Online course creators, Udemy instructors, Teachable and Kajabi course owners, membership site operators, and digital education entrepreneurs can benefit enormously from UAE free zone companies. Here is the 2026 guide.
In this guide:
Why Online Course Creators Use UAE Companies
- 0% personal income tax on course revenue in UAE
- UAE company accepted by Stripe, PayPal, Teachable, Kajabi, Thinkific — all major course platforms
- Udemy Pro Instructor: UAE company accepted for payment
- No capital gains tax if you sell your course business
- USD/EUR/GBP bank accounts readily available for course revenue
Best UAE Free Zones for Course Creators
1. IFZA — Best Overall for Online Educators
- Activities: Online education, e-learning, digital training, content creation
- Cost: AED 18,900 year 1
- Stripe, Teachable, Kajabi all accept IFZA companies
2. SPC Free Zone — Best Budget for New Course Creators
- Cost: AED 13,165 year 1
- Good for creators just launching first course with lower initial revenue
3. Dubai Knowledge Park — Best for Corporate Training Course Creators
- L&D ecosystem for enterprise training and corporate education
- Best for course creators whose primary audience is corporate (B2B)
Course Platform Tax Considerations
- Udemy: Udemy acts as merchant of record in most countries; course revenue net of Udemy share is your income
- Teachable / Kajabi / Thinkific: You are the merchant of record; UAE VAT may apply on UAE student sales
- Stripe-based courses: UAE company processes payments directly; UAE VAT applicable on UAE-based students