Meydan Free Zone Cost Guide

Estimate Meydan setup costs, visas, and office add-ons in minutes.

What is the Meydan Free Zone cost?

The meydan free zone cost is one of the more competitive options for entrepreneurs who want a Dubai free zone company with a well-known location and relatively low entry pricing. For a typical first-year setup, a Meydan package usually starts from around AED 12,500 for the core license and registration. Your final total depends on how many visas you need, whether you add an establishment card, and what kind of workspace solution you choose. Compared with higher-cost free zones such as DMCC, Meydan is often selected by consultants, e-commerce founders, and service businesses looking for a balance between credibility and affordability.

Like most Dubai setups, the first-year cost is not just the license fee. You should also budget for immigration-related charges, Emirates ID, and office requirements if your activity or visa allocation needs them. For that reason, it is better to look at Meydan as a full first-year budget rather than a single advertised package price.

Meydan Free Zone cost breakdown

Below is a practical estimate of common first-year costs for a Meydan company. These figures are realistic planning numbers in AED and can vary slightly by package, activity, and visa duration.

Cost itemAED
Meydan Free Zone license package12,500
Establishment card1,500
Visa allocation / processing per person3,500
Emirates ID (1 year)400
Emirates ID (2 years)700
Emirates ID (3 years)1,000
Flexi-desk add-on8,000
Shared office add-on20,000
Dedicated office add-on35,000

Using the site exchange rate of AED 3.6725 = USD 1, the base Meydan package of AED 12,500 is about USD 3,404. A one-visa setup with an establishment card and 1-year Emirates ID would come to roughly AED 17,900, or about USD 4,874, before any office upgrade.

What changes your first-year total?

The biggest factor after the base license is usually the number of visas. If you are setting up a solo business without residency, your cost can stay close to the entry package. If you need one or more residence visas, plan on adding around AED 3,500 per visa, plus the relevant Emirates ID fee. A founder taking one visa will therefore spend noticeably more than a non-resident shareholder using the company only for trading or invoicing purposes.

Workspace is another major variable. Some founders can begin with the included package structure, while others may need a flexi-desk for about AED 8,000 extra, a shared office for around AED 20,000, or a dedicated office for around AED 35,000. This means two Meydan companies can have very different first-year budgets even if they hold the same business activity.

How Meydan compares with other Dubai setups

Meydan sits in the lower-middle range of Dubai free zone pricing. It is generally close to IFZA at around AED 12,900, above very low-cost options such as SHAMS at around AED 8,050, and far below premium zones like DMCC at around AED 50,000. It is also usually cheaper than a standard mainland LLC setup starting near AED 15,000, especially for founders who do not need a large office in year one.

That positioning makes Meydan attractive for startups that want Dubai branding without moving immediately into a higher-cost jurisdiction. It can also compare favorably with a freelance permit at around AED 7,500 when you need a proper company structure rather than an individual permit. The right choice depends on your activity, visa needs, and whether you expect to scale quickly.

Is Meydan Free Zone good value?

For many small businesses, the meydan free zone cost offers solid value because the starting license fee is accessible while still giving you a Dubai free zone entity. It is especially suitable when you want predictable first-year costs and the option to add visas or office space later. The key is to budget beyond the headline package and include immigration and workspace costs from the start.

To get a personalized total for Meydan or compare it with mainland, other free zones, or a freelance permit, use the main calculator at /.

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Estimates only — see Terms for the full disclaimer. Last updated: 2026-06-18.

Budget for 2026 extras

In 2026, many Meydan budgets go wrong because founders compare only the headline package price and miss post-setup costs that start almost immediately. Before you apply, ask for a written breakdown covering establishment card, immigration file, medical/Emirates ID, visa status change, refundable deposit rules, and any flexi-desk renewal or access-card fees. Also confirm whether your activity needs external approvals, because adding them later can delay bank account opening and push your real first-year cost well above the advertised package.