Company setup in RAKEZ.
RAKEZ is Ras Al Khaimah's main free zone — over 20,000 registered companies across six business parks. Lower setup costs than Dubai free zones.
RAKEZ setup from USD 4,000 year 1 — substantially cheaper than DMCC or even IFZA. Trade-off: visa quotas and bank acceptance are lower than top-tier Dubai zones. Best fit: cost-sensitive solo founders, e-commerce, services with international clients only.
What to expect setting up in RAKEZ
RAKEZ sits within the Ras Al Khaimah regulatory perimeter. Operating here typically requires a low-cost free zone licence and we file the appropriate vehicle (RAKEZ) based on the activity mix, visa quota and banking strategy you need. The choice is rarely about postcode — it is about which registry's licensing terms, audit obligations, ownership rules and tax classification best match the business model. We compare three options side by side at the enquiry stage so you see the like-for-like numbers in USD before committing.
Recommended licence pathway
For most clients establishing in RAKEZ we recommend reviewing two or three jurisdictions side by side. The trade-off is usually between cost (IFZA / Meydan / smaller-emirate free zones), banking acceptance (DMCC, ADGM, Dubai Mainland), and activity coverage (DIFC and ADGM for regulated financial services; JAFZA for logistics; mainland for unrestricted UAE trade).
Banking and visa notes
Tier 1 UAE banks (Emirates NBD, ADCB, FAB, Mashreq) accept companies established from RAKEZ-adjacent jurisdictions provided KYC is complete and the activity profile matches the bank's risk appetite. Digital alternatives — Wio, Mashreq Neo Biz, RAKBANK Digital — open in 5 to 10 days and are usable from anywhere in the UAE. Investor visa eligibility is jurisdiction-driven (not city-driven), with most free zones offering up to 9 visas under standard packages and mainland LLCs scaling to office size.
UAE Corporate Tax and VAT
UAE Corporate Tax (9% above AED 375,000 profit, with 0% available under the Qualifying Free Zone Person regime) and UAE VAT (5% standard, voluntary registration above USD 51,000 turnover, mandatory above USD 102,000) apply to every UAE entity regardless of the city in which it is based. We handle CT registration as part of every Operator and Private Office retainer; the tax practice is delivered through our affiliated FTA-registered tax-agent partners.
Next step
Tell us what you want to do (activity, team size, banking goal, residency intent) and we will reply within one business day with a written quote in USD that compares the two or three best-fit jurisdictions for RAKEZ. The first conversation is complimentary. See also our jurisdiction recommender, cost calculator and the full directory of UAE cities and free zones.