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Dubai Free Trade Zones, Free Zones, and Economic Zones

List of Dubai free zones, free trade zones (FTZ) and economic zones including JAFZ (Jebel Ali Free Zone), DAFZ (Dubai Airport Free Zone), and other areas.

• Most or all Free Zones have a free zone governing authority or regulator, for example JAFZ Authority for JAFZ. It is common for some free zone areas to be referred to by the authority's acronym, for example JAFZA and DAFZA rather than JAFZ and DAFZ. Probably because it is easier to say "Jafza" as a word than "Jafz".
• A large number of free zones are under the TECOM Group umbrella: Dubai Design District, Dubai Industrial Park, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai Media City, Dubai Outsource City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Science Park, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Wholesale City.

Dubai Academic City (DAC)

• Dubai Academic City in the Ruwayya area of Dubai, near Dubai Silicon Oasis, for educational instutions.
• Includes Dubai International Academic City (DIAC).

Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZ, DAFZA)

• PO Box 491, tel +971-4-2995555, fax +971-4-2995500, email invest@dafza.gov.ae. Sales office tel +971-4-2027000.
• Chairman - Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
• Director General - Dr Mohammed Al Zarouni.
• Minimum capital zero for branch, 500,000 dhs for FZC (Free Zone Company), 1,000,000 dhs for FZE (FreeZone Enterprise).
• 18 Mar 2012 (press release) - Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZ) and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in the USA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a collaborative Free Trade Zone Alliance. Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni, Director General of DAFZ, said "Through this alliance, we aim at creating a platform to conduct joint promotional activities using the most efficient and effective approaches to capture on any and all opportunities of cooperation to achieve our shared goals." So now you know what it's all about. Perhaps.

Dubai Car and Automotive City Free Zone (DUCAMZ)

• PO Box 17000, tel +971-4-3335000, +971-4-3335777, email mktg@jafza.co.ae. Managed by JAFZA.

Dubai Design District (d3)

F&B and other retail outlets (updated May-Jun 2017)

• Cafes and coffee shops: Amorino gelato shop, Coffeol (open Dec 2016), Craft Café, Harper’s Bazaar Café, One Life Kitchen & Café (1Life), The Espresso Lab (not open as of May 2017), Toss'd (Tossed).
• Restaurants (fine dining and full service): Chez Charles (open Mar 2017), Frame (Japanese), Molecule, The Lighthouse, Vicolo Italian street food, Yui (Japanese, also clothing).
• Art Galleries: Art Hub Dubai, Gallery Ward.
• Other retail and services: All Day Minimart (not open all day, closed after 7pm, and Fridays during Ramadan), Amato Couture (fashion), Armani Casa, Babilou Early Education Centre, Closet Case (fashion), Corcel (bicycles), Dubai Print, Eli Cosmetics (makeup studio and workshops), Enable Community Space, FBMI (Fatima bint Mohamed bin Zayed Initiative, Afghan handmade carpets), Finasi (interior design and furnishings), Frame (Japanese lifestyle and restaurant), Maison des Fleurs (florist), Nakkash Gallery (interior design), Tom Dixon, Yui Japanese lifestyle shop (fashion and houseware, also cafe and restaurant).
• Unknown or needs update:
  • Al Gharoud Pharmacy ([sic], maybe meant to be Al Garhoud Pharmacy), 2016 PR, not in d3 (yet?) but there is an HMS Pharmacies outlet.
  • Citizen Art Gallery, F7, NBar, Sconci Art Gallery (?).
  • Frantzen (Swedish restaurant), L’Arte (not open yet as of May 2017), Masa (Japanese restaurant, not open as of May 2017), Tupac (Peruvian restaurant).
  • House of Adore (boutique furniture, fashion?)
  • Ginza Lounge cafe and art gallery (?).
  • Jean-Georges - JG Kitchen opened in Four Seasons Resort on Jumeirah Beach Rd in 2015, JG reported in Jun 2015 and Mar 2016 as considering a venue or partnership in d3 (maybe the New York style ABC Kitchen). But no JG outlet in d3 as of May 2017?

Mar 2016 list of F&B outlets open or announced as opening by mid-2016 (d3 press release 01 Mar 2016) ... which probably means by end of 2016 or later.

• Amorino, Chez Charles (open Mar 2017), Coffeol (open Dec 2016), Craft Café, Frantzen (Swedish), Ginza Lounge cafe, Harper’s Bazaar Café, Jean-Georges by Jean-Georges Vongerichten (French, mentioned in report but not original d3 press release), L’Arte, Masa (Japanese, in partnership with Ginza), Molecule, One Life Kitchen & Café, Toss'd (Tossed), Tupac (Peruvian), Vicolo.
• Other non-F&B outlets: Al Gharoud Pharmacy [sic], Armani Casa (furniture and design), Dubai Print (print shop), Finasi (furniture and design), Eli Cosmetics, FBMI (Afghan carpets), Gallery Ward (art gallery), Jet Set (beauty salon), Maison des Fleurs (florist), Nakkash (interior design), NBar (nail salon).

Dubai Gold and Diamond Park

• Next to Dubai Police Traffic Department near Mall of the Emirates on Sheikh Zayed Rd.
• PO Box 37370, +971-4-3477788, fax +971-4-3473206, email gdp@emaar.ae.
• Phase 1 established May 2001 as a LLC company owned by Emaar (a UAE publicly listed company). Contains about 40 retail units and 120 manufacturing units.
• Phases 2 and 3 to come - more retail, manufacturing and office units.

Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) (Dubai Health Care City)

• Dubai Health Care City - more information.
• Behind Wafi Center. PO Box 66566, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, tel +971-4-3245555, fax +971-4-3249000.

Dubai Industrial City (DIC)

• Free zone?
• Subsidiary of Tatweer.
• Shuaib Residential Complex for workers to be constructed with 87,000 beds and area of 14 million square feet. Cost 1.6 billion dhs.
• Announced November 2006.

Dubai International Academic City (DIAC)

• Dubai Academic City - more information.

Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC)

• DIFC - more information.
• Opened September 2004. Regulator is DFSA, stock exchange is DIFX.

Dubai Internet City (DIC)

• Dubai Internet City (DIC) - more information.
• DIC building 4, PO Box 73000, tel +971-4-3911111, fax +971-4-3919000, email opportunities@dubaiinternetcity.ae.

Dubai Knowledge Village (KV or DKV). Renamed as Dubai Knowledge Park (DKP) in April 2016

• Dubai Knowledge Park (DKP) - more information.
• CEO is Dr Abdullah Al Karam.

Dubai Media City (DMC)

• Dubai Media City (DMC) - more information.
• tel +971-4-3914555, email talktous@dubaimediacity.co.ae or sales@dubaimediacity.ae.

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC)

• Established by Royal Decree 01 May 2002. Members include DGCX - Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange.
• Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) is included within the DMCC free zone (press release 04 Nov 2009).
• DMCCA Chairman is Ahmed Bin Sulayem.
• Emirates Towers, Level 19, PO Box 48800, Dubai, UAE, tel +971-4-3903899, fax +971-4-3903897, email office@dmcc.ae.

Dubai Silicon Oasis

• Announced October 2002. Established January 2005 in Nad Al Sheba area on a 600 hectare site.
• Microelectronics technology and industrial park, including R & D facilities.
• Chairman - Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and CEO Dr Jürgen Knorr (was Dr Mohammed Al Zarouni?).

Dubai Techno Park (TP) - under development

• One of the Economic Zones World subsidiaries, set up as the science and technology zone for EZW.
• TechnoPark is a Special Economic Zone, not a Free Trade Zone.
• Launched in 2002 with 23 sq km of industrial, research & development, and technological businesses, focusing on the Energy, Desalination & Water Resource Management, Environmental Resource Management and Technology sectors.
• Chairman is Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem.
• Managing Director is Hamad Al Hashemi.
• Phase I consists of 2.3 million sq meters with 112 plots available for the manufacturing and light industrial sector. All plots leased out.
• Phase II consists of 17.7 million sq meters, development started June 2007 and is named the 'Technopolis'. The Technopolis is intended to be a world class center for technology, research, education and industry. The Technopolis will provide R&D facilities, incubators and business accelerators in environment and natural resource management, as well as house water desalination, and oil & gas industry organisations.
• When completed, the Technopolis resident population will be about 60,000 people and a workforce of up to 133,000 people.
• Some organisations that have already signed up with Techo Park include:
  • Baker Hughes - an oilfield supply company will establish a training centre and operations facility to serve the oil and gas sector. Announced September 2006.
  • Cedars International integrated medical complex - an AED 1.15 billion project on 100,000 sq m of land, completion expected in 2010.
  • The Dubai LNG Storage Hub - a joint venture between Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and LNG Impel, based at Dubai Techno Park. Total storage capacity 40-65 billion cubic feet (bcf), making it the largest such facility in the world. Expected completion between 2011 and 2013 in 3 phases.
  • Emirates Designer Stone - an AED 800 million quartz stone manufacturing plant. Announced August 2007.
  • Mammut Group, a manufacturer of trailers, steel buildings, sandwich panels, concrete pre cast panels and porta cabins, will construct its new pre cast concrete panel factory on a 2m sq ft plot in Dubai Techno Park. Total investment about AED 500 million. Announced December 2004.
  • Mattex International Group, a carpet manufacturer based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia will lease 1m sq ft of land in the Park, with an investment of AED 400 million in its facility.
  • Nestle - will set up its Middle East manufacturing facility on 100,000 sq m of land. Announced Jan 2007, first phase expected to be complete by end 2007.
  • Proclad Group International, an oil & gas and petrochemical company, will set up an AED 400 million industrial complex. Announced October 2005.
  • Solar Technologies FZE will invest AED 50 million in a facility to develop high technology solar energy products and solutions. Announced June 2006.
• Technopark address: PO Box 16777, Dubai, UAE. Tel +971-4-3328835, fax +971-4-3328853, email info@tp.ae.

Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone (TECOM)

• Free zone encompassing Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Knowledge Village.
• Established in 2000.

Economic Zones World (EZW)

• A Dubai World subsidiary that operates the special economic zone (SEZ) Techno Park, and free zones Dubai Auto Zone, Jafza International, and Jebel Ali Free Zone.
• CEO is Mrs Salma Hareb, who is also CEO of Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA).

Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA or JAFZ)

• Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA) - more information.

Free Zones in Dubai planned or under development

• Dubai Aid City
• Dubai Auto Parts City
• Dubai Biotechnology & Research Park (Dubiotech or Dubai Biotech)
• Dubai Carpet Free Zone - Deira.
• Dubai Flower Center Free Zone - at Dubai International Airport.
• Dubai International Arbitration Center (DIAC)
• Dubai Maritime City
• Dubai Outsource Zone (DOZ)
• Dubai Studio City - Dubailand.
• Dubai Textile Village - Al Awir, scheduled completion October 2005?
• eHosting Data Fort
• Heavy Equipment & Trucks Free Zone
• International Media Production Zone
• Mohammad Bin Rashid Technology Park - Jebel Ali Area.
• TechnoPark - see Dubai Techno Park

Last update Tuesday 13-Jun-2017

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