The UAE’s capital city of Abu Dhabi is a hub for industrial development and economic growth in the region. Just like Dubai, Abu Dhabi has established several free zones to promote foreign investment and boost the region’s economy.
Why setup business in a Free Zone in Abu Dhabi?
Free zones are special economic zones that provide a conducive business environment to support local entrepreneurs and encourage foreign trade and investments in the emirate.
Setting up a business in Abu Dhabi’s free zones provides a number of incentives for local and overseas companies looking to operate businesses within the UAE. Some of the advantages of operating in a free zone include:
- 100% foreign ownership of companies
- Low-cost operational environment
- Complete repatriation of capital and profits
- Full exemption from import, export, corporate and personal taxes
- Comprehensive support services for obtaining necessary permits, licences, approvals and clearances from the relevant authorities and find skilled manpower and suitable accommodation.
List of Abu Dhabi Free Zones
- Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone (ADAFZ)
- Masdar City Free Zone
- Twofour54 Abu Dhabi (Media Free Zone Authority)
- Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD)
- Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD)
- Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)
- Higher Corporation for Specialized Economic Zones (ZonesCorp)
- Khalifa Port and Industrial Zone (KPIZ)
Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone (ADAFZ)
The Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone aka ADAFZ is located close to the Abu Dhabi International Airport. It was developed by Skycity, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC).
Khalifa Industrial Zone (KIZAD)
KIZAD is an integral part of the Abu Dhabi economic vision 2030 – a roadmap for sustainable growth of the emirate’s economy and the prosperity of its people. KIZAD delivers unique advantages – extensive size, world-class infrastructure, free zone and non-free zone solutions, dedicated investor support, tax-free environment with competitive operating costs and strategic location with access to regional and international markets. These contribute to making KIZAD one of the world’s foremost port-integrated industrial zones and a leading hub for manufacturing, logistics and trade across diverse sectors.
Masdar City Free Zone
Masdar City is strategically located between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and provides a variety of low-carbon transportation options that enable efficient, sustainable and convenient travel around the city.
twofour54 Abu Dhabi Media Zone
Twofour54 is a media free zone in Abu Dhabi that provides world-class infrastructure and fully integrated support services for creative businesses. It was set up by the Media Zone Authority (MZA) to position Abu Dhabi as a leading player in the Arabic media content creation industry.
Popular media houses including BBC, CNN, Thomson Reuters Foundation, and Financial Times are some of the leading names in the international media arena with operations in Twofour55 Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi industrial city (ADIC)
Abu Dhabi Industrial City which is sometimes referred to as the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi is an industrial economic zone that provides support and infrastructure for business activities related to engineering, construction materials, oil and gas, and many others.