Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA)

Jebel Ali Free Zone opened in 1985 with a handful of companies beside a new deep-water port. Forty years later it hosts more than 11,000 businesses, including regional distribution centres for many of the world's best-known manufacturers and retailers. In the first four months of 2026 alone, DP World reported over AED 850 million of new investment commitments in the zone.

The reason companies come here is physical: containers move from the quay at Jebel Ali Port into JAFZA warehouses without leaving the customs-controlled area. Goods can be stored, repackaged and re-exported across the Gulf, Africa and South Asia without paying UAE customs duty, as long as they stay inside the zone or leave the country again.

JAFZA is also a VAT Designated Zone. Under the right conditions, moving goods between designated zones, or storing them before re-export, can fall outside the scope of UAE VAT. The rules are technical, so speak to a tax adviser before you build your supply chain around them.

The zone is organised around facilities. You can lease a flexi-desk, an office in JAFZA One or the Lob buildings, a pre-built warehouse, a light industrial unit, or a bare land plot to build your own facility. The facility you lease decides how many visas you can apply for, which is very different from package-based zones.

Recent activity shows where JAFZA is heading. Logistics groups such as DSV opened a large warehouse in 2026, automotive and e-commerce distribution hubs are under construction, and DP World has signed a framework with DIFC so financial firms can work with companies in the zone more easily.

JAFZA links visas to space. A flexi-desk usually supports only one to three visas, an office adds roughly one visa per nine square metres, and leased land typically starts at around twenty visas with more available on approval. This makes JAFZA well suited to companies with large warehouse teams.

Visas are processed through JAFZA's own government services, which also handle labour cards for staff. Shareholders can apply for investor visas, and senior managers often receive employment visas sponsored by the company.

Many JAFZA employees live in Discovery Gardens, The Gardens, Jebel Ali Village or Dubai Marina. Some large tenants run staff accommodation and transport, which is worth considering when you plan headcount.

Banks are very familiar with JAFZA companies, and a long history of trading tenants means relationship managers understand trade finance, letters of credit and customs documents. Expect thorough checks on suppliers, buyers and shipping routes, especially for trading with sanctioned or high-risk regions. Having a real facility and trading contracts generally helps your file.

JAFZA lies in Jebel Ali at the southern end of Dubai, between Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) and Emirates Road (E311), next to Jebel Ali Port. Al Maktoum International Airport is about 15 to 20 minutes away, Dubai Marina around 20 minutes, and Abu Dhabi roughly an hour by road.

The Red Line metro follows Sheikh Zayed Road along the zone's northern edge, and stations such as Ibn Battuta and Energy are a short taxi ride from the main gates. Because the zone is so large, most staff still commute by car, company bus or taxi.