Plug2UAEDubai
Dubai Internet City: real costs, licences and review
The region's established tech cluster — Microsoft, Google, Meta and the startups around them.
Estimate. DIC does not publish a full price list. This figure is our own estimate rather than a rate confirmed by the authority: treat it as an order of magnitude and ask us for a firm quotation.
Our view
Part of TECOM Group, Dubai Internet City has been the Middle East's technology address since 1999. The regional headquarters of most large software vendors sit here, and that concentration is the actual product: proximity to enterprise buyers, to a deep technical hiring pool, and to the region's investor community.
Pricing reflects the address, and the activity list is focused on technology: general trading applications are redirected to other zones. For a funded startup selling enterprise software in the Gulf, the address carries weight that a Silicon Oasis licence does not. A bootstrapped developer invoicing European clients may prefer a lower-cost technology licence.
Key facts
| Emirate | Dubai |
|---|---|
| Licence from | AED 28,000 |
| Typical cost (1 visa) | AED 58,000 |
| Issuance time | 10–25 working days |
| Visa quota | Unlimited (with office) |
| Flexi-desk | Yes |
| Remote setup | No |
| Licence types | Professional / service, Commercial |
| Established | 1999 |
Official source: dic.ae
Strengths and points to weigh
Strengths
- Strongest tech ecosystem in the region
- Credibility with enterprise buyers and investors
- Excellent central location
- Access to TECOM's talent programmes
Points to weigh
- Expensive relative to generalist zones
- Activity list restricted to technology
- Office space expected
- Slower approval process
Who this suits
- Funded technology startups
- Enterprise software vendors
- Regional tech headquarters
- Companies hiring technical staff locally
Your quotation within one working day
Four details are all we need. We come back with a firm quotation, the recommended free zone and the reasons for it.