Meydan Free Zone Cost Breakdown: Complete Pricing Guide (2026)

A license-only Meydan Free Zone company costs AED 12,500 in 2026: AED 12,125 for the Standard License (3 activities included, formation at AED 0) plus AED 375 for the mandatory co-working shared desk. A full setup with one investor visa costs AED 27,650, because the visa chain adds AED 15,150 on top of the license. Four packages cover the range: AED 12,500 (no visa), AED 24,125 (one employee visa), AED 29,100 (one investor visa), and AED 34,625 (two visas). License-only suits e-commerce sellers, consultants, and holding companies that need a Dubai address without residency, while the investor package suits founders who want UAE residency. Renewals match the first-year package price, and every line item is broken down in the sections below.

Meydan's pricing is transparent compared with most UAE free zones. Here is the honest comparison of what you will pay based on verified 2026 pricing:

License-Only Setup (No Visa):
• Standard License: AED 12,125 (includes 3 activities + E-Channel registration)
• Formation: AED 0 (FREE)
• Co-working Shared Desk: AED 375 (mandatory minimum)
• Total: AED 12,500 (the lowest Dubai free zone setup cost)

Full Setup with Investor Visa:
• License + Formation + Co-working: AED 12,500
• Visa Allocation: AED 1,850
• Immigration Card: AED 2,000
• Investor/Partner Visa: AED 4,000
• Medical & Emirates ID Assistance: AED 2,250
• Change of Status: AED 1,500
• Employment Contract: AED 350
• Company Stamp: AED 200
• PRO Services Package A: AED 3,000
• Total: AED 27,650

Compare with other zones: SPC vs Meydan for e-commerce or Meydan e-commerce license cost in Dubai.

Meydan offers four pre-assembled packages combining license, facility, and visa costs. All packages include the Standard License (3 activities) and co-working shared desk. Here is a side-by-side comparison based on verified 2026 pricing:

1. Regular License (0 Visa): AED 12,500
Best for: companies that do not need UAE residency, such as e-commerce businesses, holding companies, or international founders who do not plan to live in the UAE.

2. Investor 1-Visa Package: AED 29,100
Best for: solo founders who need UAE residency. Includes the full investor visa chain. You get a Dubai address and UAE residency for under AED 30,000.

3. Employee 1-Visa Package: AED 24,125
Best for: companies hiring their first employee. The employment visa costs AED 500 less than the investor visa, making this the most affordable way to sponsor an employee in Dubai.

4. 2-Visa Package: AED 34,625
Best for: partnerships (two investor visas) or a founder plus employee combo. The per-visa cost averages AED 11,062.50 including all fees.

All packages renew at the same price, with no hidden renewal markups. Additional visas beyond the package cost AED 1,850 (visa allocation) plus the visa type fee and processing fees each. Read the full setup guide

The most important thing to understand about Meydan's visa costs is that the visa fee alone does not reflect the total. A chain of mandatory and recommended fees adds up to AED 15,150 on top of your license for a first-time investor visa. Here is every line item:

Full Investor Visa Chain (First-Time):
1. Visa Allocation Fee: AED 1,850 (mandatory, per visa, per annum)
2. Immigration Card (Establishment Card): AED 2,000 (one-time, valid 1 year)
3. Investor/Partner Visa: AED 4,000
4. Medical & Emirates ID Assistance: AED 2,250 (includes VIP medical with home pickup)
5. Change of Status: AED 1,500 (if you are already in the UAE on a visit or tourist visa)
6. Employment Contract: AED 350 (MOL registration)
7. Company Stamp: AED 200 (required for visa processing)
8. PRO Services Package A: AED 3,000 (recommended, handles all government transactions)
Total: AED 15,150

Employment Visa Chain (First-Time):
Same as above but with the Employment Visa at AED 3,500 instead of AED 4,000.
Total: AED 14,650

Visa Renewal (Investor):
Visa Allocation AED 1,850 + Immigration Card Renewal AED 2,200 + Investor Visa Renewal AED 4,000 = AED 8,050 per renewal cycle (before PRO, medical, and Emirates ID fees).

Visa Allocation Volume Discounts:
• 1 to 49 visas: AED 1,850 each
• 50 to 499 visas: AED 1,000 each
• 500+ visas: AED 950 each

Dependent Visa Costs:
New or renewal: AED 6,000 (includes entry, change of status, medical, and Emirates ID). Deposit: AED 3,000 (investor sponsor, refundable) or AED 0 (employee sponsor). Cancellation: AED 1,000.

Read our UAE visa processing guide for more details.

Meydan offers a range of facility options to match every budget and business need. All prices are verified 2026:

1. Co-working Shared Desk: AED 375/year
4 hours/month access to shared workspace. Included in all packages. Sufficient for most online businesses, consultants, and e-commerce companies.

2. Co-working Dedicated Desk: AED 3,500/year
30/31 days per month access to a dedicated desk. Best for solo professionals who need daily workspace access.

3. Shared Office: AED 15,000/year
Shared office space. Suitable for small teams of 2 to 4 people.

4. Dedicated Office: AED 30,000/year
Private office with phone answering (AED 3,775/year value), mail management (AED 750/year value), and 3 hours/month meeting room access included. Best for established businesses that need a professional setup.

5. Grandstand Business Center: AED 38,500 to AED 210,000/year
Meydan's premium offering: 23 physical offices in the Grandstand building with visa allocations (2 to 14 visas per office). Sizes range from 5.51 to 26.55 sqm with 2 to 10 workstations. Meeting room hours included (0 to 10 hours/month depending on office). Dedicated desk in Grandstand: AED 7,000/year.

6. Meeting Room: AED 150/hour or AED 6,500/month (Meydan+)
Available for ad-hoc or regular use. Book through the Meydan+ service catalog.

Compare Meydan facilities with other zones: SPC vs Meydan

Beyond the main costs, several additional fees and savings opportunities shape the final bill when setting up in Meydan:

Hidden costs to budget for:
• Name Reservation: AED 500 (one-time)
• License Amendment: AED 2,000 (if you need to change activities or shareholders later)
• License/Company Cancellation: AED 2,000 (takes 5 business days; requires a Board Resolution, Bank Closure Letter, and other documents)
• Additional Activity: AED 1,500 each (beyond the 3 included)
• Additional Shareholder (beyond 6): AED 2,000 per extra shareholder
• NOC to Lease Outside the Free Zone: AED 2,500
• Urgent Service surcharge: AED 1,050
• Innovation Fee: AED 10 per invoice
• Knowledge Fee: AED 10 per invoice

Ways to save:
• MeydanPay is FREE, so there is no need to pay for an external payment gateway (saves AED 1,000 to 3,000 a year versus third-party solutions)
• Easy Payment Plan (EPP): split any AED 500+ purchase into 0% installments via ADCB, Emirates Islamic, or ENBD. A AED 29,100 Investor Package costs about AED 2,425 per month over 12 months
• Visa allocation volume discounts: for companies needing 50+ visas, allocation drops from AED 1,850 to AED 1,000 per visa
• Meydan+ Bookkeeping: from AED 1,000/month for Category A, cheaper than hiring an in-house accountant
• Bundled PRO Services: Package A (AED 3,000) covers all government transactions, cheaper than paying per service

For the complete setup process, see our Meydan setup guide.

Headline prices across Dubai free zones are not directly comparable, because each zone bundles different things into its base license. Meydan publishes one Standard License that already includes 3 business activities and free formation, so the AED 12,500 entry price is close to what you actually pay before any visa. IFZA builds its quote differently, from the license tier, the number of activities you select, and the facility option you pick, so two IFZA companies on the same advertised package can end up with different totals. When you compare offers, line them up on three questions: how many activities are included, which facility is mandatory, and what the full visa chain costs beyond the license. For the IFZA side of that math, see our IFZA license cost guide.

The figures in this guide are Meydan's published 2026 prices, and your final quote depends on four choices: the package (0, 1, or 2 visas), the facility tier (from the co-working desk up to Grandstand offices), any extra activities beyond the 3 included, and how many visas you add. Because every visa carries the full chain of allocation, immigration card, and processing fees, the visa count moves your total faster than any other variable. The direct way to a precise number is the Meydan Free Zone page, where you enter your activity and visa needs and get a cost estimate built on the same verified price list used here. If you want the whole process mapped out first, the Meydan setup guide covers licensing, visas, and banking step by step.