Dubai
Dubai CommerCity: real costs, licences and review
The region's only free zone built exclusively for e-commerce.
Our view
Dubai CommerCity is purpose-built for online retail: fulfilment space, customs handling tuned to parcel volumes, and a licence designed around e-commerce rather than retrofitted from a trading licence. For an operator genuinely shipping product to Gulf customers, the infrastructure fit is better than a generalist zone.
The caveat is that most founders who say "e-commerce" mean dropshipping or Amazon FBA settled outside the UAE — no local inventory, no local fulfilment. For them CommerCity is an expensive answer to a question they do not have, and Meydan or IFZA with an e-commerce activity is the correct route.
Key facts
| Emirate | Dubai |
|---|---|
| Licence from | AED 24,000 |
| Typical cost (1 visa) | AED 46,000 |
| Issuance time | 7–18 working days |
| Visa quota | Unlimited (with office) |
| Flexi-desk | Yes |
| Remote setup | No |
| Licence types | E-commerce, Commercial, Professional / service |
| Established | 2020 |
Official source: www.dubaicommercity.ae
Honestly
What works
- Infrastructure designed for parcel flows
- E-commerce-native licence
- Integrated logistics and customs
- Strong for regional D2C
What doesn't
- Pointless without local inventory
- More expensive than a generic e-commerce licence
- Narrow activity scope
- Young zone, limited track record
Who this suits
- Online retailers holding UAE inventory
- Regional D2C brands
- Cross-border fulfilment operations
- Marketplace sellers serving the Gulf
Let's talk about your actual case
A twenty-minute call. We will also tell you if the UAE is the wrong answer for you — it often is.