Ranking · 2026
Media licenses ranked across 23 providers — from AED 1,620* in Fujairah to specialized media cities in Dubai and Sharjah. Specialization vs price is the axis of this ranking.
Methodology
Ranking
Creative City Free Zone Fujairah Hub soon Cheapest media license in the snapshot — for freelancers and small production teams working internationally.
Ajman Media City Free Zone Ajman Hub soon Purpose-built media zone at a flat fee, with fast digital onboarding.
Ajman Free Zone Ajman Hub soon 8 media combinations inside a wider general catalog — for hybrid media-plus-trading setups.
RAKEZ Ras Al Khaimah Hub soon Budget media license backed by a large industrial zone — useful for production with equipment.
Innovation City Ajman Hub soon 12 media combinations with a tech orientation — fits content-tech and platform businesses.
How to choose
Specialized media cities (Dubai Media City from AED 15,712*, Dubai Studio City AED 20,590*) charge a premium for industry clustering, studios and talent — pay it when agencies and broadcasters are your clients.
Freelance media permits exist (58 packages in the snapshot) but lock you into a single-person setup; a media license with a flexi-desk is the flexible middle ground.
Publishing needs a separate code — Sharjah Publishing City (from AED 6,345*) specializes in exactly that.
Frequently asked questions
Creative City Free Zone from AED 1,620* in the snapshot; purpose-built media cities start from AED 4,999 – 6,192*.
Dubai Media City and Dubai Studio City dominate the agency segment for the cluster effect — at 2–3x the budget-zone price.
Yes — AFZ and RAKEZ allow mixed catalogs under one license; check that both codes sit in the same activity group.