Methodology
Where our numbers come from — and what we refuse to invent
Every figure on this platform traces to one market snapshot and a short list of rules. This page documents both, including the exact formula behind the zone ratings and the factors we deliberately do not score.
Snapshot: September 2026 · rules current methodology
The data
The market snapshot
The September 2026 snapshot tracks 4,657 licence combinations — activity × jurisdiction — across free zone and mainland authorities. For each combination we record entry price, package type, visa quota where published, and setup timeline where the authority reports one. Aggregates (per-zone entry points, per-cluster ranges) are computed from the same records — no figure is typed in by hand on a page.
What the snapshot is not: a quote. Free zone authorities change promotions, package contents and fees without notice. Treat every price as a market reference point for comparison — exact numbers come from a quotation.
Price rule
Why every price ends in *
We publish prices only as «from AED X*» with a footnote, and the asterisk always resolves to the same sentence: market reference as of September 2026, exact quote on request. Where a figure is unknown — a visa quota the authority does not publish, a package price we cannot verify — the page says «On request» or «by package». We do not estimate gaps, and we do not invent quotas to make a table look complete.
Zone rating
The two-factor zone rating
Star ratings across the zone guides are computed, not awarded. Two factors we can measure consistently for every jurisdiction in the snapshot:
- Cost (weight 0.5) — inverse min–max normalisation of the entry licence price across all rated zones. Cheaper entry scores higher.
- Breadth (weight 0.5) — min–max normalisation of tracked licence combinations. More licensed activities scores higher.
rating = 1 + 4 × (0.5 × cost + 0.5 × breadth), rounded to 0.1
Deliberately excluded: banking relationships, service quality, logistics and reputation. We cannot verify those consistently across jurisdictions — so they belong in editorial reviews, not in a data score. A high rating means cheap entry and wide activity coverage in this snapshot — not «the best zone for you». The quiz exists because the right zone depends on your case, not on an average.
| # | Zone | Emirate | Entry | Combinations | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  IFZA | Dubai | from AED 2,000* | 550 | 4.8 / 5 |
| 2 |  ADDED | Abu Dhabi | from AED 5,880* | 423 | 3.8 / 5 |
| 3 |  Ajman Free Zone | Ajman | from AED 5,555* | 343 | 3.6 / 5 |
| 4 |  RAKEZ | Ras Al Khaimah | from AED 5,505* | 351 | 3.6 / 5 |
| 5 |  UAQ FTZ | Umm Al Quwain | from AED 5,370* | 345 | 3.6 / 5 |
| 6 |  DIFC | Dubai | from AED 690* | 95 | 3.3 / 5 |
| 7 |  Jafza | Dubai | from AED 5,171* | 256 | 3.3 / 5 |
| 8 |  Creative City | Fujairah | from AED 1,620* | 106 | 3.2 / 5 |
| 9 |  Expo City Dubai | Dubai | from AED 4,650* | 201 | 3.2 / 5 |
| 10 |  Dubai DET | Dubai | from AED 15,665* | 548 | 3.0 / 5 |
Top 10 of 27 rated zones · computed from the September 2026 snapshot at build time.
Limits
Known limitations
- The snapshot ages: prices move with promotions and fee changes — the September 2026 date is printed on every page that uses it.
- Ratings recompute as data changes; a zone can move without any editorial action — by design.
- Tax figures on the country comparison pages are informational, not advice; treaty statuses change and are labelled as such.
- We do not accept payment for ratings, placement or review content. Revenue comes from consultations, and the About page says so.
Questions or corrections: about the platform · cost calculator · zone guides.