 type: up to 7 products from the same group
• 2 type: up to 12 products from the same group

If you want to add extra activity to any type of license, it will cost 500 AED. JAFZA company formation is highly recommended for those who are planning to deal with international trading, distribution or logistics sectors.

The company setup in Jebel Ali Free Zone is quite reasonable compared to the other Free Zones. Jebel Ali free zone company registration starts from:

• 10,000 AED fee for the registration
• 5,500 AED license of type 1 (7 categories of products)
• 9,000 AED license of type 2 (12 categories of products)

As you can see, JAFZA free zone license cost is reasonable, considering the big number of activities you can get in the license. It is a mandatory requirement to have an office space in this Free Zone.

License renewal in JAFZA Dubai

Businesses operating in an JAFZA-free zone can easily and economically renew their licenses. You will need to pay the renewal fee and send in the signed lease agreement for your facility to complete the renewal process for your business. Without having to be physically present in the UAE, you can renew your license through an agent.

Business liquidation in JAFZA Dubai

Company liquidation, like renewal, does not require the owner's physical presence and can be carried out through an agent. To complete the liquidation process, you will be required to pay a fee to the government. At license liquidation, investors will be required to submit a comprehensive audit report.

The following steps must be completed before a company can be liquidated:

• Cancellation of visas
• Termination of lease agreement
• Closure of bank account