Set up your company in Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone with PROXPAT support for structure selection, licensing, facilities, documentation, visas, renewals, and post-license services.
Page last updated: . Requirements, government fees and processing times are set by the relevant UAE authority and can change.
RAKEZ Company Formation with PROXPAT
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, known as RAKEZ, supports entrepreneurs, freelancers, SMEs, industrial companies, trading businesses, service providers, and larger manufacturers with flexible free zone company formation in the UAE options.
PROXPAT helps you plan and complete RAKEZ company formation with support for legal structure selection, business activity review, license type, document preparation, facility selection, visa planning, renewals, amendments, and ongoing PRO services.
Why Choose RAKEZ for UAE Company Formation?
RAKEZ is known for cost-effective business setup, industrial infrastructure, flexible facilities, and access to Ras Al Khaimah's strategic position with connectivity to Dubai, Sharjah, and the wider northern emirates.
Cost-effective UAE business setup options
Choice of free zone and non-free zone structures
Wide range of commercial, service, media, industrial, and e-commerce activities
Office, flexi desk, warehouse, and land facility options
Suitable for startups, SMEs, traders, and manufacturers
Visa, premises, and government service support available
RAKEZ Legal Structures
PROXPAT helps you compare the right RAKEZ structure based on shareholder profile, ownership, activity, facility needs, and market goals.
Free Zone Establishment
FZE structure for a sole owner, which may be an individual or corporate entity.
Free Zone LLC
FZ-LLC structure for multiple shareholders, including individuals, corporate entities, or a combination.
Branch Setup
Branch route for UAE-based or foreign companies where the proposed activity aligns with the parent company.
Non-Free Zone Options
RAKEZ also supports non-free zone formations for eligible business models and ownership structures.
RAKEZ License Types
RAKEZ offers a broad selection of license categories, and PROXPAT helps match your activity to the correct licensing route.
Commercial License
Industrial License
Service License
E-Commerce License
General Trading License
Media, Educational, Tourism, and Professional Activities
RAKEZ Facility Options
One reason businesses choose RAKEZ is the range of facilities available for different operating models.
Our RAKEZ Company Formation Services
RAKEZ company setup consultation
Free zone or non-free zone route guidance
Business activity and license selection
FZE, FZ-LLC, branch, or LLC structure support
Shareholder and corporate document checklist
Application preparation and submission coordination
Facility selection support
License issuance and company documents follow-up
Investor and employee visa assistance
Renewal, amendment, and post-license PRO support
RAKEZ Company Setup Process
RAKEZ presents the basic setup flow as customising your package, submitting the application and documents, then receiving the business licence. PROXPAT expands that into a practical step-by-step journey.
Documents Required for RAKEZ Company Formation
Requirements depend on the selected structure, shareholder type, business activity, and facility. Common requirements include:
Passport copies of shareholders and managers
UAE visa and Emirates ID, if applicable
Passport-size photographs
Business activity and license details
Proposed company name options
Facility or office package selection
Business plan for selected activities where required
Corporate documents for company shareholders or branch applications
Why Choose PROXPAT for RAKEZ Company Setup?
Clear free zone and non-free zone route comparison
Practical guidance on licenses, activities, and structures
Document preparation before submission
Facility, visa, and PRO coordination
Support for traders, service providers, and industrial operators
Ongoing renewals, amendments, and government documentation support
Why Companies Choose Ras Al Khaimah
RAKEZ sits outside Dubai, and that is the point. It exists to be materially cheaper than a Dubai free zone while offering something Dubai's service-oriented zones generally do not: real industrial and warehouse capacity.
What RAKEZ is genuinely good at
Manufacturing, assembly and processing, with industrial land and warehousing available at costs that are not realistic in Dubai. Trading operations that need storage rather than a prestigious address. SMEs and startups where the licence fee difference is a meaningful part of the budget. Businesses whose customers are overseas and never visit the office.
The trade-off, stated plainly
You get a Ras Al Khaimah address, not a Dubai one. For a manufacturer or an exporter that is irrelevant. For a consultancy pitching Dubai clients, or a business where the address appears on every proposal, it is a real consideration — and it is the factor most often glossed over when RAKEZ is sold on price alone.
Distance
Ras Al Khaimah is roughly an hour from Dubai. If your team lives in Dubai and the licence requires periodic presence at the zone, that is a recurring cost in time. Where the operation itself is in RAK, it is a non-issue.
Licence Types and What They Allow
Commercial
Trading, import, export and distribution — the most common RAKEZ licence, usually paired with warehousing.
Industrial
Manufacturing, processing and assembly. This is RAKEZ's genuine differentiator: industrial land, pre-built warehouses and facilities priced well below Dubai equivalents. Industrial licences carry additional approvals — municipality, civil defence, and environmental clearance depending on the process.
Professional and service
Consultancy and service activities, available with a flexi-desk for businesses that need a licence rather than premises.
Educational and media
Handled under their own frameworks with the relevant sector approvals.
Visas and facilities
Visa allocation is tied to the facility taken — flexi-desk, office or warehouse. A warehouse supports a considerably larger allocation than a desk, which is what makes RAKEZ workable for operations with real headcount.
Please note: licence categories, facility options, visa quotas and fees are set by RAKEZ and revised from time to time. We confirm current figures before an application is prepared, and government and zone fees are passed through at cost — see our PRO service pricing.
RAKEZ Licence Types in Full
RAKEZ publishes a wider range of free zone licence types than most zones. Choosing the right one depends on the activity and on how many owners and activities the business needs:
| Licence | What RAKEZ says it covers |
|---|---|
| Commercial | Trading in services and goods |
| General trading | Trading in multiple goods |
| E-commerce | Trading in goods and services via electronic means |
| Industrial | Manufacturing, importing, packaging and exporting products |
| Service | Conducting services or consultancies across any industry |
| Professional | For individuals who provide professional services |
| Individual / professional | One owner with one activity in a specific specialty or expertise |
| Educational | Opening an education-related institution or consultancy company |
| Media | Operating media-related business activities |
| Freelancer permit | For media, education, IT and analyst professionals |
Please note: RAKEZ also issues non-free zone licences, and publishes its business activity list and freelancer profession list for download. We check your activities against the current lists before recommending a licence.
Company Structures RAKEZ Offers
RAKEZ asks founders to decide the structure alongside the activity. Its published options are a sole establishment, a limited liability company and a holding company.
| Structure | Typically suits |
|---|---|
| Sole establishment | One owner running one business, often with the individual or professional licence |
| Limited liability company | One or more shareholders who want limited liability and room for investors |
| Holding company | Groups holding shares in other companies |
See UAE company types for how these compare with mainland and other free zone forms.
The RAKEZ Dual License: Free Zone and Mainland Reach
RAKEZ describes its Dual License as combining commercial and professional activities under one business licence, made up of a UAE free zone licence and a free zone company branch licence, so the business can operate on the mainland as well as in free zones.
| RAKEZ Dual License | Dubai Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it applies | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone companies | Dubai free zone companies holding a Dubai Unified Licence |
| What it is | A free zone licence plus a free zone company branch licence | A permit attached to the existing free zone company |
| Activities | Commercial and professional activities combined | Initial non-regulated sectors only |
| Cost basis | Per RAKEZ package | AED 5,000 per six months |
See the Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit for the Dubai route.
Freelancer Permit at RAKEZ
RAKEZ issues a freelancer permit for media, education, IT and analyst professionals, and publishes the eligible professions in English and Arabic. It suits individuals who want to work independently under a free zone rather than form a company. For the MOHRE self-employment permit route, see work permit types.
RAKEZ Compared With Other Industrial and Trading Zones
| Zone | Emirate | Published points | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAKEZ | Ras Al Khaimah | Industrial, commercial, general trading and e-commerce licences; Dual License; sole establishment, LLC or holding company | This page |
| Jebel Ali Free Zone | Dubai | Trading, service, industrial and logistics licences from AED 5,000; FZE and FZCO | JAFZA guide |
| Ajman Free Zone | Ajman | Industrial and National Industry licences; FZE capital listed at USD 50,000 | Ajman guide |
| Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone) | Sharjah | Established in 1995 at Sharjah International Airport; import, re-export and logistics businesses | Sharjah guide |
Frequently Asked Questions
Continue planning your UAE business setup.
Explore connected PROXPAT services that support the same client journey.
The licence is the start of the government work, not the end of it
Once the trade licence is issued, the sequence that actually lets you operate begins: the establishment card, the MOHRE and immigration files, your employee quota, then employee visas and work permits. After that it repeats every year — renewals, cancellations when people leave, and licence renewal and amendments.
Companies that would rather not build that function in-house put it on a monthly PRO retainer from AED 700, or use it per transaction. Government fees stay separate and itemised either way.
The first six months after incorporation
- Establishment card issued through immigration
- MOHRE file opened and e-signature completed
- Employee quota checked before hiring
- Offer letters, work permits and entry permits
- Medical, Emirates ID and visa stamping
- Corporate tax and VAT registration where they apply
More in Setup by Emirate
- Dubai Mainland
- Abu Dhabi
- Sharjah
- Ajman
- Ras Al Khaimah (RAKEZ)
- Umm Al Quwain (UAQ FTZ)
Start Your RAKEZ Company Formation with PROXPAT
From RAKEZ activity selection and documentation to facility planning, licensing, visas, renewals, and amendments, PROXPAT provides complete Ras Al Khaimah business setup support.