Ajman Free Zone and Business Guide — Complete Overview 2026
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