Dubai Production City company setup, costs and visas
Printing, packaging and media production with warehouse options: the industrial side of the TECOM media cluster.
Dubai Production City 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 Production City fits
Dubai Production City, the former IMPZ (International Media Production Zone), is a TECOM cluster built for the physical end of media: printing, publishing, packaging, media distribution and the warehousing that goes with them. It fits a printer relocating a press to Dubai, a packaging manufacturer, a book or magazine publisher that also stores stock, or a distributor that needs a warehouse and a trade licence under one roof.
It does not fit a solo consultant or a digital-only agency. The zone is built around physical premises, so the AED 15,000 headline only makes sense once you also lease space, which makes it an expensive choice for anyone who could work from a flexi‑desk in another Dubai free zone. Pure film and TV crews belong in Dubai Studio City; screen-only creative and PR shops belong in Dubai Media City.
What the AED 15,000 licence covers and what sits beyond it
The AED 15,000 figure in the spec table is the commercial licence alone. Because a physical premises is mandatory here, that number never stands on its own. The real budget is driven by the lease (a business-park office, a light-industrial unit, or a warehouse, each priced very differently) plus the establishment (immigration) card, e-channel registration and per-visa costs (entry permit, medical, Emirates ID, residence visa issuance).
Print and publishing activities can also carry a content/media approval step depending on what you produce, which a pure trade licence elsewhere would not. Budget for name reservation and any activity-specific approval on top of the licence.
Office, warehouse and visas in Dubai Production City
Dubai Production City is not a virtual-office zone. You take real premises (from a serviced office in the business park to a warehouse or an industrial unit) and your visa allocation is tied to the area you lease rather than a fixed per-company cap. A small office supports a handful of visas and a warehouse many more. That makes this one of the better Dubai zones for a production business that needs to put a team on the floor.
Setup runs about 10–14 working days once documents and the lease are in place. Everything standard applies afterwards: corporate tax registration, VAT once you cross the threshold, and staff residence visas processed through the zone.
Dubai Production City vs Media City vs JAFZA
If your work is physical media and light industry, the zone’s edge over Dubai Media City is simply space, Media City is an office cluster with no warehousing. Against JAFZA the trade-off is scale: JAFZA gives you seaport access and large industrial plots for heavy manufacturing and bulk logistics, while Dubai Production City keeps you inside a media-licensed cluster with smaller, city-side units.
| Zone | Best for | Warehousing |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Production City | Printing, packaging, publishing, media distribution | Yes, on-site |
| Dubai Media City | Digital media, PR, broadcasting, agencies | No |
| JAFZA | Heavy industry, import/export, logistics | Yes, at scale |
Choose Dubai Production City when your output is print and packaged media at mid scale; choose JAFZA when you need a seaport and a factory, and Media City when the work never leaves a screen.
How to set up a company in Dubai Production City
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 10–14 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 Production City: questions founders ask
Is Dubai Production City the same as IMPZ?
Does the AED 15,000 licence include an office?
How many visas can I get in Dubai Production City?
Can I run a film or TV production here?
Where does the AED 15,000 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.