RAKEZ vs Ajman FZ: which free zone fits you?
A neutral comparison — no single free zone pays us more than another.
In short
RAKEZ (licences from about AED 6,000) and Ajman FZ (from about AED 5,555) are both UAE free zones — Ajman FZ has the lower entry price. RAKEZ best suits: Cost-conscious SMEs, traders, freelancers and consultants, e-commerce sellers, and especially industrial or manufacturing businesses needing warehouses or land. Ajman FZ best suits: Online sellers and e-commerce founders who want the one AFZ package with a published price, freelancers using the 40-category Sole Professional licence, and cost-sensitive traders and light-industrial businesses already looking at the northern emirates who are willing to request a written quote rather than compare a published rate card. No single zone pays us more, so the recommendation depends only on your activity, visa count and budget.
RAKEZ and Ajman FZ side by side
Approximate budgeting figures — your final quote is confirmed in writing. Government fees are passed through at cost, never marked up.
| Criteria | RAKEZ | Ajman FZ |
|---|---|---|
| Licence from | AED 6,000 | AED 5,555 |
| Emirate | Ras Al Khaimah | Ajman |
| Location | Al Hamra Industrial Zone & Al Nakheel, Ras Al Khaimah | Ajman Port / Al Jurf, Ajman |
| Visas | Visa allocation is tied to your workspace, not bought freely. | Package-defined. |
| Activities | RAKEZ maintains a comprehensive activity list across manufacturing, trading, services, media, education, IT, logistics and more. | AFZ's mid-tier packages advertise up to five mix-and-match activities across commercial, service and e-commerce categories, rising to up to ten activities on the Hexa-and-above tiers. |
Lower entry price: Ajman FZ.
Which one should you pick?
Choose RAKEZ if
Cost-conscious SMEs, traders, freelancers and consultants, e-commerce sellers, and especially industrial or manufacturing businesses needing warehouses or land. A common pick for Dubai-based founders who want a cheaper free zone licence and don't need a Dubai address on the trade licence.
Think twice if
Businesses that need to sell directly to the UAE mainland or take government contracts (a free zone licence alone doesn't allow that — you'd need a mainland licence or local distributor). Also not ideal for founders who want a prestigious Dubai address, or those needing many employee visas on a small flexi-desk.
Choose Ajman FZ if
Online sellers and e-commerce founders who want the one AFZ package with a published price, freelancers using the 40-category Sole Professional licence, and cost-sensitive traders and light-industrial businesses already looking at the northern emirates who are willing to request a written quote rather than compare a published rate card.
Think twice if
Anyone who needs to compare a published, itemised price before engaging — outside the E-Commerce Licence, AFZ's cost calculator emails an estimate rather than displaying one, so you cannot self-serve a budget. Also a poor fit if you need a Dubai address, a regulated financial licence, or certainty today about mainland selling rights, which AFZ does not spell out publicly.
Cost breakdowns
RAKEZ
from AED 6,000
Trade licence (zero-visa, with flexi-desk)
Starter/zero-visa packages; varies by licence type and activities
AED 6,000–9,000/yr
All-inclusive licence with 1 visa (incl. flexi-desk)
Bundled trade licence + 1 visa quota + coworking access
from AED 14,000/yr
Establishment card (immigration registration)
Required once before processing any residence visa
from AED 1,000
Investor / partner residence visa
Approx, excludes medical and Emirates ID below
from AED 4,500
Medical test + Emirates ID
Per person, paid to government / typing centres
approx AED 700
Name reservation + initial approval
Usually bundled in the package; standalone fees are nominal
often included
Flexi-desk / coworking workspace
Included in most starter packages; private offices cost extra
usually included
UAE corporate tax registration
Registration is mandatory; 0% on qualifying free zone income, 9% above AED 375k otherwise
no government fee
Ajman FZ
from AED 5,555
E-Commerce Licence package
The only AFZ package with a publicly published price. Covers the registered company name, e-commerce licence, official documentation, eligibility to open a UAE bank account, unlimited coworking access and 100% foreign ownership.
from AED 5,555
All other packages (Kickstarter, Freedom, Starter–Deca, Al Jurf)
AFZ's package portal lists features but no prices, and its cost calculator emails an estimate rather than displaying one. Ask for the figure in writing.
Quote-based
E-channel registration renewal
Published in AFZ's own FAQ, which states it should be renewed five days before expiry.
AED 1,100 / year
Company licence cancellation
Published in AFZ's own FAQ.
AED 2,135
Visas, medical, Emirates ID and insurance
Not covered by the published E-Commerce Licence price, which is a zero-visa package. Budget per person.
Added on top
Strengths and trade-offs
RAKEZ
- Genuinely low cost — among the cheapest credible UAE free zones to start and renew
- Excellent for industrial, manufacturing and logistics thanks to warehouses and land plots
- Flexible activity mixing — up to 7 in a category or ~10 mixed on one licence
- Fast issuance, 100% foreign ownership, and full profit repatriation
- Dual-licence option lets a single entity hold both free zone and mainland activities
- It's in Ras Al Khaimah, not Dubai — the trade licence and registered address are RAK, which some clients or banks prefer to see as Dubai
- Like any free zone, you can't sell directly to the UAE mainland without a mainland licence or distributor
- Visa quota is capped by workspace — a cheap flexi-desk limits you to a small number of visas
- Some bank branches and processing happen from RAK, which can mean extra travel or coordination
Ajman FZ
- A genuine government free zone with a long operating history — established in 1988, under the Free Zones Authority of Ajman.
- The published E-Commerce Licence at AED 5,555 is competitive and bundles coworking access and bank-account eligibility.
- Visa tiers run all the way to ten on a single package structure, so scaling headcount does not mean changing zone.
- Fast administrative turnarounds where AFZ does publish them: three working days for an establishment card, two to three for a visa cancellation.
- No published rate card. Sixteen packages are listed with features and no prices, and the cost calculator emails an estimate instead of showing one — you cannot budget without contacting them.
- The one published price is scoped to e-commerce and appears in a 2025 article rather than an official fee schedule, so it is a weaker source than the PDF rate cards other zones publish.
- AFZ does not state publicly whether its licences permit direct mainland selling, so treat mainland access as unconfirmed until you have it in writing.
- An Ajman address carries less weight than a Dubai one with some banks and clients, and the zone is not a financial-services jurisdiction.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, RAKEZ or Ajman FZ?+
RAKEZ licences start from about AED 6,000 (zero-visa licence, flexi-desk, approx — visa packages cost more). Ajman FZ starts from about AED 5,555 (from / published — the E-Commerce Licence package, the only price Ajman Free Zone publishes openly (stated in its own 2025 article, not in a fee schedule). Every other AFZ package is quoted individually; visas, government fees and facilities are added on top). Ajman FZ has the lower headline price, but your real total depends on visa count and office needs — always compare a written, itemised quote.
Who is RAKEZ best for?+
Cost-conscious SMEs, traders, freelancers and consultants, e-commerce sellers, and especially industrial or manufacturing businesses needing warehouses or land. A common pick for Dubai-based founders who want a cheaper free zone licence and don't need a Dubai address on the trade licence.
Who is Ajman FZ best for?+
Online sellers and e-commerce founders who want the one AFZ package with a published price, freelancers using the 40-category Sole Professional licence, and cost-sensitive traders and light-industrial businesses already looking at the northern emirates who are willing to request a written quote rather than compare a published rate card.
How do I decide between RAKEZ and Ajman FZ?+
Compare licence cost, visa allocation and activity fit. RAKEZ: Visa allocation is tied to your workspace, not bought freely. Ajman FZ: Package-defined. If you are still unsure, our free zone selector or a free 30-minute PRO Health Check will confirm the better fit for your case.
Still torn between RAKEZ and Ajman FZ?
Tell us your activity and how many visas you need, and we'll confirm the better-fit zone and its real cost — in writing, line by line.