Dubai Humanitarian

• Physical locations / campuses: Dubai Humanitarian campus near Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) and Jebel Ali Port, Dubai. [1]
• Public contact email: info@dubaihumanitarian.ae. [2]
• Public contact phone: +971 4 577 6308. [3]
• Number of registered companies: 80. [1]

1. [1] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24
2. [2] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24
3. [3] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24

• Total number of approved activities: 58. [1]
• Activity categories offered: Humanitarian Aid and Relief; Humanitarian development Services; Environmental and Natural Resources; Agriculture, Soil, and Irrigation; Coordination and Liaison offices, Regional Head Quarters; Logistics, warehouse management and overseas international freight services; Service provision and consultancy is restricted to persons or organizations that are already licensed to undertake that activity by the Relevant Authority in Dubai or UAE; General Service providing food and other necessary items - Retail Activities in the Free Zone; Ancillary Free Zone Services; Services or Trading in new or used vehicles, spare parts, maintenance of equipment, vehicles and general machineries or related services. [1]
• Activities included in base licence: 1. [2]
• Fee per additional activity: AED 1,000. [3]
• Activities needing another authority's approval: Segment 7 (Legal Consultancy, Lawyers and Advocates services, Auditing of Accounts, Accounting and Bookkeeping, Organization of Conferences and Seminars, Event Management, Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives preparation) - restricted to persons already licensed by the Relevant Authority in Dubai or UAE; Pharmacy services; Banking services- Branch of Commercial banks; Fleet Vehicles Management; Management Consultancy (field surveys and questionnaires need Relevant Authority approval); Fundraising (Humanitarian Organizations only; prior approval of Authority and Relevant Authorities). [1]
• Restricted activities: Manufacturing of any item prohibited without prior written Authority approval; Retail trading only with written Authority approval case-by-case (except approved food/beverage vendors); Forbidden goods: flammable goods (except permitted fuels/humanitarian stocks), radioactive materials, arms/ammunition/explosives unless authorised, IP-infringing goods; No direct sale or marketing of products outside the Free Zone without Relevant Authority approval; Commercial Entities may not conduct fundraising; Humanitarian Organizations must not conduct or intend to conduct their activities in the UAE; E-Commerce activity excludes trading and brokerage in real estate, investments, forex. [4]

1. [1] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24
2. [2] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24
3. [3] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24
4. [4] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24

• Establishment / immigration card fee: AED 2,800. [1]
• Visa fees: Annex 2 (Dubai Humanitarian is sponsor): Employment visa incl. entry permit and residence stamping AED 3,000 normal (5+5 working days) or 4,500 express (2+2 working days); Medical test AED 450 standard / 510 (24h) / 610 (48h) / 810 (VIP) as listed; Emirates ID AED 240 (1 yr) / 340 (2 yrs) / 440 (3 yrs); visa transfer into Dubai Humanitarian AED 1,950 normal; residence renewal AED 1,250 normal / 1,875 express. All subject to AED 10 Knowledge + AED 10 Innovation fees. Employers also bear entry permit, air ticket and visa/employee card costs (Regulations Art. 44a) and commercial entities provide a bank guarantee or company cheque per the Sponsorship Agreement (Art. 44b; amount not published). [1]
• Extras included: One car parking space per organisation free of charge; Free use of common conference and training facilities; Utilities and service charges included in business centre workstation price. [1]

1. [1] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24

• Flexi-desk annual cost: AED 5,500. [1]
• Flexi-desk access terms: Commercial business centre package requires 10-hour weekly minimum usage (booklet lists the same for the NPO package). [2]
• Private office cost per sqm per year: AED 482. [1]
• Warehouse cost per sqm per year: AED 269. [1]
• Cold storage available: yes. [3]
• Minimum sqm per visa: 10 sqm. [2]
• Premises outside the zone allowed: no. [4]
• Meeting rooms, co-working, amenities: Dedicated hot desk; Smart printing; Shared pantry; Meeting rooms; Conference and training facilities; Common reception service. [2]

1. [1] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24
2. [2] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24
3. [3] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24
4. [4] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24

• Minimum shareholders: 1. [1]
• Maximum shareholders: 50. [1]
• Corporate shareholders allowed: yes. [2]
• Foreign corporate shareholders allowed: yes. [2]
• Share capital must be paid in: yes. [1]
• UAE-resident manager required: yes. [1]
• Courts and arbitration: Courts of Dubai (after 30-working-day amicable process with the Authority); arbitration under Dubai International Arbitration Centre rules only with an arbitration agreement at the Authority's discretion; UNCITRAL arbitration in Dubai where the counterparty is a UN organisation. Labour disputes referred via the Authority to the Ministry of Labour, then Dubai Courts. [1]
• Holding company / SPV regime: no. [3]

1. [1] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24
2. [2] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24
3. [3] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24

• Rules for selling/shipping to UAE consumers: Activity 9.10 E-Commerce allows an online platform facilitating third-party transactions for commission (excluding real estate, investments, forex brokerage). Licensees cannot sell or market products directly outside the Free Zone without Relevant Authority approval; displaying/selling outside the zone without approval is a fined violation. [1]
• GCC / re-export notes: Goods stored in the zone may be exported via Jebel Ali port, DWC or elsewhere under FZ transit-out declarations without cash/bank guarantee for duties if exported from the same customs office within 30 days; otherwise duties and penalties apply under the GCC Common Customs Law. [1]
• Customs duty in the zone: Law No. (1) of 2012 Art. 16: IHC establishments exempt from all taxes including customs duties in relation to their operations within the zone. All imports/exports pass through Dubai Customs E-Mirsal; Dubai Logistics City Gate 4 serves as the customs gate (zone is part of the JAFZA-DWC cluster). Goods leaving to the UAE market or not re-exported in time are subject to GCC customs duties. [2]
• Customs duty exemption details: Exemption from all taxes including customs duties for zone establishments in relation to their operations within the zone (Law 1/2012 Art. 16); re-export under FZ transit-out without duty guarantee subject to 30-day export rule (Regulations Art. 53). [2]

1. [1] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24
2. [2] dlp.dubai.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

• Which areas of zone are designated: International Humanitarian City - Jebel Ali. [1]
• The zone states that it is a Free Zone for UAE corporate-tax purposes: yes. [2]
• The zone states that its companies can qualify as a Qualifying Free Zone Person: yes. [2]

Corporate-tax statements above come from the zone or from general FTA guidance. The schedule of Free Zones under Cabinet Resolution 54/2023 was not available to this research, and the FTA advises taxpayers to confirm their Free Zone or Designated Zone status with the Free Zone authority. The 0% rate applies only to the Qualifying Income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person that meets all conditions; other income is taxed at the standard rate.

1. [1] tax.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
2. [2] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24

• Audit exemption threshold or conditions: No exemption threshold published; requirement applies to all Humanitarian Organizations and Commercial Entities. [1]
• Audit submission deadline: Within six (6) months from the end of the financial year (at least once per calendar year). [1]
• Substance requirements enforced by zone: Must keep a Registered Office (leased facility) in the zone; licence may be terminated if activities do not start within 90 days of issue or cease for more than 90 days; renewal requires proof of being actively operational; annual activity report due by the first working day of February; ESR notification/report filed with Dubai Humanitarian as regulatory authority (where applicable). [1]
• Annual return and renewal documents: Annual activity report by the first Working Day of February (Authority template); Audited financial report within 6 months of financial year end; Renewal (every 2 years, at least 60 days before expiry): request letter, original licence, certificate of good standing and certificate of incumbency (corporate shareholders/HQ), passport copies, business plan with budget, confirmation of lease renewal, insurance policies (property all risk, third-party liability, workmen compensation); ESR notification (and report if applicable). [2]

1. [1] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24
2. [2] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24

• Documents for an individual shareholder: Application Form; Passport copies of shareholder/s, appointed board of directors, secretary & manager along with their CV copies; Bank reference letter for the individual shareholder(s); Reference letters or copies of agreements signed with UN agencies or NPOs (if applicable); Business plan (Dubai Humanitarian template); UBO Declaration form; Stage 2: Shareholder resolution (Dubai Humanitarian template), signature specimen of authorised signatory, NOC from current sponsor if Manager holds UAE residence visa. [1]
• Attestation requirements for corporate shareholders: Corporate shareholder's resolution, good standing certificate and constitutional documents must be issued by the headquarters, notarised, attested by the UAE Embassy and legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dubai; certificate of incumbency, latest audited financials and corporate structure chart up to the ultimate individual owner also required. [1]
• Trade name rules: Name must not be identical or deceptively similar to an existing registrant, must not suggest patronage or government connection, must not contain 'Dubai', 'Emirates', 'UAE', 'municipal' or 'chartered' or other words the Authority deems sensitive, and must not infringe IP; legal type and free-zone status must appear on correspondence. [2]

1. [1] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24
2. [2] dubaihumanitarian.ae · opened 2026-10-24