Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone 2026: ADAFZ Packages, Visas, Rules and Who It Suits

Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone (ADAFZ) is the free zone that covers land at Abu Dhabi’s three civil airports, Zayed International, Al Bateen Executive and Al Ain International, where it licenses companies, leases offices, warehouses, hangars and land, and sponsors staff visas. The Abu Dhabi Executive Council declared the three airports free zone areas in 2010, and the zone’s regulations are issued by Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) under Article 4 of Emiri Decree No. 5 of 2006, which established the company. Today ADAFZ describes itself as “wholly owned by ADQ” and “operated by Abu Dhabi Airports”. It is known for air cargo, logistics, e-commerce, aerospace and maintenance, and for airside access next to Zayed International’s cargo terminal.

This guide is for founders, logistics and aviation firms, and consultants comparing the Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone with KEZAD, Masdar City and Dubai’s airport zones. It covers legal forms, licences, documents, the packages and visa costs ADAFZ publishes (with the date we read them), facilities, visas through ICP, tax, access to the mainland and compliance. If you are still choosing between a free zone and the mainland for business setup in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, start with our free zone vs mainland guide. Our Abu Dhabi free zones guide compares all five Abu Dhabi zones, and the UAE free zones guide covers the country.

Figures come from adafz.ae, the ADAFZ brochure, ADAFZ’s regulations (read from its archived website), ADDED, the FTA designated zones list and federal tax rules, checked on 26 September 2026. ADAFZ’s current website is a new design; where older official pages say something the new site does not, we say so.

Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone at a glance

The zone has two faces. At the entry level it is a low-cost desk licence for service businesses. At the top end it is an airside logistics and aviation estate with a cargo terminal, hangars and land. Most online articles cover only one of them.

What the Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone is known for

The Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone calls itself “a leading multi-sector business and logistics hub” and says “900+ businesses trust ADAFZ” (its Enterprise page also says “500+ international companies”). Its selling point is direct access to aircraft: Zayed International’s cargo operations, 4-hour flight access to “a third of the world’s population” and 8-hour access to “80% of global markets”, in ADAFZ’s words.

Infrastructure ADAFZ names

• East Midfield Cargo Terminal: 90,000 sq m with capacity for “up to 1.5 million tonnes annually” (ADAFZ brochure).
• Logistics Park 2: 500,000 sq m, described in the brochure as under development.
• Business Park 2: 21,196 sq m of office space.
• Airside and landside plots, warehouses, light industrial units and aircraft hangars across the three airports.

Sectors

ADAFZ lists e-commerce and logistics, aerospace and defence, industrial and consumer, pharma and biotechnology, food and agritech, emerging technology and mixed-use development. Its older registration page added aviation and airport services, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), manufacturing, ICT, trading, consultancy and regional headquarters.

How it compares with nearby zones

• KEZAD is the sea-port and heavy industry equivalent, with far more land; ADAFZ is the air-freight option.
• Masdar City, a few minutes away, is a research and technology campus with no designated zone status.
• DAFZA and Dubai South are the Dubai airport zones, with GDRFA visas and Dubai mainland permits instead of ICP and ADDED.

Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone legal forms

ADAFZ’s legal entity page (still live in 2024 on its previous website) lists three forms. Its new site labels the larger offering “Enterprise / LLC”.

The Startup page adds that the entry package gives “A UAE business licence, professional address and visa eligibility. No full company setup needed.” ADAFZ does not explain which legal form that package uses. Ask whether you are getting a company (FZ-LLC) or another licence type, because it affects banking, liability and future sale of the business.

ADAFZ licence types and activities

Every ADAFZ licence is tied to approved activities.

Under the Business Licensing Regulations (October 2011), ADAC “shall issue categories of available licenses from time to time”, listed in the “Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone License Segments and Activities Document” (clause 5). A licence runs for one year (clause 7.5), and ADAC may grant a temporary licence for “conferences, exhibitions, sporting activities or other event” (clause 7.6).

The current site says you can pick “from 900+ approved business activities” and “mix multiple activities under one license”. The packages cap them: two activities (services only) on Starter, five on Entrepreneur and Startup Pro, and five trading and service activities on Enterprise. Trading is therefore available only on the Enterprise tier among the published packages. Regulated activities such as aviation services, freight forwarding, pharmaceuticals, food and defence need the relevant authority’s approval as well (for example the General Civil Aviation Authority, Abu Dhabi Customs, the Emirates Drug Establishment or the Abu Dhabi food safety authority), as the regulations make the licensee responsible for all permits the law requires.

Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone setup process, step by step

ADAFZ company setup follows a four-step, four-day path published on the Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone home page. We add the steps that follow the licence.

The same site also says “7-Day Setup” and “Set up in as little as 7 days”. Plan on the seven-day figure, as it covers more than the licence itself, and add attestation time for foreign corporate documents. The general federal statement on u.ae is that free zones approve applications “within 14 working days”.

Documents required for Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone company setup

For individual applicants on the entry ADAFZ packages, the Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone checklist asks for:

• A passport copy with at least six months’ validity (first and last pages).
• A photo: “professional headshot, white background”.
• An updated CV or professional profile (“recommended but optional”).
• A portfolio, LinkedIn or website link.
• The completed application form.

For companies, ADAFZ’s earlier corporate checklist required an application for registration, an application for licence, a business plan on ADAFZ’s template, shareholder details, legal representative details and an authorisation for government services. For a corporate shareholder or branch parent, it asked for documents “notarized and/or legalized as indicated”, which in practice means the certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, a certificate of good standing and a board resolution, attested through the UAE embassy and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs; see our attestation guide. Lease payments and security deposits are made to ADAFZ. Every company must also keep a beneficial owner register under Cabinet Decision 109 of 2023.

Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone packages and costs

The Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone publishes four ADAFZ packages and a visa cost table on its home, Startup, Entrepreneur and Enterprise pages. We read them on 26 September 2026; the site shows prices with the dirham symbol, written here as AED. The pages do not say whether VAT is included.

Each package card also shows “Registration & Licence: Fees included” and “After 2 Years: Upgradable”. ADAFZ does not explain the second line; it may mean the package can be upgraded after two years or that the price is fixed for two years. Ask for the renewal price in writing.

ADAFZ visa and immigration costs

A worked first-year budget

A founder who wants one residence visa has two obvious routes:

• Startup Pro: AED 12,000, with one visa included, “Stamping + Emirates ID”. Add the medical test, health insurance, the refundable deposit if charged, the establishment card (AED 1,000) and the online system fee unless ADAFZ confirms they are included.
• Entrepreneur plus one visa: AED 8,000 + establishment card AED 1,000 + employee visa AED 1,500 + deposit AED 2,500 (refundable) = AED 13,000, plus the online system activation, medical, Emirates ID and insurance. This leaves a second visa in the quota for later.

The two routes are close. Entrepreneur costs slightly more on day one but keeps a second visa available; Startup Pro is simpler if you will never hire. The Starter package (AED 6,000) has no visa, so it only suits someone who already holds UAE residence, for example through a spouse or a Golden Visa.

Land, warehouses and offices

The Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone quotes serviced land, warehouses, light industrial units, hangars and business park offices on request; neither the website nor the brochure publishes rents.

Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone facilities

• Desks: Smart Desk (Starter), Flexi Desk (Entrepreneur), dedicated space (Startup Pro) and Executive Desk (Enterprise).
• Business Centre and Business Park offices at Zayed International, including Business Park 2 (21,196 sq m).
• Logistics Park warehouses and light industrial units, with Logistics Park 2 (500,000 sq m) under development.
• Airside and landside land plots and aircraft hangars for aviation and MRO.
• Cargo terminal access through the East Midfield Cargo Terminal.

For desks, the ADAFZ packages fix the visa count. For offices, warehouses and land, ADAFZ agrees the quota with you; it publishes no ratio. The ADAFZ brochure also says “both freezone and non-freezone frameworks” are available at the airports, meaning some plots can host mainland-licensed businesses. Confirm the status of any unit before you sign.

Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone visa and residency

An ADAFZ visa is an Abu Dhabi residence visa: an Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone company’s staff hold Abu Dhabi residence visas issued through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). Dubai’s GDRFA does not handle them.

Sponsorship rules

The ADAFZ Employment Regulations (October 2011) set up sponsorship through a Personnel Sponsorship Agreement between the employer and ADAC. ADAC is “not responsible in any way whatsoever for any entitlements of an Employee”; the employer pays salary and end-of-service benefits. A sponsored employee “shall only work in Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone but he may reside in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and move freely in the UAE”, and ADAC may allow outside work “in its absolute discretion” for specialist consultancy, advisory, installation or maintenance work. The regulations also allow ADAC to require a “refundable, irrevocable, unconditional” bank guarantee or cash deposit, which matches today’s AED 2,500 per visa deposit. The 2011 text still refers to the federal Labour Law of 1980 and Immigration Law of 1973; both have since been replaced (by Federal Decree-Law 33 of 2021 and Federal Decree-Law 29 of 2021 respectively), and the current laws apply.

ADAFZ visa steps

1. Establishment card (AED 1,000, three years) and online system activation.
2. Entry permit or in-country change of status.
3. Medical fitness test (see our UAE visa medical test guide) and Emirates ID biometrics (see our biometrics guide).
4. Health insurance, which Abu Dhabi requires for employees.
5. Residence issued for two years (employee visa AED 1,500 on ADAFZ’s table).

The Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone does not publish ADAFZ visa processing times. Our ICP vs GDRFA guide explains how Abu Dhabi’s process differs from Dubai’s, and our free zone visa service covers the paperwork.

Investors, families and Golden Visas

A shareholder who lives in the UAE uses one visa from the package or quota. Residence holders can then sponsor family members through ICP subject to the salary and housing rules; see our family visa service. Investors and specialists may qualify for a ten-year Golden Visa through ICP instead; see our Golden Visa service.

Banking after Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone company setup

The Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone’s Startup page lists “A business bank account” among its benefits but names no bank. Banks will ask for the licence, certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, lease or desk agreement, shareholder and director registers, UBO details, passports and visas, a business plan and proof of source of funds. Logistics companies with contracts, airlines or cargo agents as counterparties usually find this easier than consultants on a Smart Desk. See our corporate bank account guide.

Tax for Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone companies

Corporate tax. ADAFZ’s Startup page advertises “0% income tax on capital gains” and its old site promised “100% corporate and income tax exemptions”. Since June 2023, federal Decree-Law 47 of 2022 applies in every free zone. Each Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone company registers within three months of incorporation (FTA Decision 3/2024; AED 10,000 penalty if late) and pays 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000 unless it is a Qualifying Free Zone Person. That needs adequate substance, audited accounts, qualifying income and non-qualifying revenue below the lower of 5% or AED 5 million (Cabinet Decision 100 of 2023). Qualifying activities are listed in Ministerial Decision 229 of 2025, which replaced Ministerial Decision 265 of 2023; they include logistics services, manufacturing and distribution of goods in or from a designated zone, and aircraft financing and leasing, all relevant here. Consulting and marketing services to third parties are not qualifying. See our corporate tax registration guide.

VAT. The FTA’s designated zones list (Cabinet Decision 59 of 2017 as amended) includes “Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone” from 1 January 2018 and the “Al Ain International Airport Free Zone” and “Al Butain International Airport Free Zone” from 18 June 2018. (The FTA’s web page blocks automated reading; we used its published PDF list. Check the current list.) Designated zone status can take certain supplies of goods within or between designated zones outside the scope of VAT if the zone meets the FTA’s fencing and customs conditions. Services, goods used in the zone and goods released into the UAE are still taxable. ADAFZ’s brochure says “VAT exemptions on certain districts”, which suggests not every ADAFZ area qualifies; ask which district your unit is in.

Customs. The Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone advertises “0% import and re-export duties” for goods in the zone. Duty is due when goods leave for the UAE or GCC market.

Trading with the UAE mainland from ADAFZ

Clause 15 of the Business Licensing Regulations states: “Unless authorised in writing by ADAC, no Person shall operate (or purport to operate) any business in the UAE outside Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone solely on the basis of a Licence issued by ADAC.” ADAFZ’s own FAQ agrees that “operating directly in the local UAE market typically requires a mainland licence or a local distributor”. The routes are:

1. Sell goods to UAE importers or distributors, who clear customs.
2. Ask ADAC for written authorisation for specific work outside the zone.
3. Apply to ADDED for a licence. ADAFZ’s previous website listed “Dual License without local sponsor” as a benefit, and ADDED’s “Mainland and Free Zones” page lists “Dual licensing options”; neither publishes current fees or conditions.
4. Take a plot in a non-free zone area at the airport, which the brochure says exists, or set up a separate mainland company.

Dubai’s 2025 Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit under Executive Council Resolution 11/2025 was built for Dubai free zone companies; an ADAFZ company should ask Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism before operating in Dubai.

ADAFZ licence renewal and compliance

An ADAFZ licence is renewed yearly. The main duties are below.

See our UBO register guide for the beneficial owner filing.

Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone pros and cons

Who the Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone suits

• Suits: air freight forwarders, e-commerce fulfilment, cold-chain pharma and perishables, aerospace and MRO, aviation services, consultants who want a low-cost Abu Dhabi licence near the airport, and regional distributors shipping by air.
• Look elsewhere if: you ship bulk goods by sea or need heavy industrial land (KEZAD); you are a research or clean-tech start-up (Masdar City); you are in regulated finance (ADGM); you are in media (twofour54); or your customers are in Dubai (DAFZA).

Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone in practice: four cases

These cases are built from the situations we see most often. Names and identifying details are left out, and the figures are the published ones.

Case 1: a freelance aviation consultant

A consultant already resident in Abu Dhabi on a spouse’s visa wanted a licence to invoice airlines. The Starter package (AED 6,000, two service activities, Smart Desk, no visa) was enough, because no residence visa was needed. We flagged that consulting income is not qualifying income, so corporate tax would be 9% on profit above AED 375,000.

Case 2: an e-commerce seller needing one ADAFZ visa

A founder abroad needed a licence and a residence visa. We compared Startup Pro (AED 12,000 with one visa, stamping and Emirates ID) with Entrepreneur plus one visa (about AED 13,000 before medical, insurance and the online system fee). The founder planned to hire within a year, so Entrepreneur’s two-visa quota won.

Case 3: an air-freight forwarder

A forwarder moving perishables needed trading activities, a warehouse near the cargo terminal and six staff. Only the Enterprise package allows trading among the published packages, and six visas meant a warehouse lease on quotation rather than a desk. We asked ADAFZ which district the unit sat in, to confirm designated zone VAT treatment, and built customs registration into the plan.

Case 4: a foreign MRO company’s branch

A European maintenance, repair and overhaul company opened a branch of a foreign company to lease hangar space. Its board resolution, certificate of incorporation and articles were notarised, legalised and attested before submission, and the civil aviation approval ran alongside the licence application.

Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone myths: what circulates online that is not true

How to verify every Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone figure

Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone setup: how MIRDXB PRO helps

MIRDXB PRO is an independent PRO and business-setup consultancy in Al Barsha 1, Dubai, handling ADAFZ company setup for clients. We are not ADAFZ, Abu Dhabi Airports or ADQ, and ADAFZ does not list us as a partner.

What we do

• Match your activities to the right ADAFZ package, and tell you when a service-only package will block trading.
• Compare desks, offices and warehouses against your hiring plan and ask ADAFZ for quotas, rents and VAT district status in writing.
• Prepare and check the application, business plan, UBO register and corporate documents, and coordinate attestation.
• After the licence: establishment card, entry permits, medicals, Emirates ID, family and Golden Visas, and renewals, through our free zone company setup support.
• Prepare the company for corporate tax and VAT registration with your tax agent.

How it works

1. Send us your activities, shareholders and visa needs on WhatsApp.
2. We reply with a written plan: package or facility, visa count, the ADAFZ fees and our fee.
3. We prepare and check the file and follow it through ADAFZ.
4. After the licence we run the visas and hand you a compliance calendar.

What it costs

ADAFZ and government fees are passed on at cost, on the authority’s receipt. Our fee is quoted in writing before we start; see our fees page.

Why founders use us

• We work from ADAFZ’s published prices and regulations and cite every source.
• We tell you when KEZAD, Masdar City or a Dubai zone fits better.
• We handle the ICP immigration chain, attestation and tax registration after the licence.
• Our Al Barsha 1 office is open Monday to Thursday and Saturday 09:00 to 18:00 and Friday 09:00 to 12:00; owners abroad can instruct us under a power of attorney.

For the whole project, from zone choice to first visa, see our business setup service.

What we will and will not do

• We will show each published ADAFZ fee and its source; we will not hide the visa, deposit and system fees a package leaves out.
• We will prepare and submit your files; we do not guarantee approvals or faster processing by ADAFZ or ICP.
• We will explain the tax framework; your qualifying income test needs a registered tax agent.
• We will not claim to be an ADAFZ partner or agent.

Related guides

• Abu Dhabi free zones compared
• Free zones in the UAE
• KEZAD company setup
• Masdar City free zone company setup
• ADGM company setup
• twofour54 company setup
• DAFZA company setup
• Corporate tax registration in the UAE

Running visas, Emirates IDs and renewals after the licence is what our PRO services in Dubai team does for Dubai and Abu Dhabi companies.