SHAMS is cheaper and includes a desk. IFZA gives a Dubai address. Take IFZA if that address matters to your clients or your bank, SHAMS otherwise. Ask both for their renewal price before you sign.
What each one does not publish
SHAMSOffice and desk prices, surfaces and lease terms. The validity dates of the 30 percent and 15 to 50 percent discounts. Name reservation and registry fees. The dependant visa price and the amount of its security deposit.
IFZAEvery office price: flexidesk, dedicated desk, private office. The licence renewal price, and the size of the multi-year discount. The refund policy. The maximum number of individual shareholders, and the visa quota ceiling without a physical office.
Anything on this list, ask us: we get the answer from the free zone.
What the zones told us in writing
SHAMS, September 2026
What does the renewal cost? The licence renews at the same amount as year one, as long as nothing changes on the licence.
On the published entry price, yes, by a wide margin. IFZA does not publish its price on its own website at all, which is itself part of the answer: you cannot compare what is not published.
Does IFZA include a desk in its price?
It does not say. IFZA publishes nothing about the workspace attached to its licence, so the figure you are quoted may or may not cover it. Ask before comparing it to anything.
Which one is better for someone working alone?
SHAMS publishes a freelance permit issued in the person's own name. That is the lighter route for a consultant or a designer with no employees, and it does not exist as a published option on the other side.
All prices and terms come from the free zones and may change at any time without prior notice. Free Zone Radar cannot be held responsible for any change, error or omission. Always confirm the final price and terms in writing before you sign or pay.
