KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu DhabiSetup cost, licence types and visa rules
Abu Dhabi
The UAE's largest free zone by area, next to Khalifa Port.
KEZAD, formerly KIZAD, is the largest free zone in the UAE by area: roughly 100 square kilometres of free zone within a footprint exceeding 550 square kilometres, headquartered at Taweelah next to Khalifa Port and extending across twelve economic zones in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra. It is an industrial proposition — automotive, metals, polymers and specialty chemicals, food processing, pharmaceuticals and packaging, life sciences and port logistics — with land plots, pre-built warehouses and build-to-suit facilities rather than desk products. Unusually, the same authority lets a company choose between free zone and mainland (domestic economic zone) jurisdiction. It is a VAT Designated Zone and publishes an official tariff schedule for land, permits and renewals. Be careful reading its cost of entry: the licence fee itself is minimal and the real cost is driven by the land or facility lease.
Visit Official Website"Not scored" means we found no evidence for that dimension, not that the zone scored zero. Compare zones against each other, not against 10.
How much does KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi cost?
KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi setup costs from AED 1,000, published by Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD Group), part of AD Ports Group, verified 22 August 2026.
Setup cost
AED 1,000
≈ $274 · €250
One-time formation cost, as published
Renewal (per 24 months)
AED 5,000 – AED 15,000 per 24 months
≈ $1,370 – $4,110 · €1,250 – €3,750
Charged every 24 months, not annually
Published by Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD Group), part of AD Ports Group, verified 22 August 2026.View the source page
USD and EUR figures are indicative conversions at AED 3.65/USD and AED 4.00/EUR. Only the AED figure is a published price.
Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD Group), part of AD Ports Group charges this renewal every 24 months, not every twelve. Comparing it against another zone's annual fee makes KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi look about half as expensive as it is.
What this figure covers, and what it leaves out
Official KEZAD tariff position: new Industrial, Trading and Service licences are AED 0; company registration (LTD) and branch registration are AED 0; licence amendments (activity, director, location) AED 0. The only unavoidable published authority fee at setup is the new Establishment Card at AED 1,000. EXCLUDES the mandatory land or facility lease, which is the real cost of entry: serviced industrial plots AED 32-38/m2/yr and serviced logistics plots AED 36-45/m2/yr in Abu Dhabi, AED 15-20/m2/yr for Al Ain and temporary domestic industrial plots, AED 10-12/m2/yr for temporary laydown area, plus a Common Area Maintenance Levy of AED 3/m2/yr.
Sourcing notes (checked 22 August 2026)
Consultancy sites commonly quote around AED 9,350 to set up in KEZAD. That figure does not appear anywhere in KEZAD's own published tariff. KEZAD charges AED 0 for a new licence and AED 0 for registration — the only mandatory published setup fee is the AED 1,000 establishment card. Renewal is charged every two years, not annually: AED 5,000 for industrial, trading and service licences, and AED 15,000 for general trading. Comparing that against other zones' annual renewals without halving it makes KEZAD look twice as expensive as it is. Lease renewal is charged separately. Other fees KEZAD publishes: initial approval AED 450, share amendments AED 3,000, incumbency letter AED 2,500, licence cancellation AED 2,500, establishment card cancellation AED 500, employment residence visa AED 1,500, in-country visa AED 800, Emirates ID AED 300, register amendments AED 200. Most visa and residence renewals are AED 0.
What licence types does KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi issue?
KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi publishes 3 licence types: Industrial License, Trading License / General Trading License and Service License. The licence you hold sets which activities you may carry out, and in most zones it also drives the visa allocation and the workspace you are required to take.
Permitted activities
What office options does KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi offer?
KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi publishes 6 workspace options: Land plot, Pre-built warehouse, Light industrial unit, Build-to-suit facility, Shared office, Serviced business centre. KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi requires a physical presence in the zone, so the workspace cost is part of the real entry price rather than an optional extra.
Published workspace options: Land plot, Pre-built warehouse, Light industrial unit, Build-to-suit facility, Shared office, Serviced business centre. Important: a virtual address or flexi-desk satisfies the free zone's own licensing rule but is a separate question from the adequate-substance test that a Qualifying Free Zone Person must meet to claim the 0% Corporate Tax rate. What the published entry price covers, as stated by the source: Consultant-quoted starter package figure, not verified on an official KEZAD page. KEZAD's own tariff schedule shows AED 0 initial fee for new industrial/trading/service licences, with real cost driven by land or facility lease (serviced industrial plots AED 32-38/m2/yr in Abu Dhabi, AED 15-20/m2/yr in Al Ain) plus permit fees.
Tax and compliance at KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi
KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi publishes no blanket audit obligation of its own. Separately, every free zone company in the UAE falls under Federal Decree-Law 47 of 2022: the 0% rate applies only to the qualifying income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person, and a QFZP must file audited accounts at any revenue under Ministerial Decision 84 of 2025. Non-qualifying income is taxed at 9%.
- Regulatory authority
- Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD Group), part of AD Ports Group (KEZAD)
- Zone-level audit requirement
- Not published as a blanket requirement
Tax treatment the authority publishes
- 0% Corporate Tax on Qualifying Income for a Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) - conditional, not automatic
- 9% Corporate Tax on any income that is not Qualifying Income; the AED 375,000 zero-rate band does not apply to a QFZP
- 0% personal income tax in the UAE
- 100% repatriation of capital and profits, with no UAE exchange controls
- QFZP status requires adequate free zone substance, arm's length pricing, transfer pricing documentation, audited accounts and non-qualifying revenue within the de minimis limit (lower of AED 5,000,000 or 5% of revenue)
- Small Business Relief is NOT available to a Qualifying Free Zone Person
- VAT Designated Zone: goods entering from outside the UAE or moving between Designated Zones are generally outside the scope of 5% VAT (goods only - services are taxed normally)
Substance requirements
Federal position (applies to every UAE free zone): to claim the 0% Qualifying Free Zone Person rate a company must maintain adequate substance in the free zone - core income-generating activity carried out there, plus adequate assets, an adequate number of qualified full-time employees and adequate operating expenditure relative to that activity (Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2023, Art. 8). Under Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025 every Qualifying Free Zone Person must prepare audited financial statements regardless of revenue; a free zone company that is not a QFZP needs audited accounts only where revenue exceeds AED 50,000,000. Economic Substance Regulations notifications and reports were cancelled for financial years ending after 31 December 2022 by Cabinet Decision No. 98 of 2024, so ESR is no longer a live annual filing. UBO disclosure under Cabinet Decision No. 109 of 2023 does still apply. Zone-level audit position: no primary source stating this zone's own audit requirement was retrievable during research. The audit_required flag is recorded as false because the field cannot express 'unknown'; do not read it as confirmation that no audit is required. The federal rules above apply in any case.
Customs treatment
This zone is recorded as a VAT Designated Zone. Goods imported into it from outside the UAE, and goods moved between Designated Zones, are generally outside the scope of 5% VAT while the conditions in the VAT Executive Regulations are met; goods released into the UAE mainland are treated as an import and attract 5% VAT plus applicable customs duty. Designated Zone status covers GOODS only - services supplied to UAE customers are subject to 5% VAT exactly as on the mainland. Designated Zone status derives from Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017 as amended and should be re-checked against the FTA's current list.
Profit repatriation
The UAE imposes no exchange controls and no restrictions on repatriating capital or profits from a free zone company, and there is no personal income tax on distributions to individuals. Corporate Tax is assessed on the company, not on the remittance.
Ownership
100% foreign ownership is permitted. No UAE national shareholder, local sponsor or service agent is required.
- Local partner
- Not required
Why there is no banking section
We publish no per-zone bank lists, acceptance rates or account-opening timelines, here or anywhere else on the site. No bank and no regulator publishes that data by free zone. Account opening is a decision each bank makes on your shareholders and your activity — it is not a property of the zone you register in, and any site that scores it per zone is inventing a fact.
Who KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi suits
Every line below is a restatement of something KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi publishes, not a recommendation we were paid to make. We are not a reseller for any zone on this site, which is why the right-hand column exists at all.
Consider it if
- You want 100% foreign ownership with no local partner.
- Entry price is the deciding factor: the published setup cost is AED 1,000.
- You want a price you can check against the authority's own page before you commit.
- Your activity spans more than one licence category — 3 are published.
Don't pick this if
- You are not ready to lease space: a physical presence in the zone is required.
Key benefits, as KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi states them
These are the selling points the authority publishes about itself. We reproduce them; we do not endorse them.
Common questions about KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi
How much does it cost to set up in KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi?
KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi setup costs from AED 1,000, published by Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD Group), part of AD Ports Group, verified 22 August 2026. Official KEZAD tariff position: new Industrial, Trading and Service licences are AED 0; company registration (LTD) and branch registration are AED 0; licence amendments (activity, director, location) AED 0. The only unavoidable published authority fee at setup is the new Establishment Card at AED 1,000. EXCLUDES the mandatory land or facility lease, which is the real cost of entry: serviced industrial plots AED 32-38/m2/yr and serviced logistics plots AED 36-45/m2/yr in Abu Dhabi, AED 15-20/m2/yr for Al Ain and temporary domestic industrial plots, AED 10-12/m2/yr for temporary laydown area, plus a Common Area Maintenance Levy of AED 3/m2/yr.
What does it cost to renew a KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi licence?
KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi publishes a renewal fee of AED 5,000 – AED 15,000 per 24 months. That figure covers 24 months, not twelve — comparing it against an annual fee from another zone overstates how cheap it is.
What licence types does KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi issue?
KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi publishes 3 licence types: Industrial License, Trading License / General Trading License and Service License.
Can a foreign investor own 100% of a company in KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi?
100% foreign ownership is permitted. No UAE national shareholder, local sponsor or service agent is required.
What tax treatment applies to a KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi company?
KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi publishes the following: 0% Corporate Tax on Qualifying Income for a Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) - conditional, not automatic, 9% Corporate Tax on any income that is not Qualifying Income; the AED 375,000 zero-rate band does not apply to a QFZP, 0% personal income tax in the UAE, 100% repatriation of capital and profits, with no UAE exchange controls, QFZP status requires adequate free zone substance, arm's length pricing, transfer pricing documentation, audited accounts and non-qualifying revenue within the de minimis limit (lower of AED 5,000,000 or 5% of revenue), Small Business Relief is NOT available to a Qualifying Free Zone Person and VAT Designated Zone: goods entering from outside the UAE or moving between Designated Zones are generally outside the scope of 5% VAT (goods only - services are taxed normally). The 0% federal rate applies only to the qualifying income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person; other income is taxed at 9%.
Where is KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi located?
KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi is a free zone in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Compare KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi against
- Khalifa Port Free Trade ZoneAlso in Abu Dhabi · AED 1,000
- Masdar City Free ZoneAlso in Abu Dhabi · AED 7,000
- ADAFZ - Abu Dhabi Airports Free ZoneAlso in Abu Dhabi · Not published
- Ajman Media City Free ZoneSourced the same way · AED 4,999
- d3 - Dubai Design DistrictSourced the same way · AED 7,500 – AED 7,520
Guides that cover Abu Dhabi and this zone's situation
- 0% Free Zone Corporate Tax: The Eight QFZP Conditions as a Checklist
Free zone 0% corporate tax has eight conditions, and all must be met. The full checklist, including the audit rule with no revenue threshold.
- Ministerial Decision 229 of 2025: Qualifying Activities, and Why MD 265 Content Is Stale
Ministerial Decision 229 of 2025 repealed MD 265 of 2023 retroactively from June 2023. The current qualifying activities list and what expanded.
- The QFZP De Minimis Rule, With a Worked Example (5% or AED 5m)
Non-qualifying revenue must stay under the lower of AED 5m or 5% of total revenue. Two worked examples and what happens if you breach it.
Cost data for KEZAD - Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi was last checked against Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD Group), part of AD Ports Group's own site on 22 August 2026. Figures are reproduced in the currency the authority publishes them in, and are never converted, averaged or estimated. We do not charge to be listed, to be listed accurately, or to be ranked. If something here is wrong or out of date, send us the page that says so and we will correct it and re-date the record.