Dubai Silicon Oasis company setup, costs and visas
An integrated tech district with its own housing, university and the DTEC startup campus, suited to hardware and product teams that want an office of their own. DSO lists flexi‑desk packages with up to two visas per desk but publishes no prices.
Dubai Silicon Oasis in numbers
Estimate as of 27 Jul 2026. The zone publishes no tariff. This figure is our market estimate; the zone confirms the fee in writing when you apply.
Who Dubai Silicon Oasis is built for
Dubai Silicon Oasis is a purpose-built technology district run by Dubai Integrated Economic Zones, the same authority behind Dubai Airport Free Zone and Dubai CommerCity. Its licence scope is deliberately tech-focused rather than the 2,000+ generalist menu you get at IFZA or Meydan, so software, electronics, IoT, hardware, R&D and product teams are the natural fit.
What sets DSO apart is that it is a physical district: on-site housing, a university cluster and the DTEC startup campus mean founders and engineers can live, hire and build inside one district. It suits companies that want a physical technology ecosystem and are comfortable taking an office from day one. It does not suit a consultant, holding or general-trading setup chasing the cheapest paper company with maximum visas: for that, a no-office zone is the better route. The wider list is on the free zones index.
What the AED 18,000 licence covers and what sits beyond it
The headline figure in the spec table above is our market estimate for the licence plus a flexi‑desk for the first year; DSO publishes no price. DSO requires at least a shared desk, so there is no true “virtual” tier here: the office rule is baked into the entry price. Beyond that number, budget for the establishment card, immigration (e-channel) registration and every residence visa as a separate line: entry permit, medical, Emirates ID and residence visa issuance each carry their own fee.
Because the activity scope is tech-focused, some licences trigger external approvals, which add both time and cost to the 7–10 day headline. Model the full picture on the setup-cost calculator rather than reading the licence line alone.
| Cost layer | Included in the AED 18,000 estimate? |
|---|---|
| Trade licence (tech scope) | Yes |
| Flexi‑desk, year one | Yes, in the packages quoted to us |
| Establishment card + e-channel | No, separate |
| Each residence visa (permit, medical, Emirates ID) | No, per person |
| External activity approvals | No, activity-dependent |
Office, visas and substance in Dubai Silicon Oasis
Office is mandatory and the flexi‑desk is the floor. The entry package carries a visa quota of just 2: that is the direct trade-off against IFZA or Meydan, which issue visas without a leased office (Meydan includes a flexi‑desk and allows up to six). DSO gives you a genuine desk and address but fewer entry visas, and scaling headcount means moving up to a dedicated office in one of the DSO HQ buildings, which raises both rent and the quota together.
The upside of that physical footprint is that it helps show substance. A real desk in DSO supports the adequate-substance test a Qualifying Free Zone Person must pass, which a mailbox company struggles with; the test also looks at whether the core income-generating work, qualified staff and spending are in the zone. That matters if you want the 0% corporate-tax rate on qualifying income. Read the corporate tax guide before assuming the 0% rate applies to your revenue.
DSO vs IFZA: same address, different free zone
Same neighbourhood, different economics: compare IFZA in detail on its own page before you decide which one your team needs.
How to set up a company in Dubai Silicon Oasis
Activities and trade name
Choose the licensed activities and reserve a trade name. The activities decide which approvals you need, how banks read your file and whether your income can qualify for the 0% QFZP rate.
Documents and KYC
Passports, application forms and a clear account of where the money comes from. Free zone companies can be 100% foreign-owned, so no local sponsor is needed.
Licence and establishment card
The zone issues the licence (typically 7–10 business days). The immigration establishment card comes next and opens visa processing.
Visas and bank account
Each visa holder needs an entry permit, a medical test and an Emirates ID. The corporate bank account is opened in parallel and is usually the slowest step.
Dubai Silicon Oasis: questions founders ask
Does Dubai Silicon Oasis require a physical office?
How many visas does the DSO entry licence allow?
What can I license in Dubai Silicon Oasis?
Is Dubai Silicon Oasis the same as IFZA?
Where does the AED 18,000 figure come from?
Can this company do business on the UAE mainland?
Does 0% corporate tax apply here?
This is general information on UAE rules. It is not legal, tax or immigration advice for your situation. Rules and government fees change; we confirm the position for your facts in writing before you act.