Last Updated: September 2026. Every Sharjah Airport International Free Zone figure below was checked against SAIF Zone's own published material in September 2026. Anything SAIF Zone does not publish is marked unpublished rather than filled in with an estimate.
Sharjah Airport International Free Zone publishes no price for a SAIF Zone company setup. BusinessDubai.ae checked three official SAIF Zone pages in September 2026: the Business Set-Up page, the official FAQ and the Business Set-Up Packages landing page. None carries a licence fee, a facility rate or a renewal figure [1][2][3]. The packages page still shows a promotional window dated 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020 [3], and a site search of saif-zone.com returns administrative forms rather than a rate card.
That absence is the most useful fact here. Every AED number you will read about SAIF Zone, from roughly AED 10,800 to more than AED 75,000, is a reseller's advertised figure, not a SAIF Zone fee. It is why no two quotes agree.
Since 2013, BusinessDubai.ae has registered companies in every emirate, including Sharjah trading and light manufacturing files. This guide covers what SAIF Zone does publish (licence categories, facility products, visa quota per facility, warehouse sizes, share capital) and what it does not, plus VAT Designated Zone status, corporate tax by tenant type, the named customs centres, documents, timelines, banking and Hamriyah compared.
Does SAIF Zone publish an official price list in 2026?
No. BusinessDubai.ae checked three official SAIF Zone pages in September 2026 and found no licence fee, no facility rate and no renewal schedule [1][2][3]. A site search of saif-zone.com returns registration, immigration and renewal forms only. Every AED figure in circulation is advertised by a reseller, not published by the zone.
Here is exactly what was checked, so you can repeat it.
| Official SAIF Zone page | What it covers | Price published |
|---|---|---|
| Business Set-Up [1] | Licence categories, facility products, visa quota, warehouse sizes, plot floor | None |
| Official FAQ [2] | Ownership, share capital, visa validity, facilities. Copyright line still reads 2020 | None |
| Business Set-Up Packages [3] | Facility descriptions under a promotional window dated 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020 | None |
| Site search of saif-zone.com | Document registration form, immigration card application, renewal form | No schedule |
Read the "None" column as the finding, not a gap in the research: SAIF Zone sells through formation agents, and each sets its own bundle. Our free zone company setup page shows the by-visa-count basis SAIF Zone never publishes.
Real Talk: If a consultant quotes a SAIF Zone licence price by phone, ask which SAIF Zone document it comes from. There is no right answer, because no such document is public. Ask instead for a written offer naming the licence category, the facility and its size, the visa count and the year two renewal basis.
What does a SAIF Zone company setup cost in 2026?
No confirmed SAIF Zone figure exists, so treat every advertised total as a quote to be tested. For comparison, BusinessDubai.ae transacts SRTIP at AED 5,510 licence only and AED 13,990 with one visa, and SPC Free Zone at AED 5,765 and AED 14,255 on the same two bases [13].
Here is what a SAIF Zone budget actually looks like.
| Cost item | Amount (AED) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Licence fee, any category | Not published | Absent from all three official pages [1][2][3] |
| Registration and incorporation | Not published | An undated saif-zone.com form cites AED 200 for document registration. Not a confirmed current rate |
| Office, Executive Office or Suite rent | Not published | Products and visa quotas published, rates not [1] |
| Warehouse rent, 125 to 600 sqm | Not published | Sizes published, rate not [1] |
| Land lease, from 2,500 sqm | Not published | Plot floor published, rate not [1] |
| Establishment card and e-channel | Not published | Confirm at SAIF Zone immigration |
| Investor or employee visa | Not published | Resellers advertise roughly AED 3,240 to 4,965. None is a SAIF Zone figure |
| Year two renewal | Not published | Official renewal form exists, no fee schedule, no stated late penalty [1] |
Price the two confirmed variables, facility size and visa count, then force every quote onto that basis. Our business setup in Sharjah and business setup in Ajman pages carry confirmed prices for the alternatives.
Quick Math: On confirmed BusinessDubai.ae pricing, a Sharjah desk licence with one visa is AED 13,990 at SRTIP and AED 14,255 at SPC Free Zone or SHAMS, against AED 13,131 at Ajman Free Zone [13]. The spread across three emirates on a one visa basis is AED 1,124. If a SAIF Zone quote lands far outside that band, the difference is the facility, not the licence.
Get an itemised SAIF Zone quote→
Which licences does SAIF Zone issue, and what does each permit?
SAIF Zone issues three licence categories on its own Business Set-Up page: a trade or commercial licence for import, export, distribution, consolidation and storage; a service licence for consultancy, IT, freight forwarding and e-commerce; and an industrial licence covering raw material import, manufacturing, processing, assembly, packaging and export [1].
The category also decides your corporate tax answer.
| Licence category [1] | What it permits | Corporate tax position |
|---|---|---|
| Trade or commercial | Import, export, distribution, consolidation, storage | Qualifies only on the two part distribution test [7] |
| Service | Consultancy, IT, freight forwarding, e-commerce | Absent from the 14 item Qualifying Activity list [7] |
| Industrial | Manufacturing, processing, assembly, packaging, export | Manufacturing and processing both qualify cleanly [7] |
Logistics sits across the first two: storage and transport without taking title is its own Qualifying Activity [7]. Our import and export business guide and manufacturing company setup guide cover the operating side.
Common Mistake: Repeating the "maximum of three similar product lines" limit as a rule of the commercial licence. That claim circulates on consultancy pages and appears nowhere in the SAIF Zone material BusinessDubai.ae read [1]. Ask SAIF Zone to confirm in writing, before you pay, how many activities and product groups your licence carries, because an amendment later costs money.
What facilities can you licence at SAIF Zone, and what does each carry?
SAIF Zone licences five facility products: the SAIF Office, a furnished desk; the Executive Office, unfurnished and customisable; the SAIF Suite, a furnished executive suite; pre-built warehouses at 125, 250, 400 and 600 square metres, combinable; and land plots from 2,500 square metres [1]. No rate is published for any of them.
The facility is the real decision here, because it sets both cost and headcount ceiling.
| Facility [1] | What it is | Visa quota | Rate published |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAIF Office | Furnished desk space | 3 | No |
| Executive Office | Unfurnished, customisable | 5 | No |
| SAIF Suite | Furnished executive suite | 8 | No |
| Warehouse | 125, 250, 400 and 600 sqm, combinable | Not stated | No |
| Plot of land | From 2,500 sqm | Not stated | No |
| Specialty | Jewelry Park, container parking, accommodation | Not stated | No |
A ladder starting at 125 square metres matters for a small importer: Hamriyah Free Zone's smallest standardised unit is 200 square metres.
Pro Tip: Decide the facility before you shop the licence. SAIF Zone ties the visa quota to the facility rather than to a package tier, so moving up later is a facility change, not a licence amendment. Model your headcount at month 18, not month one.
How many visas does a SAIF Zone licence actually carry?
SAIF Zone publishes its visa quota, which most free zones do not. A SAIF Office carries 3 visas, an Executive Office 5 and a SAIF Suite 8 [1]. The warehouse quota is not stated anywhere official, so it has to be confirmed with the authority before you commit to a size.
Visa validity is published separately: an investor or partner visa runs 3 years from issue, an employee visa 2 years [2]. Our guide to UAE visa quotas in free zones shows how the same facility-linked rule works elsewhere, and our post-setup services team runs the renewal cycle.
Common Mistake: Planning a warehouse headcount off the "one visa per 9 to 12 square metres" ratio that circulates online. BusinessDubai.ae could not trace that formula to SAIF Zone or any government source, and the official page stating the office quotas is silent on warehouses [1]. Put your intended headcount and unit size to SAIF Zone in writing with the application, and get the allocation confirmed before you sign a lease or an employment offer.
Which legal form fits: FZE, FZC or a branch?
Three forms are available at SAIF Zone: a Free Zone Establishment with a single shareholder, a Free Zone Company with multiple shareholders, and a branch of a UAE or foreign company [1]. Minimum share capital is AED 150,000 for an FZE or FZC, and none for a branch [2].
Capital is declared in the founding documents rather than deposited and frozen, which is the point founders most often get wrong in the other direction. The table below sets out what each form carries.
| Form [1][2] | Shareholders | Minimum share capital | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Zone Establishment (FZE) | One, individual or corporate | AED 150,000 | Solo founder or a single corporate owner |
| Free Zone Company (FZC) | More than one | AED 150,000 | Two or more partners, or a joint venture |
| Branch of a UAE company | Not applicable | None | Sharjah or Dubai parent extending into the zone |
| Branch of a foreign company | Not applicable | None | Overseas parent that wants no new legal entity |
A branch is not a separate legal entity, so the parent carries the liability and there is no capital to declare. That is usually the cheapest way for an existing company to hold a SAIF Zone presence, and the worst way to ring-fence a new venture's risk.
Real Talk: The maximum shareholder count for a SAIF Zone FZC is not settled in public sources. Consultancy pages give 2 to 5, some add "extendable to 7 with approval", and no official SAIF Zone page BusinessDubai.ae read states either [1][2]. If your cap table carries more than five names, resolve it with SAIF Zone in writing before drafting the memorandum.
Our free zone company setup and mainland company setup pages itemise both routes with year two included, and our offshore company formation team can price a holding vehicle above either.
Is SAIF Zone a VAT Designated Zone?
Yes. Sharjah Airport International Free Zone is Designated Zone No. 2 under the Emirate of Sharjah in the Annex to Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017, issued 28 December 2017 and effective 1 January 2018, with Hamriyah Free Zone listed as No. 1 [4]. The status covers goods, never services [5].
It is conditional: a listed zone counts as outside the UAE for VAT on goods only while it stays fenced, customs controlled and secured and the operator follows Federal Tax Authority procedures [5].
| Transaction | VAT treatment [5] |
|---|---|
| Goods supplied inside the zone, not consumed there | Outside the scope of UAE VAT |
| Goods sold inside the zone and consumed by the buyer | Standard UAE VAT applies |
| Goods bought in the zone for resale | Outside scope, because resale is not consumption |
| Goods moved between two Designated Zones | Outside scope under customs suspension rules |
| Goods released from the zone to the mainland | An import, with import VAT payable |
| Any service supplied in or from the zone | Standard 5% VAT, no zone benefit |
Common Mistake: Believing SAIF Zone is not a Designated Zone. A legal information site ranking on page one for SAIF Zone queries states flatly that "SAIF Zone is not a Designated Zone for VAT purposes". That is wrong: the Annex to Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017 lists Sharjah Airport International Free Zone second under Sharjah [4]. If your VAT position was built on that page, your goods movements are reported on the wrong basis. Our Designated Zone VAT guide sets out which transactions qualify.
The other half of that mistake is reading "Designated Zone" as "no VAT". A SAIF Zone company is UAE resident for VAT, registers above AED 375,000 and files like any mainland business [5][12].
Can a SAIF Zone company actually reach 0% corporate tax?
Only on a closed list. The Federal Tax Authority confirms a Qualifying Free Zone Person gets no AED 375,000 nil rate band and no Small Business Relief [6], and Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 caps Qualifying Activities at 14 items [7]. A SAIF Zone manufacturer qualifies cleanly; a consultancy cannot qualify at all.
Nearly every SAIF Zone page on the web gets this wrong, repeating "0% corporate tax" and the AED 375,000 threshold in the same breath as though a free zone company gets both. It does not [6].
| SAIF Zone tenant | Activity relied on | Verdict | What it turns on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer from raw materials | Manufacturing of goods [7] | Qualifies | Production or assembly from raw materials or components |
| Processor of materials | Processing of goods [7] | Qualifies | Treatment, transformation or conversion into another form |
| Importer selling to resellers or processors | Distribution from a Designated Zone [7] | Qualifies on a two part test | Goods enter the UAE through the zone, and the buyer resells, processes or alters them, or is a public benefit entity |
| Trader selling to UAE end consumers | Distribution [7] | Does not qualify | The buyer-type limb fails. Consumer revenue is not Qualifying Income |
| Freight operator not taking title | Logistics services [7] | Qualifies | Storage and transport without taking title |
| Consultancy, IT or service firm | None of the 14 | Cannot qualify | No services catch-all. The route is Small Business Relief [9] |
Three conditions sit on top. Non-qualifying revenue must stay under the de minimis cap, the lower of 5% of revenue or AED 5,000,000 [6][7]. Every Qualifying Free Zone Person is audited at any revenue level [11]. And losing the status removes it for five tax periods [7]. Our Qualifying Free Zone Person guide covers substance and the election.
Quick Math: A SAIF Zone consultancy billing AED 2,400,000 with AED 900,000 of costs shows AED 1,500,000 of profit. No consultancy activity is on the 14 item list, so it is taxed as an ordinary taxable person: nil on the first AED 375,000 and 9% on AED 1,125,000, about AED 101,250 [7][8]. Elect Small Business Relief instead, available under AED 3,000,000 of revenue to 31 December 2029, and the bill is nil [9].
Based on our experience: Founders read "Qualifying Free Zone Person" as an upgrade and elect for it by reflex. For a small service company it is a downgrade: it strips the AED 375,000 nil band and blocks Small Business Relief while adding an audit at any revenue [6][11]. Run both positions on your own numbers first.
SAIF Zone or Hamriyah Free Zone: which Sharjah Designated Zone fits?
Both are Sharjah Designated Zones under the same Cabinet Decision, and they sell different products [4]. SAIF Zone is airport side, built for trading, light manufacturing and air freight, and it publishes a visa quota per facility. Hamriyah Free Zone is port side, built for heavy industry, with a 14 metre berth.
Not one of the fifteen competitor pages BusinessDubai.ae read in September 2026 builds this table [13].
| Factor | SAIF Zone | Hamriyah Free Zone |
|---|---|---|
| VAT status | Designated Zone No. 2, Sharjah [4] | Designated Zone No. 1, Sharjah [4] |
| Built for | Trading, light manufacturing, air freight | Heavy industry, petrochemicals, maritime, steel |
| Logistics anchor | Sharjah International Airport, customs centre on site [10] | 14 metre deep water port |
| Smallest pre-built warehouse | 125 sqm [1] | 200 sqm |
| Land plot floor | From 2,500 sqm [1] | 2,500 sqm, or 5,000 sqm for sea access |
| Visa quota transparency | Published per facility: 3, 5 and 8 [1] | Published per office package, 1 to 12 |
| Licence price transparency | Nothing published [1][2][3] | One figure: AED 11,000 basic licence cost |
The split is product, not prestige. If cargo arrives in containers and leaves on ships, Hamriyah's berth is the reason to be there, and our Hamriyah Free Zone setup guide prices that route. If goods arrive by air, the airport adjacency and the 125 sqm entry unit are SAIF Zone's case.
How do goods actually clear customs at SAIF Zone?
Through two named Sharjah Customs facilities. The SAIF Zone Customs Centre sits adjacent to Sharjah International Airport and works daily from 08:00 to 20:00. The Port Khalid Customs Centre sits at the port's main gate and runs a 24/7 inspection section for goods, containers and passengers [10].
No competitor page in the set BusinessDubai.ae reviewed names either facility; they describe "customs clearance" generically [13]. The hours decide whether an evening air arrival clears that night or the next morning. Goods enter, sit and re-export without duty while they stay inside the zone, and a release to the mainland is an import with import VAT due [5].
Pro Tip: Map your inbound flow to the right centre before you sign a warehouse lease. A business importing sea freight through Port Khalid and storing it at SAIF Zone runs a bonded movement between two points with different opening hours, and that transport window is part of your cost. Ask your forwarder to quote the movement, not just the clearance.
Free zone or Sharjah mainland for a trading business?
Choose SAIF Zone if goods arrive by air or sea, sit in the zone and leave again, because Designated Zone status keeps those movements outside UAE VAT [5]. Choose the Sharjah mainland if most revenue is domestic sales to UAE end customers, because every release from the zone counts as an import.
| Factor | SAIF Zone | Sharjah mainland |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign ownership | 100%, no local partner [2] | 100% for most activities |
| Selling to UAE domestic customers | Through a mainland distributor or branch | Direct |
| Customs on goods you re-export | No duty while goods stay in the zone [5] | Duty payable on entry |
| VAT on goods held in the zone | Outside scope if not consumed [5] | Standard 5% |
| VAT on services | Standard 5%, no zone benefit [5] | Standard 5% |
| Where the office can sit | On a SAIF Zone facility [1] | Anywhere in Sharjah on a tenancy |
| Audit | Any revenue if claiming QFZP status [11] | AED 50,000,000 revenue trigger [11] |
The split is rarely that clean. Plenty of Sharjah businesses run a SAIF Zone entity for import and re-export alongside a small mainland company for domestic sales, because the two revenue streams have different VAT and tax answers. Our free zone company setup and mainland company setup pages price each leg with year two included.
How does SAIF Zone compare with the other UAE bases?
On confirmed BusinessDubai.ae pricing, a Sharjah or Ajman licence with one visa runs AED 13,131 to 14,255, against about AED 21,050 in the cheapest Dubai zones [13]. SAIF Zone publishes nothing to compare, so the decision turns on airport access, facility type and the visa quota it does publish [1].
Every price below is a BusinessDubai.ae package price on a stated visa basis [13].
| Base | Licence only (AED) | With 1 visa (AED) | With 2 visas (AED) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAIF Zone, Sharjah | Not published [1] | Not published | Not published |
| SRTIP, Sharjah | 5,510 | 13,990 | 17,795 |
| SPC Free Zone, Sharjah | 5,765 | 14,255 | 18,705 |
| SHAMS, Sharjah | 6,885 | 14,255 | 18,705 |
| Ajman Free Zone, Ajman | 5,555 | 13,131 | 17,171 |
| Dubai zones such as Meydan and IFZA | 12,500 to 12,900 | 21,050 to 21,400 | 24,600 to 27,600 |
Two things fall out. The Sharjah and Ajman zones sit within about AED 1,100 of each other on a one visa basis, so a founder who needs residency should not pick on the licence-only headline. And the Dubai premium on that basis is roughly AED 7,000, which buys a Dubai address, not a better licence.
Our cheapest UAE free zones ranking compares the full set, our SHAMS free zone guide covers the nearest Sharjah alternative, and our IFZA versus Meydan comparison shows where the Dubai pair separate.
Compare your options side by side→
What documents does SAIF Zone need, and where does the file stall?
A SAIF Zone file needs passport copies for every shareholder and manager, a completed application naming your activities, a board resolution and attested corporate documents if a company is the shareholder, a specimen signature, and a no objection certificate where a UAE residence visa already exists [1][2].
The individual file is light. The corporate file is where weeks disappear.
| Document | Attestation | Where it stalls |
|---|---|---|
| Passport copy and photograph, each shareholder and manager | No | Rarely |
| Application with activity list | No | Wording matching no SAIF Zone category |
| Board resolution to incorporate | Yes, if issued abroad | Notarisation and legalisation at home |
| Parent certificate of incorporation and memorandum | Yes, if issued abroad | UAE embassy legalisation, then Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation |
| Specimen signature of the manager | Usually | Manager not available to sign |
| No objection certificate from a UAE sponsor | No | Sponsor declines or delays, halting the visa [2] |
Common Mistake: Starting the corporate attestation chain after the licence application rather than before it. A foreign parent's certificate of incorporation has to be notarised at home, legalised at the UAE embassy there and attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here. Where the parent sits in a slow consular queue, that sequence alone can outlast every other step, and the one hour licence claim does nothing for it.
How fast can you go from application to trading?
SAIF Zone states it can issue a licence within one hour, and its FAQ says licences are issued the same day [1][2]. That is the licence step alone. The establishment card, entry permit, medical, Emirates ID and bank account carry their own queues, and SAIF Zone publishes no day count for any of them.
In the table below, the published duration column is SAIF Zone's own commitment; the last column is what BusinessDubai.ae sees on real files and what third party pages report, neither of which is a zone commitment.
| Step | Controlled by | SAIF Zone published duration | Commonly reported elapsed time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name reservation and initial approval | SAIF Zone | Not published | Quick where the activity wording matches a SAIF Zone category |
| Licence issuance on a complete file | SAIF Zone | Within one hour, or same day [1][2] | The one step the zone commits to |
| Facility allocation and lease signing | SAIF Zone | Not published | Set by unit availability rather than by processing speed |
| Establishment card and e-channel registration | SAIF Zone immigration | Not published | Has to complete before any visa can start [13] |
| Entry permit, medical, Emirates ID, visa stamping | Federal immigration | Not published | Roughly 1 to 3 weeks, reported rather than published [13] |
| Corporate bank account opening | The bank | Not published | Roughly 4 to 8 weeks, reported rather than published [13] |
SAIF Zone commits to a duration for exactly one of those six steps, so the licence is never the bottleneck. The bottleneck is whichever document is still in an attestation queue, and then the bank.
Based on our experience: Sequence the establishment card before you book flights for anyone who needs a medical. Founders routinely arrive on a visit visa expecting to start the immigration chain and find the card still pending, which wastes the trip. Get the card issued, then travel.
What has to be filed every year to keep a SAIF Zone licence alive?
Corporate tax registration within three months of incorporation, with an AED 10,000 penalty for late filing, the corporate tax return nine months after the period ends, VAT registration above AED 375,000 of taxable supplies, a current UBO register, audited accounts if you claim Qualifying Free Zone Person status, and the annual licence renewal [11][12].
The zone-side calendar runs alongside: licence renewal, facility lease renewal, the establishment card and the visa cycle for every employee.
| Obligation | Deadline | Penalty for missing it |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate tax registration | Within three months of incorporation | AED 10,000 [12] |
| Corporate tax return and payment | Nine months after the period ends | Penalties and interest [12] |
| VAT registration | Once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 | Late registration penalty [12] |
| Audited financial statements | Any revenue if claiming QFZP status, else above AED 50,000,000 | Failure is itself a condition breach [11] |
| UBO register | Kept current | Administrative fines |
| Trade licence renewal | Annually, ahead of expiry | Not published by SAIF Zone [1] |
Real Talk: SAIF Zone publishes no late renewal fee schedule, so budget for a penalty and confirm the amount with the zone at renewal rather than from a blog. The figures circulating online are consultancy estimates, the same category as the setup prices. Our post-setup services team runs the renewal, audit and visa calendar.
Why do SAIF Zone bank applications stall?
There is no fully remote account opening for a SAIF Zone company: the signatory attends in person and the bank wants to see the business. WIO and Mashreq Neo open readily for free zone companies, and SAIF Zone has publicised a banking relationship with National Bank of Fujairah [13].
What gets a trading file declined is rarely the zone. It is the activity profile: general trading with no named suppliers, no signed contracts and no clear source of funds reads as an unexplained flow. A light manufacturer with a lease, a machine list and two purchase orders is an easier file.
Real Talk: Free zone employment disputes can fall into a jurisdictional gap. A former employee at a SAIF Zone company reported publicly that the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation treated free zone matters as outside its remit, while the zone did not respond [13]. If you are hiring, set notice, end of service and dispute handling out explicitly in the contract rather than assuming a federal default will be enforced.
Who should not choose SAIF Zone, and what goes wrong?
Anyone running a pure service or media business. SAIF Zone's strength is goods: airport adjacency, warehousing and light manufacturing. On confirmed pricing a Sharjah desk licence elsewhere starts at AED 5,510 licence only and AED 13,990 with one visa [13], and SAIF Zone publishes no number to undercut it.
| The mistake | What it costs | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Budgeting off an advertised total | AED 10,800 to more than AED 75,000, no anchor [13] | Get a written offer naming licence, facility, visas and renewal |
| Assuming a free zone licence means 0% tax | 9% on income that never qualified, plus audit [6][11] | Check your activity against the 14 item list [7] |
| Reading Designated Zone status as covering services | 5% VAT on every service invoice [5] | Separate goods flows from service revenue |
| Planning warehouse headcount off an online ratio | Employment offers you cannot fill | Confirm the allocation in writing before the lease [1] |
| Electing QFZP status as a small service firm | Loses the nil band and Small Business Relief [6][9] | Model both positions before filing |
| Leaving corporate attestation until after licensing | Weeks of delay on visas and banking | Start notarisation and legalisation before you file |
One more absence is worth naming. SAIF Zone has no independent review presence of its own: the reviews you find are of the consultancies selling SAIF Zone packages [13]. Do not read a five star consultancy rating as a verdict on the free zone.
Start your SAIF Zone setup on numbers you can check
Three decisions carry a SAIF Zone file, and only one looks like a price. Which facility you take, because the visa quota is welded to it at 3, 5 or 8 [1]. What you do inside it, because manufacturing and processing reach 0% cleanly, distribution only on a two part test, and services never [7]. And what it costs, which no published SAIF Zone source can tell you [1][2][3].
BusinessDubai.ae has completed 700+ company registrations across the UAE, including Sharjah trading and light manufacturing files, with itemised pricing and no hidden fees. We will put a free zone company setup at SAIF Zone beside a mainland company setup on what differs for a goods business: customs, VAT on movements, visa quota and domestic sales. Our post-setup services team carries the renewal, audit and visa calendar.
Real Client Stories
These are real examples from businesses we have helped set up. Names have been changed for privacy.
Deepak's electronics trading company (SAIF Zone)
Deepak imported consumer electronics from Shenzhen and came to us with three SAIF Zone quotes for the same product, the highest more than double the lowest. He wanted to know which one was right. None of the three consultants could name a SAIF Zone document behind their number, because no published SAIF Zone price list exists. We put a written scope to the zone naming the licence category, the facility, the visa count and the renewal basis, and the real figure landed outside all three quotes. His comment: "I was comparing three guesses and calling it research."
The warehouse tenant who planned headcount off a blog
An Egyptian founder leasing a 250 square metre SAIF Zone warehouse for packaging work budgeted 22 staff visas, using a "one visa per 9 to 12 square metres" ratio he had read online. That ratio appears on no SAIF Zone page BusinessDubai.ae could find, and the zone sets warehouse allocations case by case at application. His approved quota came back materially lower, and he had already signed employment offers. He staged the hiring across two quarters instead. His remark: "Nobody told me the number I was planning on was somebody's guess."
Sarah's engineering services firm (the airport was the only reason)
Sarah, a British engineer, took a SAIF Suite for its 8 visa quota and the short run to Sharjah International Airport, having read that a Designated Zone meant no VAT and no corporate tax. Her revenue was inspection and advisory work with no goods. Designated Zone status does nothing for services, so she registered for VAT at 5% like any mainland firm, and no consultancy activity appears on the 14 item Qualifying Activity list. She elected Small Business Relief and paid nil corporate tax anyway. Sarah: "The airport was real. The tax story was not."
Frequently Asked Questions
Does SAIF Zone publish an official price list?
No. BusinessDubai.ae checked the SAIF Zone Business Set-Up page, the official FAQ and the Business Set-Up Packages page in September 2026 and found no licence fee, facility rate or renewal figure.
How much does SAIF Zone company setup cost in 2026?
There is no confirmed answer, because SAIF Zone publishes nothing. Advertised totals from formation agents run from roughly AED 10,800 to more than AED 75,000 depending on facility and visa count.
Why do SAIF Zone quotes vary so much?
Because no published SAIF Zone price exists to anchor them. Each formation agent bundles a different licence category, facility size, visa count and set of government pass-through fees, then advertises one headline number without stating the basis. Advertised totals run from roughly AED 10,800 to more than AED 75,000.
Can a foreigner own 100% of a SAIF Zone company?
Yes. SAIF Zone permits full foreign ownership of a Free Zone Establishment or Free Zone Company, with no UAE national partner, plus full repatriation of capital and profits.
What is the minimum share capital for a SAIF Zone company?
AED 150,000, roughly USD 41,000, for an FZE or FZC per SAIF Zone's own FAQ. A branch has no minimum. The capital is declared in the founding documents, not deposited.
What licence types does SAIF Zone offer?
Three: a trade or commercial licence for import, export, distribution and storage; a service licence for consultancy, IT, freight forwarding and e-commerce; and an industrial licence for manufacturing and processing.
Can I run an e-commerce business from SAIF Zone?
Yes, under the service licence category. Note the tax consequence: selling to UAE end consumers fails the buyer-type limb of the distribution activity, so that revenue is not Qualifying Income.
How long does it take to get a SAIF Zone licence?
SAIF Zone states a licence can be issued within one hour on a complete file, and its FAQ says same day. Visas, the establishment card and banking take materially longer.
Do I need a physical office for a SAIF Zone licence?
Yes. SAIF Zone ties every licence to a facility it leases you, from a furnished SAIF Office desk up to a warehouse or a land plot, and its published product list carries no address-only option. The facility also fixes the visa quota at 3, 5 or 8 on the three office products.
What is the visa quota for a SAIF Zone office?
A SAIF Office carries 3 visas, an Executive Office 5 and a SAIF Suite 8, published on SAIF Zone's own Business Set-Up page. Most UAE free zones publish no quota at all.
How many visas does a SAIF Zone warehouse allow?
SAIF Zone does not publish a warehouse visa quota. The "one visa per 9 to 12 square metres" ratio circulating online is a third party claim with no official source.
How long is a SAIF Zone investor visa valid?
Three years from issue for an investor or partner residence visa, and two years for an employee visa, per SAIF Zone's official FAQ. Both are renewable while the licence stays current.
How much does a SAIF Zone investor visa cost?
SAIF Zone publishes no visa fee. Formation agents advertise roughly AED 3,240 to AED 4,965 depending on processing speed and which government fees are bundled. Confirm the current figure at application.
Can I sponsor my spouse or parents on a SAIF Zone visa?
Yes, subject to the federal dependant sponsorship rules on income, attested marriage and birth certificates and suitable accommodation. Dependants are sponsored by you as a resident rather than by the company, so they sit outside the facility visa quota of 3, 5 or 8.
What warehouse sizes are available in SAIF Zone?
Pre-built units of 125, 250, 400 and 600 square metres, combinable for a larger footprint. The 125 square metre unit is smaller than Hamriyah Free Zone's 200 square metre entry unit.
What is the minimum land plot size in SAIF Zone?
Land plots start at 2,500 square metres per SAIF Zone's Business Set-Up page, with pre-built warehouses of 125, 250, 400 and 600 square metres sitting below that. No lease rate per square metre is published for either, so a plot budget has to come from a written offer.
Can I set up an FZE with one shareholder in SAIF Zone?
Yes. A Free Zone Establishment has exactly one shareholder, which can be an individual or a corporate body, and the minimum share capital is AED 150,000 declared in the founding documents rather than deposited. A Free Zone Company is the multiple shareholder form.
What is the maximum number of shareholders in a SAIF Zone FZC?
SAIF Zone's own pages state only that a Free Zone Company has multiple shareholders. Consultancy sources give 2 to 5, some adding an extension to 7. Confirm before drafting.
Does SAIF Zone allow a branch of a foreign company?
Yes. SAIF Zone registers branches of both UAE and foreign companies with no minimum share capital. A branch is not a separate legal entity, so the parent carries the liability.
Is SAIF Zone a VAT Designated Zone?
Yes. Sharjah Airport International Free Zone is listed as Designated Zone No. 2 under Sharjah in the Annex to Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017, effective 1 January 2018, alongside Hamriyah at No. 1.
Does Designated Zone status mean my SAIF Zone company pays no VAT?
No. The status affects certain goods transactions only. Services supplied in or from the zone carry 5% VAT, and the company still registers above AED 375,000 and files normally.
What happens to VAT when I move goods from SAIF Zone to the mainland?
The movement is treated as an import and import VAT falls due at that point. Where VAT was already charged on the same goods inside the zone, it is recoverable.
Does a SAIF Zone manufacturer get 0% corporate tax?
Yes, on qualifying income, if it meets the Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions. Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 lists manufacturing and processing of goods or materials among the 14 Qualifying Activities, and a SAIF Zone industrial licence maps onto both. The company is then audited at any revenue level.
Does a trading company in SAIF Zone get 0% corporate tax?
Only on a two part test. Distribution from a Designated Zone qualifies where goods enter the UAE through the zone and the buyer resells, processes or alters them, or is a public benefit entity.
Can a SAIF Zone consultancy get 0% corporate tax?
No. Consultancy and general services appear nowhere on the closed list of 14 Qualifying Activities. Below AED 3,000,000 of revenue it can elect Small Business Relief to 31 December 2029.
Can a Qualifying Free Zone Person claim Small Business Relief?
No. The Federal Tax Authority's Free Zone Persons Corporate Tax Guide confirms a Qualifying Free Zone Person gets neither Small Business Relief nor the 0% band on income up to AED 375,000.
Does a small SAIF Zone company need audited financial statements?
If it claims Qualifying Free Zone Person status, yes, at any revenue level. Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025 sets two triggers: AED 50,000,000 of revenue, or Qualifying Free Zone Person status.
What happens if I do not renew my SAIF Zone licence on time?
SAIF Zone runs an annual renewal through an official form but publishes no late fee schedule. File ahead of expiry and confirm the amount with the zone.
What is the difference between SAIF Zone and Hamriyah Free Zone?
Product. SAIF Zone is airport side, built for trading, air freight and light manufacturing, with a 125 square metre entry warehouse. Hamriyah is port side with a 14 metre berth.
Is SAIF Zone cheaper than SHAMS or SPC Free Zone?
Unknown, because SAIF Zone publishes nothing to compare. On confirmed BusinessDubai.ae pricing, SHAMS and SPC Free Zone are both AED 14,255 with one visa, and SRTIP is AED 13,990.
What documents do I need for SAIF Zone company formation?
Passport copies and photographs for every shareholder and manager, the application with your activity list, a notarised specimen signature, and for a corporate shareholder attested parent company documents.
What is the SAIF Zone Customs Centre?
A Sharjah Customs facility adjacent to Sharjah International Airport, open daily 08:00 to 20:00, handling declarations and cargo movements for the zone. Sea arrivals clear through the Port Khalid Customs Centre at the port's main gate, whose inspection section runs 24/7.
Is a SAIF Zone company covered by MOHRE for employment disputes?
Free zone employment matters can fall between the federal ministry and the zone authority. A former employee at a SAIF Zone company reported publicly that the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation treated free zone matters as outside its remit while the zone did not respond. Set notice, end of service and dispute handling out explicitly in the contract.
References
[1] Sharjah Airport International Free Zone Authority. Business Set-Up page: licence categories, facility products, the 3, 5 and 8 visa quotas, warehouse sizes and the one hour licence claim. saif-zone.com
[2] Sharjah Airport International Free Zone Authority. Official FAQ: AED 150,000 share capital for an FZE or FZC and none for a branch, and visa validity of three and two years. saif-zone.com
[3] Sharjah Airport International Free Zone Authority. Business Set-Up Packages page: facility descriptions under a promotional window dated 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020, with no prices. saif-zone.com
[4] UAE Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017 on Designated Zones. Annex, Sharjah: Hamriyah Free Zone at No. 1 and Sharjah Airport International Free Zone at No. 2, effective 1 January 2018. Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017
[5] Federal Tax Authority. Designated Zones VAT Guide (VATGDZ1): the customs control conditions, the treatment of services, and release to the mainland as an import. FTA Designated Zones VAT Guide
[6] Federal Tax Authority. Free Zone Persons Corporate Tax Guide (CTGFZP1), May 2024: a Qualifying Free Zone Person gets no AED 375,000 band and no Small Business Relief. FTA Free Zone Persons Guide
[7] Ministry of Finance. Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025: the 14 Qualifying Activities, the distribution buyer test, the de minimis cap and loss of status for five tax periods. Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025
[8] Federal Tax Authority. Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022: 0% to AED 375,000 and 9% above, and the Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions at Article 18. Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022
[9] Ministry of Finance. Ministerial Decision No. 73 of 2023 as amended by No. 131 of 2026: Small Business Relief to AED 3,000,000 for periods ending on or before 31 December 2029. Ministry of Finance
[10] Sharjah Customs. Centre details: the SAIF Zone Customs Centre, daily 08:00 to 20:00, and the Port Khalid Customs Centre with its 24/7 inspection section. sharjahcustoms.gov.ae
[11] Ministry of Finance. Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025: the AED 50,000,000 audit trigger and the Qualifying Free Zone Person trigger at any revenue level. Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025
[12] Federal Tax Authority. Corporate tax registration deadlines, the AED 10,000 late registration penalty, the nine month filing deadline and the VAT thresholds. Federal Tax Authority
[13] BusinessDubai.ae. Internal data since 2013: 2026 package pricing by visa count for the Sharjah, Ajman and Dubai zones, the September 2026 review of fifteen ranking SAIF Zone pages, banking outcomes at WIO and Mashreq Neo, client costs and timelines. businessdubai.ae
