Dubai free zone profile
Dubai South Free Zone
The aviation and logistics city growing around Dubai's second airport. Located in Dubai South, around Al Maktoum International Airport.
From
AED 13,500
Setup
About 1 week
Ownership
100% foreign
Visas
From 1 on business centre packages, scaling with premises
About Dubai South
Dubai South is the 145 square kilometre district taking shape around Al Maktoum International Airport, the airport Dubai intends to grow into the world's largest. The free zone inside it spans aviation, logistics and business park clusters, with Expo City on its doorstep.
The Logistics District operates a bonded corridor to Jebel Ali Port, so cargo moves between ship and aircraft without leaving free zone territory. Amazon, and a long list of freight and fulfilment operators, run facilities here for exactly that reason.
For founders, the business park side offers licences at prices competitive with the budget zones, and the district's long-term trajectory is hard to argue with: the airport expansion is a AED 128 billion committed project.
Licence types at Dubai South
- Commercial licence. Trading, distribution and e-commerce activities.
- Service licence. Consultancy, logistics services and aviation support.
- Industrial licence. Manufacturing and assembly within the Logistics District.
- Education licence. Training academies, particularly aviation-related.
Offices and facilities
- Business centre desks
- Offices
- Warehouses
- Build-to-suit logistics facilities
What Dubai South costs
Indicative first-year cost for a business centre package. Confirmed quote issued on application. Budget from AED 13,500 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
Dubai South questions, answered
Why choose Dubai South over JAFZA for logistics?
Air cargo. If your goods fly, or move sea-to-air, the bonded corridor and airport adjacency are decisive. Pure sea freight operations with heavy warehousing still tend to sit better at Jebel Ali.
Is Dubai South too far from the city?
It is about 35 to 45 minutes from Downtown by car. For fulfilment, aviation and freight businesses the location is the point, not a compromise. Consultants who visit clients daily in DIFC may prefer a central zone.
What will the airport expansion mean for companies there?
Al Maktoum is planned to handle up to 260 million passengers a year once complete. Land values, cargo volumes and workforce demand in the district are all expected to climb through the 2030s.
Zones founders also compare
Start your Dubai South company
Check your company name against UAE rules, confirm your activity fits, and get exact figures back the same day.
Free check · No payment · Reply same day