Dubai free zone profile
Dubai International Academic City
The campus district for universities and higher education ventures. Located in Academic City, beside Silicon Oasis.
From
AED 16,000
Setup
2 to 6 weeks for support services; longer for institutions
Ownership
100% foreign
Visas
Scales with premises
About DIAC
Dubai International Academic City hosts more than 25 university campuses, including branches of Heriot-Watt, Birla Institute and Murdoch, teaching a student population drawn from over 100 countries. It is the physical centre of higher education in the emirate.
Establishing a degree-granting institution is a serious regulatory undertaking involving KHDA and, for many programmes, home-country accreditation bodies. DIAC's framework exists to carry that process, and timelines run in months.
Around the universities sits a second economy of student housing operators, EdTech firms, academic publishers and student services companies, which license here with far lighter approvals to be next to their market.
Licence types at DIAC
- Academic institution licence. Universities and colleges, with KHDA oversight.
- Education services licence. Student services, admissions consultancy and support businesses.
- Commercial licence. EdTech products and academic publishing.
Offices and facilities
- Campus buildings
- Offices
- Shared academic facilities
What DIAC costs
Indicative first-year cost for education support services. Institution licensing scoped individually. Budget from AED 16,000 for the first year, then add visa allocations, medicals and Emirates ID per person, and workspace if you upgrade beyond the entry package. Renewals typically come in below year-one totals. Our costs page breaks down every line item, and your written quote fixes the numbers before you pay.
Questions
DIAC questions, answered
How long does it take to open a university branch in DIAC?
Realistically a year or more, covering KHDA academic authorisation, campus arrangements and programme accreditation. We manage the corporate structure while your academic team handles curriculum approval.
Can an EdTech startup license in Academic City?
Yes, and without the institutional approval burden. A software company selling to universities licenses like any tech business, with its market walking past the office.
Is student recruitment consultancy allowed?
Admissions and placement consultancies are standard licences here. Firms recruiting into regulated programmes should expect ethics and compliance checks from partner institutions.
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