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