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Ras Al KhaimahIndustrialLogistics✓ Checked 2026-10-24

RAK Maritime City Free Zone (RMC)

RMC publishes a licence fee from AED 25,000 but no full package price (checked 2026-10-24).

RAK Maritime City Free Zone (RMC) is a industrial and logistics free zone in Ras Al Khaimah, licensed by RAK Maritime City Free Zone Authority (RMC FZA), established in 2009.

Official sources onlyOfficial site ↗

Key facts

Solo, no visa · year 1
Not published
No package prices published. One founder, no residence visa, no office beyond a desk or virtual address, one activity.
Founder + 1 visa · year 1
Not published
No package prices published. One founder with one residence visa, flexi-desk or virtual office.
Team, 3 visas · year 1
Not published
No package prices published. Three residence visas, flexi-desk or small office.
Lowest package, any size
—
Licence fee from
AED 25,000
Largest visa quota
Not published
No package states a quota
Minimum office
Not published
Incorporation
—
Min. share capital
Not published
General trading
Not published
VAT Designated Zone
Yes
FTA list
Annual audit
Yes

Verified on 2026-10-24 from moet.gov.ae, tax.gov.ae, rakports.ae.

Figures as published by the zone. “Not published” means no official source states it. Scenario prices are the published package closest to each set-up: solo, no visa = one founder, no residence visa, no office beyond a desk or virtual address, one activity; founder + 1 visa = one founder with one residence visa, flexi-desk or virtual office; team, 3 visas = three residence visas, flexi-desk or small office.

Identity and legal basis

Licensing / regulating authority
RAK Maritime City Free Zone Authority (RMC FZA) ↗
Parent group / government body
RAK Ports (Government of Ras Al Khaimah) ↗
Zone type
Industrial, Logistics ↗
Year established
2009 ↗
Official website
rakports.ae/ports/saqr-port-and-free-zone ↗
Listed on the Ministry of Economy and Tourism register of free-zone company registrars
Yes ↗
  • Physical locations / campuses: RAK Maritime City: free zone area of Saqr Port, Ras Al Khaimah; Free zone area at Ras Al Khaimah (Khor) Port, reported to fall under RAK Maritime City Free Zone Authority jurisdiction. [1]
  • Public contact email: info.rmc@rakports.ae. [2]
  • Public contact phone: +971 7 202 5100. [2]
  1. [1] rakports.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] moet.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from moet.gov.ae, rakports.ae.

Business activities

Licence types offered
Industrial, Other ↗
  • Activity categories offered: Industrial: Manufacturing, processing, assembling, packaging; Commercial: Construction contracting, Maritime Services, Rental Business, Maintenance, Repair; Trading: Import, export, distribution, warehousing and trading of goods. [1]
  • Restricted activities: Sponsorship; Bank; Insurance; Assurance; Chamber; Municipal. [2]
  1. [1] moet.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] rakports.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from rakports.ae, moet.gov.ae.

Cost - year one

Lowest licence fee (zero-visa)
AED 25,000 ↗

Verified on 2026-10-24 from moet.gov.ae.

Visas and residency

  • Investor / partner visa available: yes. [1]
  1. [1] rakports.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from rakports.ae.

Office and facilities

Office / facility types
Land plot, Warehouse ↗
Warehouse available
Yes ↗
  • Private office cost per sqm per year: AED 650. [1]
  • Warehouse sizes: Ras Al Khaimah (Khor) Port: Warehouse Type 1 1512 sqm; Warehouse Type 2 1944 sqm; Transit Shed 1748 sqm; Retail Outlet 2199 sqm. Other RAK Ports warehouses/transit sheds: sizes not stated (POA). [1]
  • Cold storage available: yes. [2]
  • Land plots for build-to-suit: yes. [3]
  • Meeting rooms, co-working, amenities: Common user meeting rooms at Saqr Port (pre-booked, AED 75 per hour). [1]
  1. [1] rakports.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] rakports.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  3. [3] rakports.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from rakports.ae.

Tax status

VAT Designated Zone (per the FTA list)
Yes ↗
  • Which areas of zone are designated: Listed as 'RAK Maritime City Free Zone' (effective 01/01/2018); the list gives no boundary detail. 'RAK Port Free Zone' is listed separately (also from 01/01/2018). [1]
  1. [1] tax.gov.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from tax.gov.ae.

Compliance and reporting

Annual audited financial statements required by the zone
Yes ↗
Beneficial-owner register filing required
Yes ↗
  • Annual return and renewal documents: Request letter from the company signed and stamped by the Manager; Medical insurance for all employees; Property All Risk insurance; Third-party liability insurance; Workmen's compensation insurance; 'Preventive Fire Safety Requirements' certificate from RAK Civil Defence; Environmental Protection & Development Authority certificate; Protection certificate for cameras from RAK Police; Audited financial report; UBO declaration; Source of Wealth declaration; RAK Chamber membership certificate (optional); Manager passport and visa copy if records expired; Good standing certificate of corporate shareholder/parent (if applicable). [1]
  1. [1] rakports.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from rakports.ae.

Setup process and speed

  • Documents for an individual shareholder: Application form signed by the Authorized Signatory; Business plan; Passport, visa and Emirates ID (if any) of proposed Manager and Directors; No Objection Certificate for Manager (if applicable); Individual shareholder: passport, visa and Emirates ID (if any) and proof of residence; UBO Declaration; Sanction Policy Declaration; Source of Wealth Declaration; Power of Attorney (if applicable). [1]
  • Attestation requirements for corporate shareholders: UAE-registered corporate shareholder: shareholders resolution attested by a UAE notary public. Foreign corporate shareholder: licence/registration certificate, resolution, MoA and incumbency certificate legalised up to the UAE Embassy. Originals required for the resolution and incumbency certificate. [1]
  • Trade name rules: Name must end with RMC FZE / RMC FZC / RMC BFC / RMC Branch; give three options; Arabic or English only (no mixing); reserved up to 2 months; no restricted words (religious, political, government, country/city names, 'United Arab Emirates', 'Ras Al Khaimah', company types not offered such as Inc., Corp., Holding, Ltd.), no symbols, no names of other persons without consent, no names similar to existing companies or brands. [2]
  1. [1] rakports.ae · opened 2026-10-24
  2. [2] rakports.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from rakports.ae.

Operations, ecosystem and flexibility

  • Adding shareholders: Share transfer requires amendment application, resolutions, incoming shareholder documents, UBO, sanctions and source-of-wealth declarations, a share transfer agreement and supplemental MoA deed (signed before RMC staff or notarised/legalised), plus RAK Immigration pre-approval for a new individual shareholder. RMC fees apply (amounts not published). [1]
  • Multiple licences under one group: yes. [1]
  1. [1] rakports.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from rakports.ae.

Freelancer and solo founder

Freelancer permit available
No ↗

Verified on 2026-10-24 from rakports.ae.

Industry-specific regulation

  • Hazardous goods and environmental approvals: New companies process an EPDA (RAK Environment Protection and Development Authority) NOC and a Civil Defence certificate after licensing; renewal needs RAK Civil Defence 'Preventive Fire Safety Requirements' certificate, EPDA certificate, RAK Police camera protection certificate and property, liability and workmen's compensation insurance. [1]
  1. [1] rakports.ae · opened 2026-10-24

Verified on 2026-10-24 from rakports.ae.

Activity fit (our view)

Needs a regulator's approval

  • None

Our assessment from the zone's published licence types. Always confirm your exact activity on the zone's official activity list. Licence types the zone publishes: Industrial, Other.

Verified on 2026-10-24 from rakports.ae.

Notes and history

  1. Legal basis · 2009-12-09

    RAK Maritime City Free Zone Authority was established by Emiri Decree No. 21 of 2009 on 9 December 2009 to provide an industrial and maritime complex for port-related industries, according to its company-registrar profile published by the Ministry of Economy. The same profile names its rules as the RAK Maritime City Free Zone Companies Implementing Regulations 2017 and the RAK Maritime City Free Zone Rules 2017. [source]

  2. History · 2026-05

    The zone's May 2026 Guidelines for New Company Registration list two licence types, Industrial and Commercial. Its earlier registrar profile at the Ministry of Economy, with company figures up to 2015, also listed a Trading licence. [source 1][source 2]

  3. Good to know

    The zone is the free zone area of Saqr Port, which RAK Ports says is also known as RAK Maritime City, and it has no separate website: its forms and guidelines are published on rakports.ae. RAK Ports' 2026 tariff lists RAK Maritime City FZA as one of five entities in the RAK Ports network, alongside Saqr Port, Ras Al Khaimah Port, Al Jazeera Port and Al Jeer Port. [source 1][source 2]

  4. Good to know

    The Ministry of Economy and Tourism's list of free-zone company registrars shows the zone as Ras AlKhaimah Maritime, listed separately from RAKEZ and Innovation City. [source]

Verified on 2026-10-24 from moet.gov.ae, rakports.ae.

Questions worth asking

How much does a RMC licence cost?

RMC publishes a licence fee from AED 25,000. Visa, office and registration costs are extra.

Is RMC a VAT Designated Zone?

RMC appears on the Federal Tax Authority's list of VAT Designated Zones. Often only some areas of a zone are designated; see the tax section and confirm with the zone.

About this data

Every fact comes from RMC's own channels or a UAE government source, linked next to it. Last checked 2026-10-24. Information collected from free-zone authorities and UAE government sources on the dates shown. Fees and rules change; the zone's current schedule prevails. Not legal, tax or financial advice.

Rules for every zone

Explained in the guides on corporate tax, VAT Designated Zones and mainland access.

How we check

Prices are re-checked every 90 days and other facts on a schedule. How we verify →