Meydan Free Zone

Picture a free zone that lives inside a horse-racing stadium. Meydan Free Zone has its offices in the Meydan Grandstand, the long building beside the racecourse that hosts the Dubai World Cup each spring. The legal basis goes back to Dubai Law No. 5 of 2009, which set up Meydan City Corporation, but the zone only became a serious name in company formation after it relaunched with low-cost digital packages a few years ago.

Its pitch is simple: a Dubai address ten minutes from Burj Khalifa at a price close to the budget zones. Almost everything is done online, from name checks to signing the Memorandum of Association. You only need to appear in person for steps that immigration requires, such as the medical test and biometrics for a residence visa.

In April 2025 Meydan launched Fawri, a service aimed at single-shareholder founders. Fawri can deliver the licence, certificate of formation, share register and lease agreement in roughly sixty minutes once your documents pass checks, and Meydan advertised a money-back promise if it misses the timing. Press reports put the Fawri price around AED 15,000 with up to three activity groups, but check the current offer.

Who sets up here? Mostly consultants, digital agencies, content creators, software resellers, e-commerce brands and investors holding shares in other companies. Meydan publishes a very long activity list, and you can usually combine activities from up to three groups on one licence.

One detail people miss: Meydan is not on the Federal Tax Authority's list of VAT Designated Zones. That makes no difference for most service firms, but if you plan to move physical goods between free zones, VAT treatment will be the standard mainland one. Like every Dubai free zone company, a Meydan company must also register for corporate tax.

Your visa allocation at Meydan is part of the package price, so choose the tier with your first year's hiring in mind. A flexi-desk package is generally capped at a small number of visas; to sponsor more people you upgrade to a dedicated office in the Grandstand.

Shareholders take an investor visa, which is valid for two years in most cases, while employees get standard employment visas. Meydan does not issue stand-alone freelance permits, so a solo professional usually takes a one-visa package instead.

Medical tests and biometrics happen at government centres, not at the Grandstand. Budget a few half-days for these appointments and keep your passport in the UAE while the visa is being stamped.

Meydan companies open accounts with the large Dubai banks and with digital-first banks, and the zone has promoted links with banking partners through its portal. Approval still depends on your profile: banks look at your nationality, the activity on the licence, expected turnover and where your clients sit. A clear business plan, two or three signed contracts or invoices and proof of personal funds speed things up considerably.

The Meydan Grandstand sits on Meydan Road in Nad Al Sheba, about ten minutes by car from Downtown Dubai and Business Bay, and around 15 to 20 minutes from Dubai International Airport. Al Khail Road and Ras Al Khor Road give quick access north and south.

There is no metro stop at the Grandstand, so taxis and cars are the norm. The surrounding Meydan district includes hotels, the racecourse and new residential communities such as Sobha Hartland.