KIZAD Free Zone | Khalifa Industrial Zone in Abu Dhabi

Types of Licenses in KIZAD

Obtaining an appropriate license is necessary to start a business in KIZAD FTZ. Therefore, it is important to choose the right type of license according to your business activity. There are three types of licenses available for businesses in KIZAD.

Trading License

This type of License is necessary for businesses involved in the import, export, warehousing, storage, and distribution of products. You can get a General Trading License if there are more than 17 products or over 3 groups in the business.

Service License

This license allows all types of service activities including marketing services, consulting services, travel agencies, catering services, restaurants, management services, etc.

Industrial License

An industrial license is necessary for businesses involved in the import of raw material and its manufacturing, assembling, packaging, and export as a finished product. This license assists in the accomplishment of these and other industrial activities.

Types of Companies in KIZAD

There are two main types of business establishments permitted in Dubai.

Limited Liability Company

LLC (Limited Liability Company) is the main business entity in KIZAD. You can setup LLC in KIZAD with a minimum paid-up capital of AED 150,000. LLC can be owned by an individual person, a corporate, or both individual and corporate entities. There are a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 5 shareholders in KIZAD Free Zone LLC.

Branch of a Company

Any company located outside KIZAD can register its branch in KIZAD FTZ. Both UAE-based and foreign companies can establish branches in KIZAD. There is no initial capital requirement in the case of branch setup in KIZAD FTZ.

Registration and Licensing Process

Before starting a business in KIZAD free zone, you have to complete the registration and licensing process. It is a comprehensive procedure that includes several steps.

Following are the main steps that you need to take for business set up in KIZAD FTZ.

1. The first step is to choose the most appropriate business activity according to your business requirements and law. Department of Economic Development (DED) of Abu Dhabi has adopted the “International Standard Industrial Classification” as issued by the UN. Your business activity must be able to get approval under this international standard.
2. The next step is to choose the legal form of your company. The legal form of a company depends on its business nature and legal structure.
3. The third step is to get the registration of your company name. It is a necessary step before the initial approval of your business. Your trade name should be unique and describe your business type.
4. After completing these steps, you can apply for initial approval. This approval will be granted by relevant authorities according to your business type and structure.
5. The registration process doesn’t complete with initial approval. The next step is to acquire all the required approvals from relevant authorities. These authorities may differ according to your business type. There are different terms and conditions for each business and fulfilling these conditions is necessary for final approval.
6. The last step for the process of business setup in KIZAD FTZ is obtaining a business license. There are three types of business licenses and you can choose a license according to the nature of your business.

Required Documents

An important part of company formation in KIZAD is the submission of all the required documents. Following are important documents that are needed during the registration of company process.

KIZAD Dual License

An important feature of KIZAD FTZ is the Availability of a dual license. Through this process, company owners in KIZAD can get additional licenses from DED Abu Dhabi for the Mainland area. This license eliminates the necessity of a Local Sponsor or Local Service Agent (LSA) for business in the mainland area. It is not necessary for a company with a dual license to purchase or hire a physical office in mainland Abu Dhabi.