United Arab Emirates: Dubai Free Zone Companies to be Eligible for Dubai Mainland Activities
April 11, 2025
Eligible companies registered in one of the Dubai free zones will be able to apply for authorization to perform certain still-to-be-determined activities in the Dubai mainland (the list is expected to be published in September 2025). Companies will need to first obtain authorization from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and approval from their respective free zone authority. Once this policy change is in effect, it will grant eligible employers the flexibility to deploy existing free zone workers toward operations in the Dubai mainland, which should save costs for companies in the free zones seeking to also work in Dubai mainland.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
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