Hamriyah Free Zone

Hamriyah is where Sharjah puts big, heavy and bulky businesses. Set up by an Emiri decree in November 1995 and run by the Hamriyah Free Zone Authority, it covers many millions of square metres of coastal land, with sources quoting anything from about 10 to 30 million square metres depending on which phases they count. The scale is the point: steel mills, petrochemical storage, food plants and fabrication yards sit next to each other.

The zone's own port is the second big draw. A deep-water channel of about 14 metres and an inner harbour of around 7 metres let bulk carriers, tankers and smaller coastal vessels berth close to tenants' plots. That makes HFZA popular with companies moving liquids, construction materials, scrap, grain and project cargo that would be awkward or expensive to truck from Jebel Ali.

Industrial land is leased rather than sold, typically on long renewable terms of around 25 years, with plots in recent material starting from roughly 2,500 square metres. Tenants build their own facilities to approved designs. For companies that do not need land, HFZA also rents ready warehouses, factory sheds and a range of small e-office and executive office packages.

Those small packages are what most people searching online actually buy. The authority publishes package specifications, such as visa numbers and office size, but pricing mostly reaches the public through consultants. Quotes therefore differ, so compare like with like and ask HFZA directly for the binding figure.

Compared with SAIF Zone, which is built around air cargo, Hamriyah is built around sea freight and land. Many groups use both: an air-linked trading office at SAIF and a plant or storage yard at Hamriyah.

HFZA links visas to the facility you rent. A start-up package without a real office typically carries one visa, small smart offices around four to seven, and larger offices up to roughly a dozen. Warehouses, sheds and land plots can support far more, in line with the space and the workforce your business plan shows.

For labour-intensive operations, the visa plan is part of the project approval. Expect HFZA to look at whether the number of workers matches your floor area and process. Accommodation for workers must also follow UAE rules, and many tenants use licensed labour camps nearby.

Each visa follows the standard route: entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID biometrics and a two-year residence visa. Investor visas for shareholders are available, and longer residence options such as the Golden Visa depend on federal criteria, not the free zone.

An HFZA company with a real plant or warehouse has a strong story for banks: assets, staff and visible trade. Office-only startups face the usual questions about source of funds and expected turnover. Industrial tenants often need project finance, guarantees and letters of credit, so build a relationship with a bank early, ideally before signing a land lease.

If you plan to export on credit terms, ask your bank about export collections and receivables insurance before the first shipment. Clean customs paperwork, port receipts and consistent invoicing between your plant and your buyers make every later credit request easier to approve.

Hamriyah lies on the coast north of Sharjah city, close to the borders with Ajman and Umm Al Quwain. The Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311) and Emirates Road (E611) give truck access south to Dubai and north to Ras Al Khaimah.

Sharjah International Airport is around 25 to 35 minutes away, and Dubai International roughly 40 to 60 minutes depending on traffic. Jebel Ali Port is more than an hour south, which is why tenants value the zone's own port.

The area around the zone is mostly industrial, with Al Hamriyah town and the beaches of northern Sharjah nearby. Staff housing is usually found in Ajman, Sharjah's Al Khan and Al Nahda districts, or in licensed worker accommodation close to the zone gates.