Dubai Internet City (DIC) and Dubai Media City (DMC) Setup Guide 2026
Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City are sister free zones for technology and media companies respectively. Here is the 2026 guide to both.
In this guide:
Dubai Internet City (DIC) Overview
- DIC: Established in 2000; UAE oldest and most established technology free zone
- Location: Sheikh Zayed Road near Jumeirah Lake Towers; tech hub of Dubai
- Tenants: Microsoft, Google, IBM, HP, Oracle, Cisco, Samsung all have offices in DIC
- Best for: Tech companies wanting to be in the same ecosystem as global tech multinationals
- Regulator: TECOM Group (same authority as DMC, d3, and several others)
Dubai Media City (DMC) Overview
- DMC: Established in 2001; home to international media companies, publishers, PR firms
- Location: Adjacent to DIC on SZR
- Tenants: BBC, Reuters, CNN, MBC, Sony, Universal Music
- Best for: Media production, content creation, journalism, publishing, entertainment
DIC and DMC Costs 2026
- Small business package: AED 20,000-45,000 for flexi-desk with 1-2 visas
- Offices: AED 80,000-300,000+/year for private offices (premium Dubai location)
- DIC and DMC are significantly more expensive than IFZA or RAKEZ but carry prestige value
DIC vs. IFZA for Tech Companies
- IFZA: AED 13,900-22,900 with same 100% ownership and Dubai address; much cheaper
- DIC: AED 20,000-45,000+ but with recognized global tech hub address and ecosystem access
- Recommendation: IFZA for bootstrapped tech startups; DIC if client perception of tech hub address matters