United Arab Emirates
DMCC Dubai Freezone
The hub for commodities trade, and for crypto companies. Dubai's most prestigious free zone.
At a glance
Location
Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Companies
More than 25,000
Key sectors
Commodities, gold and diamonds, crypto, trading, finance
Office
From flexi-desk to full office
The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre was founded in 2002 to concentrate gold, diamond and precious metals trade; today it hosts more than 25,000 companies in Jumeirah Lakes Towers across trading, finance, technology and services. The DMCC Crypto Centre is a common first address for crypto businesses before and alongside a VARA licence.
Prestige and recognition with banks are DMCC's strongest assets; cost sits at the upper end of the Dubai zones. It is the right place for trading and crypto companies that must reassure investors and banks.
Why here
When this jurisdiction is the right choice.
- The most recognised Dubai free zone with banks and investors.
- Commodity exchanges, gold refinery recognition and the DMCC Crypto Centre ecosystem.
- 100 percent ownership, free profit repatriation, 0 percent on qualifying income.
- Office and residential infrastructure in JLT with metro access.
Entity types
Which structure, for whom.
DMCC LLC
New free zone company, one or more shareholders.
Branch
DMCC branch of a foreign or UAE company.
Subsidiary
A subsidiary of an existing group formed in DMCC.
Process
Formation step by step.
- 01Activity and entity type selection
- 02Pre-approval and name reservation
- 03Documents: passport, address, business plan, capital declaration
- 04Office selection and lease
- 05Licence and certificate of incorporation
- 06Bank account, visas, corporate tax registration
After formation
What has to happen every year.
- Annually audited financials mandatory
- Licence and office renewal
- Corporate tax return, VAT threshold monitoring
- Separate VARA licensing obligations for crypto activities
Same country
Other options.
Mainland UAE Company
Unrestricted activity across the UAE and abroad. The structure for a business with local customers.
Open pageRAKEZ UAE Freezone
Ras Al Khaimah's cost-efficient zone for manufacturing, logistics and services. Forty-five minutes from Dubai.
Open pageRAC ICC UAE Offshore
A holding and asset company registered in the UAE but operating outside it. No office, no visas, low cost.
Open pageIFZA Dubai Freezone
Dubai's most flexible and cost-efficient setup. No physical office requirement, several activities under one licence.
Open pageMeydan Dubai Freezone
Close to central Dubai, fully digital setup. Fast and economical for ventures and service companies.
Open pageFrequently asked
The in-country registry, licence and agent steps of the formation file run through our licensed formation partners in the relevant jurisdiction. Structure design, contracts, the bank file and the tax and notification effect on the Turkish side are managed by Defensible. Rates and thresholds summarise the headline rules at the time of writing; we check the current text together on your own file.
Can a DMCC company provide crypto services?
A DMCC licence alone is not enough; virtual asset services in Dubai require a VARA licence. DMCC is often used as the corporate shell for a VARA application. We run this together with our VARA advisory.
Let's work out which structure fits you in 15 minutes.
Tell us where you sell, who you are and what you are aiming at; we will say in the call which jurisdiction and entity type make sense. Formation itself is a separate engagement, scoped and priced there.
Book a 15-minute call