Ajman is UAE’s smallest emirate by area, located between Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain. Ajman offers some of UAE’s lowest business setup costs, making it attractive for entrepreneurs starting on a tight budget. This guide covers the Ajman Free Zone and Ajman mainland business setup for 2026.
In this guide:
Ajman Free Zone Overview
- Name: Ajman Free Zone Authority (AFZA)
- Location: Ajman city, adjacent to Ajman Port
- Established: 1988; one of UAE’s oldest free zones
- Licence types: trading, professional services, general services, industrial
- Cost: one of UAE’s cheapest free zones; AED 5,750-9,000/year for standard licence + visa package
Ajman Free Zone Packages
- Flexi-desk package: AED 6,000-8,000/year; includes shared desk access; 1 investor visa; suitable for service businesses with no physical office need
- Virtual office package: AED 5,500-7,500/year; mailing address; 1 investor visa; cheapest option for online businesses
- Dedicated office: AED 12,000-25,000/year depending on office size; 2-5 investor visas
- Warehouse: available from 100 sqm; AED 8-15 per sqm/year; suitable for trading and light manufacturing
Ajman Free Zone vs Other Cheap Free Zones
- Ajman vs UAQ: Ajman has better banking relationships and longer track record; UAQ (Umm Al Quwain) is similarly priced but newer; both have some UAE bank acceptance challenges compared to IFZA or DMCC
- Ajman vs Shams: Shams is more popular for freelancers and gets better banking; Ajman may be cheaper for trading companies
- Ajman vs IFZA: IFZA (Fujairah) costs AED 14,900 but offers far better banking relationships; Ajman is AED 4,000-8,000 cheaper but banking access is harder
- Practical consideration: if banking is critical (e.g. you need UAE bank account quickly), choose IFZA over Ajman despite higher cost
Ajman Mainland
- Ajman DED: Department of Economic Development Ajman
- Cheapest UAE mainland licence: Ajman mainland is consistently among the cheapest in UAE; professional service licence from AED 7,000-10,000/year
- Ajman real estate: cheapest residential and commercial property in UAE; popular with Dubai and Sharjah workers who commute; 45-60 minutes to Dubai
- Port of Ajman: small but functional; handles cargo for Ajman-based businesses