DUBAI, UAE — April 29, 2026 — Aziend (aziend.com), one of the most reliable firms for business formation and corporate consultancy in the UAE, has today rolled out a major expansion of its portfolio of UAE business setup services that would go on to include company setup, licensing and ongoing compliance support throughout an extended network of free zones and regional jurisdictions within UAE. This expansion marks Aziend as one of the most well-equipped UAE business setup consultancies present in the market, thusly ensuring that founders, entrepreneurs, SMEs and multinational corporations are able to access all-round support for virtually every business formation route available in the Emirates.

The new jurisdictions that have been added are Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), Sharjah Media City (SHAMS), twofour54 in Abu Dhabi, Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA), Fujairah Creative City, Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone (UAQ FTZ), Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD) and a range of sector-specific free zones located in Fujairah, Ajman and Sharjah. In addition to the existing suite of services offered by Aziend for setting up companies in key free zones such as DMCC, DIFC, ADGM, JAFZA, IFZA, Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), Dubai Design District (D3), Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority (DAFZA), Dubai Internet City (DIC), RAK ICC and SAIF Zone, the company is now capable of helping entrepreneurs with structured setup programs in more than 30 jurisdictions in the UAE.


MEETING THE DEMAND FOR BROADER, SMARTER BUSINESS SETUP GUIDANCE

The UAE is making steady progress to establish itself as one of the best destinations for business globally. Reports from the World Bank show that the UAE ranks among the top ten global economies regarding the ease of doing business. The path of GDP growth and the ongoing diversification strategy, as laid out in UAE Vision 2031, has seen record-breaking levels of foreign direct investment flowing into the country. In just the year 2025 alone, the UAE was able to attract more than AED 180 billion in FDI, much of which comes from the free zone ecosystem of inbound commercial activity.

Nevertheless, for the many entrepreneurs, investors and corporations that aspire to start operations in the UAE each year, selecting the right jurisdiction, license category, visa structure and banking relationship is indeed a difficult task. Cost structures too vary vastly between one another free zones. Limitations on activities, visa quota rules, flexi-desk versus physical office requirements, corporate tax qualifications and other such factors may have a material impact on the long-term sustainability of a business in the region.

The extended service coverage offered by Aziend provides a direct response to this complexity. Via bringing its thoroughly verified jurisdiction-specific expertise to a wider selection of free zones and regions, the consultancy is enabling its clients to make educated decisions regarding why certain jurisdictions are more favorable for a specific type of activity, budget, timeline growth and market access objectives.

“Our clients aren't coming to us because they want jurisdiction. They come to us because they need a strategy. Be they a solo consultant in need of a budget-friendly digital media license in Sharjah, a manufacturing company wanting land access in Hamriyah or a financial services company contemplating between DIFC and ADGM, the decision calls for specifics that generic advice will never be able to provide. This expansion makes it possible for us to walk every type of client through all their options in the UAE, all with accuracy and commercial transparency they deserve.”

— Dhanesh Haridas, Aziend Business Setup Consultancy

NEWLY ADDED FREE ZONES AND JURISDICTIONS: WHAT CLIENTS CAN NOW ACCESS

Every new jurisdiction that is included in Aziend's service portfolio has been chosen after careful consideration of client demand signals, emerging market opportunity and the consultancy’s evaluation of the unique value proposition each free zone presents for different business types. The following discusses the importance of some of these recent additions:

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ)

RAKEZ can be considered among the most competitive free zones of the UAE for SMEs, manufacturing businesses and trading companies that look for affordable operating costs while retaining credibility and high infrastructure quality. The RAKEZ setup program offered by Aziend is inclusive of corporate, industrial and freelance licenses, all with transparent cost guidance on licensing fees, warehouse and land lease terms and visa quotas.

Sharjah Media City (SHAMS)

SHAMS enjoys great popularity because it is considered to be one of the least expensive free zones for media, creative and digital professionals. The freelance permit service offered by SHAMS is best suited for content creators, digital marketing specialists, journalists and consultants. As part of its SHAMS services, Aziend will assist in license selection, freelance versus FZ-LLC comparison analysis and banking and client invoicing using a SHAMS entity.

twofour54, Abu Dhabi

twofour54 is Abu Dhabi's exclusive media free zone and is home to major international broadcasters, production companies and digital media businesses. Aziend now offers end-to-end setup assistance for clients in the media and entertainment industry needing an Abu Dhabi presence or preferring twofour54's curated media environment over SHAMS or any other Dubai-based alternatives.

Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA)

Being strategically situated in Sharjah with deep-water port access, Hamriyah is the favored choice in the UAE for heavy industries, petrochemicals, manufacturing and logistics wanting industrial land and storage space. Aziend's HFZA offerings cater perfectly to the needs of clients belonging to the industrial or logistics sectors who wish to lease flexible land, use large-scale warehouses and need direct port connectivity.

Fujairah Creative City

Fujairah Creative City is the one providing the most flexible and cost-effective license structures in the UAE and is highly chosen by freelancers, consultants and service businesses that don’t necessarily need a physical Fujairah presence. Aziend's Creative City program will take you through a comprehensive list of approved professional activities and ensure that the right license category is selected to cover intended business activities.

Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD)

KEZAD stands out as the industrial and logistics hub of Abu Dhabi, with state-of-the-art infrastructure, multimodal connectivity through Khalifa Port and direct linkages to the Abu Dhabi market. Aziend's KEZAD service targets manufacturing, trading and logistics companies that are in need of Abu Dhabi's growing industrial corridor as their operational base.

UAQ Free Trade Zone

Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone is arguably one of the most affordable and accessible free zone options that has easy-to-complete licensing and competitive yearly fees. Aziend has started providing its clients with UAQ FTZ setup services for trading, services and general commercial activities requiring cost-effectiveness.


AZIEND'S APPROACH: TRANSPARENT, STRUCTURED, AND COMMERCIALLY GROUNDED

In contrast to generalist business setup agents who deal with a handful of free zone partners, the process followed by Aziend is centered on independent and client-interest-first advisory. The firm assesses requirements along four key parameters before making a recommendation of the suitable jurisdiction:

Business activity alignment — Making sure that the license category and permitted activities match the operations that the client intends to conduct

Cost structure analysis — Breaking down the government registration fees, annual renewal costs, office or flexi-desk requirements and visa allocation costs for full Year 1 and Year 2

Visa and residency planning — Helping determine the best visa quota, sponsorship qualifications and Emirates ID considerations for founders and employees

Banking and financial access — Assisting clients in choosing the right banking relationships as per the activity type, transaction volume and company origin, with practical timeframes and minimum balances expected

Once the choice of the jurisdiction is made, the team at Aziend will manage all processes related to incorporation, which involve name approval, document attestation and notarization, submission to the authorities, issuance of the license, establishment card processing, Emirates ID booking and banking services introductions. Where required by our client, for any mainland UAE incorporation in addition to free zone company, Aziend shoulders the responsibility of creating Memorandum of Association (MoA), DED applications and local agents' appointments if necessary.



“We have always held the view that the best business setup advice comes from total transparency regarding cost implications involved, timelines and an honest analysis of the areas where the specific structure might have limitations. Our expanded jurisdiction scope is not about numbers. It is about presenting our clients with the full picture, so they can make a choice that won’t have them second-guessing themselves three years from now.”



— Vincy Amirtharaj, Aziend


WHO THIS EXPANSION SERVES

Aziend's expanded services are meant to accommodate a range of clientele who are at different levels of progress with respect to entering the UAE marketplace.

UAE entrepreneurs in need of affordable entry with convenient visa requirements and banking systems are more suited to RAKEZ, SHAMS, Fujairah Creative City and UAQ FTZ

Scale-up firms and regional headquarters that demand advanced infrastructure, dispute resolution mechanisms and credibility in the financial industry can still be well catered by DIFC, ADGM and DMCC, with a comparative table now clearly presented

Companies that are based on manufacturing, logistics and industrial operations that assess options for leasing land, warehouse access and proximity to ports might find their needs better met by JAFZA, Hamriyah, KEZAD or RAKEZ industrial free zones

For media, content and creative professionals who need a way to get legal operating status in the UAE without exorbitant costs, SHAMS, twofour54 or Fujairah Creative City are the right choice

Holding companies and offshore structures that require a tax-effective system in setting up their investment portfolio shall make use of RAK ICC, JAFZA Offshore and ADGM structures with Aziend's expertise in forming holding companies

Multinational corporations opening a branch office, representation office or regional headquarters would be able to coordinate their activities with the mainland DED and the free zone presence

INTERACTIVE CALCULATORS AND DECISION TOOLS NOW AVAILABLE

Together with an extended portfolio of services, Aziend has brought in a full suite of jurisdiction-specific business setup cost calculators on its website. The availability of such an entire set of tools for all leading free zones and emirates allows potential clients to calculate their costs in terms of licensing, office space, visa allocation and government charges. It helps filter the most suitable options even before the appointment is made for consultation.

These calculators utilize verified data on costs as of 2026 sourced from free zone authority fee schedules as well as constantly being updated to accommodate new government fee structures, revised visa policy parameters and other changes in regulations. They are indicative of a dedication to providing the type of financial transparency which Aziend believes that prospective investors deserve before entering into any type of working relationship.

All tools are available for free on aziend.com and need no registration to use.


BEYOND FORMATION: COMPLIANCE, RENEWAL, AND GROWTH SUPPORT

The expanded service offering by Aziend goes further than merely establishing the company. The consultancy firm also offers post-registration services in a structured manner which include assistance with license renewal annually, managing renewal and cancellation of visas, auditor coordination and financial statement preparation for entities subject to UAE corporate tax and PRO services for government liaison. Also covered are strategic advisory for businesses that may want structural changes, say from conversion of free zone entity to mainland LLC, or to add additional licensed activities as per business’s growth.

Aziend will be able to provide multi-entity management at once in cases where clients have operations in more than one free zone, a trend that is seen among businesses using offshore entities for holding structures and maintain operational entities in premium free zones. It makes sure all renewal deadlines, compliance obligations and regulatory filings are tracked and executed without a hitch.

ABOUT AZIEND

Aziend is a business setup and corporate consultation firm based in the United Arab Emirates which specializes in company formation, licensing, visa processing, PRO services and compliance throughout all UAE Emirates and free zones. Aziend employs professional corporate advisors and PRO specialists who offer their expertise to entrepreneurs, SMEs and MNCs that look forth on finding their way through UAE's formation ecosystem. It is the focus on the transparent cost structure, accurate jurisdictional information and client-first advisory for long-term business viability rather than mere short-term transaction volume that sets Aziend apart.

The entire scope of Aziend’s services covers all aspects of the UAE company setup, such as the jurisdiction selection, company name approval, license issuance, bank account opening, visa processing and continued annual compliance. Aziend’s digital tools, inclusive of cost calculators for free zones, provide clients with the clarity they need in their UAE business setup processes.