The Dubai Development Authority (DDA) licenses companies in Dubai Internet City. DDA's Decision No. 1 of 2021 on license categories sets license segments for Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Knowledge Park and other business parks, and states that licenses are issued by the Authority for each of them.
So DIC sits alongside other DDA communities rather than above or below them. The same decision also covers Dubai Outsource City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Science Park, Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Design District, with a general segment, such as consultancy and support services, that applies across all of them.
- Authority: DDA, established under Law No. 1 of 2000
- Community: DIC is a member of TECOM Group, and axs is TECOM Group's servicing arm
- Moving from another UAE free zone: a license transfer is possible, subject to DDA's approval
- Manufacturing: DIC points manufacturing plants to Dubai Industrial City
DDA groups DIC activities into six ICT license segments, and each segment limits how many activities you can hold within it. Choosing the right segment first saves you from a license that does not cover the work you plan to do.
You can register an FZ-LLC, a separate legal entity owned by individuals, companies or both, or a branch that forms a legally dependent part of its parent company. DDA also offers a freelancer license, the Sole Professional License, for professionals who work under their own name.
- Software, which DDA says applies in fields such as artificial intelligence
- Internet and multimedia
- Telecommunication and network
- IT services
- ICT freelancers
- Data centre, including cloud computing and hybrid and on-premises data centres
Your leased space sets your visa quota in DIC. DIC states that a company can sponsor one employee per 60 sq ft of leased space, that commercial space carries one visa for every 60 sq ft, and that the minimum lease term is one year.
Beyond commercial offices, DIC lists warehouses, light industrial units and retail and restaurant space. For startups, in5 Tech is located in Dubai Internet City, while the D/Quarters coworking space listed on DIC's site is located in Dubai Media City and Dubai Science Park.
- Commercial space: offices in modern buildings, one visa per 60 sq ft
- in5 Tech: a platform for tech entrepreneurs and startups, with workspace and programmes in DIC
- D/Quarters: shared desks, private desks and furnished offices in Dubai Media City and Dubai Science Park
- GoFreelance: open-seat access for freelancers in tech, media, education and design, with a one or two year employment visa available
A DIC license covers the free zone only: DIC's FAQ says it is valid only for operating within the free zone territory. To work on the Dubai mainland, you need a license or permit from Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) under Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025, with the approval of DDA as your licensing authority.
DIC's FAQ also describes a dual license for FZ-LLCs, applied for at DDA's customer service centres in Dubai Knowledge Park or Dubai Studio City. We confirm which route fits your contracts before you apply.
- Branch within the emirate, licensed by DET
- Branch operating out of the free zone, licensed by DET
- Temporary permit for specific activities, valid for up to six months
- Other regulators' approvals still apply where your activity needs them
All three host technology businesses, but they differ in who licenses you, the company forms on offer and how space converts into visas. Here is what each zone's own pages say.
- Dubai Internet City: DDA license, FZ-LLC or branch, ICT license segments, one visa per 60 sq ft of commercial space
- Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO): operates under DIEZ, FZCO or branch, service, trade or industrial license, up to two visas per flexi desk
- DMCC: Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Uptown Dubai, individual, subsidiary or branch setups, flexi-desks to private offices
- Tech communities: in5 Tech in DIC, Dtec in DSO, and DMCC's tech, gaming, crypto and AI ecosystems
- Visa planning: DIC links visas to leased area, while DSO publishes visas per desk
Headline offers rarely tell the whole story. We answer these for your activity before you decide.
- Is your exact activity on Dubai Internet City's official list, or only something close to it?
- Does the activity need approval from another regulator first?
- Which workspace options are available, and how many visas does each allow?
- What does renewal involve each year, and which costs recur?
- Will most of your customers be in the zone, abroad or on the mainland?
