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Free zone guide

Hamriyah Free Zone business setup in Sharjah

Hamriyah Free Zone is an industrial free zone in the Emirate of Sharjah, run by the Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA), with access to a 14-metre deep water port. We check your activity against HFZA's official list, prepare and submit your application, and flag any approval it needs before you commit.

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Overview

How Hamriyah Free Zone company setup works

Hamriyah Free Zone is run by the Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) and was established in 1995 by Emiri Decree in the Emirate of Sharjah. HFZA describes 30 million sqm of prime industrial land, access to a 14-metre deep water port and a 7-metre deep inner harbour, and direct road access to the other six emirates.

The zone is organised into six sectors: Oil & Gas, Food Park, Industrial Manufacturing Park, Maritime Industry, Global Logistics Park and the Accelerator Hub for small businesses. HFZA states that each sector offers office space, warehouses and industrial plots.

For your Hamriyah Free Zone business setup, you choose a commercial, service or industrial license and register as a Free Zone Establishment (FZE), a Free Zone Company (FZC), or a branch or subsidiary. HFZA states that a local co-owner is not a prerequisite, and that facilities can only be leased, not purchased.

Your facility package sets your visa allocation, and your office must be inside the zone: HFZA's FAQ says it does not offer a license with an office outside the free zone. We check your activity against HFZA's list, plan premises and visas together, and prepare and submit your file; HFZA makes the decision.

Setup planner

Is your activity on Hamriyah Free Zone's official list?

Search your activity to see whether Hamriyah Free Zone lists it and which approvals it names, then get a setup plan in 4 short steps. A consultant sends your quotation.

Get my setup planOr browse the activity finder
Who it's for

Who Hamriyah Free Zone suits

  • 01

    Manufacturers and industrial firms

    Steel, building materials, plastics, furniture and engineering businesses that need industrial land or a prefabricated warehouse.

  • 02

    Oil, gas and maritime businesses

    Storage, petrochemicals trading, shipbuilding, ship repair and offshore fabrication companies that need port access.

  • 03

    Traders and small businesses

    Trading, e-commerce and consultancy firms that want an office package in Sharjah with a visa allocation.

Our part

What we do, and what we don't

Clear boundaries, so you know exactly what you're paying for and who decides each step.

Included

  • A check that Hamriyah Free Zone lists your exact activity, and which approvals it names
  • A comparison with one or two other zones, if another fits you better
  • Application forms prepared, typed and submitted to Hamriyah Free Zone
  • Document checks, plus translation and attestation guidance for corporate shareholders
  • Follow-up with the zone until it makes a decision
  • Post-license guidance on your establishment card, visas and corporate tax registration

Not included

  • We don't issue Hamriyah Free Zone licenses; the zone's authority decides.
  • We don't decide bank account applications; banks apply their own policies.
  • Work outside the free zone needs separate approvals; we explain the options, the authorities decide.
  • We don't give legal or tax advice on complex group structures; a licensed adviser can.
Documents

Documents you'll need

  • Passport copies for all shareholders and the manager
  • Emirates ID and residence visa copies, if you live in the UAE
  • Your chosen activities and a shortlist of trade name options
  • A short business plan or activity description, if the zone asks for one
  • For corporate shareholders: certificate of incorporation, constitutional documents, a board resolution and a good standing letter, attested for UAE use

Hamriyah Free Zone sets its own document list; we confirm it for your activity before you apply.

Fees and timing

Two fees, shown separately

  • Government fees, paid at cost

    Set by Hamriyah Free Zone and paid at cost. Your consultant sends a written quotation with every fee before you pay.

  • Global Sky PRO service fee

    Quoted in writing before we start, so you know the full cost up front.

  • Timing

    Depends on your activity, any approvals and how quickly documents and attestations are ready. We give you a realistic plan once your activity is confirmed.

Process

How it works, step by step

Each step shows who does what, so you always know where things stand.

  • You
  • Global Sky PRO
  • Authority

  1. Step 1: Tell us your activity and plans

    You

    Share what you will do, where your customers are, how many visas you need and what workspace suits you.

  2. Step 2: Check Hamriyah Free Zone's official list

    Global Sky PRO

    We confirm your exact activity is on Hamriyah Free Zone's list, note any approval it needs and compare other zones if they fit better.

  3. Step 3: Approve your quotation

    You

    Your consultant sends a written quotation with every zone fee and our service fee. Send the documents on your checklist.

  4. Step 4: Prepare and submit

    Global Sky PRO

    We type the application, check every document for consistency and submit the file to Hamriyah Free Zone.

  5. Step 5: Zone review and decision

    Authority

    Hamriyah Free Zone reviews the application, may ask for more information and decides whether to issue the license.

  6. Step 6: License and next steps

    Global Sky PRO

    Once the license is issued, we guide you through the establishment card, residence visas and corporate tax registration.

Good to know

Details that save time

Hamriyah Free Zone license types and company structures

HFZA issues three license types: commercial, service and industrial. On the commercial side, a Hamriyah Free Zone license comes in three forms: trading in the items named on the license, general trading in an unlimited number of products, and e-commerce for trading goods and services over an electronic network.

The service license covers the services or consultancy listed on it. The industrial license covers importing raw materials to manufacture, process or assemble products, then packaging and exporting them, and HFZA states that licenses for activities not specifically listed can be issued on a subject-to-approval basis.

  • FZE: a limited liability establishment owned by one natural or juridical person
  • FZC: a limited liability company owned by more than one shareholder
  • Branch of a foreign or a local company, or a subsidiary
  • A local co-owner is not a prerequisite, per HFZA
  • Branches and subsidiaries need the parent's license, incorporation documents and a board resolution naming the director, manager and signatory

Offices, warehouses, industrial land and visas

HFZA ties visas to the facility package you choose. Its setup page lists a Start Up Business package with 1 visa, and office packages from 10 sqm to 40 sqm with allocations from 2 to 12 visas, depending on office size, shareholders and activities.

For storage and production, HFZA leases prefabricated warehouses and industrial land, and land tenants can use dedicated labour accommodation with recreational facilities. For a lighter footprint, HFZA's FAQ points to Hamriyah Business Centre (HBC) and E-Office packages.

  • Office units from 10 sqm, executive offices of 15 to 20 sqm and leased office buildings from 25 sqm, renewable annually
  • Prefabricated warehouses of 200, 400 and 600 sqm, 7 or 9 metres high, with power loads from 20kW to 150kW
  • Industrial plots from 2,500 sqm on a 25-year renewable lease, with land rates fixed for at least the first 5 years
  • Plots can be developed up to 60%, and sea-facing plots are available
  • Facilities are leased only; HFZA does not sell them

Port access and HFZA's six sectors

Hamriyah Free Zone is built for port-linked industry. HFZA states that the zone has access to a 14-metre deep water port and a 7-metre deep inner harbour, with an integrated marine area, and that maritime plots with access to the sea start from 5,000 sqm.

Each of HFZA's six sectors lists the sub-sectors it targets. HFZA also describes Hamriyah as the second-largest petrochemical hub in the UAE.

  • Oil & Gas: upstream, midstream and downstream projects, including storage, petrochemicals trading and engineering services
  • Maritime Industry: rig and shipbuilding, ship repair and conversion, and offshore fabrication
  • Industrial Manufacturing Park: steel, timber, building materials, plastics, glass, furniture and engineering
  • Food Park: food manufacturing, processing, packaging, logistics and trading
  • Global Logistics Park: storage, distribution, freight forwarding and e-commerce fulfilment
  • Accelerator Hub: SMEs, tech start-ups, consultancy, e-commerce and general trading

Customs and trading with the UAE mainland

HFZA states that there is no customs duty on import, export and re-export, and it lists on-site customs facilities. Selling into the UAE mainland is different: the UAE government portal says goods become subject to UAE customs duty when they move into the mainland market.

HFZA's own pages do not set out a route for trading on the Sharjah mainland, and its FAQ says it does not offer a license with an office outside the free zone. The UAE government portal says a free zone company sells locally through a licensed mainland distributor or a mainland branch or company, so we plan that route with you before you apply.

  • No customs duty on import, export and re-export, per HFZA
  • On-site customs facilities inside the zone
  • Goods moved into the mainland market pay UAE customs duty, per u.ae
  • Local sales through a licensed mainland distributor, or a mainland branch or company, per u.ae

Hamriyah Free Zone vs SAIF Zone vs SPC Free Zone and Shams

Sharjah's free zones differ most in what sits next to them. Hamriyah Free Zone is built around a deep water port and industrial land, SAIF Zone beside Sharjah International Airport, SPC Free Zone around a broad activity list, and Shams around media and creative businesses. Here is how each zone's own website describes it.

  • Hamriyah Free Zone: access to a 14-metre deep water port; six sectors from oil and gas to food; plots from 2,500 sqm and maritime plots from 5,000 sqm
  • SAIF Zone: adjacent to Sharjah International Airport and cargo centre; trade, service and industrial licenses; warehouses from 125 sqm and plots from 2,500 sqm
  • SPC Free Zone (Sharjah Publishing City): described as the world's first publishing free zone, with 2,000+ activities and up to five activity groups per license
  • Shams (Sharjah Media City): in Al Messaned, established in 2017 by Emiri Decree, and dedicated to media and creativity
  • Shortlist by logistics first: sea freight and heavy industry point to Hamriyah, air cargo to SAIF Zone, office-based services and media to SPC or Shams

Questions to answer before you choose Hamriyah Free Zone

Headline offers rarely tell the whole story. We answer these for your activity before you decide.

  • Is your exact activity on Hamriyah Free Zone'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?
Compare zones

Other free zones to compare

If this zone doesn't fit your activity, visas or budget, one of these may. Each guide is checked against the zone's own website.

Swipe to see all 8 zones

Logos and names are trademarks of their owners, shown only to identify each free zone. Facts are from each zone's own website, checked on 4 November 2026.

FAQs

Hamriyah Free Zone: your questions

Short answers here. Your situation may differ, so ask us before you decide.

Still have a question?

An adviser replies during opening hours, Mon–Sat 10:00–21:00.

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Where is Hamriyah Free Zone located?

Hamriyah Free Zone is in the Emirate of Sharjah and is run by the Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA), established in 1995 by Emiri Decree. HFZA states that the zone has direct road access to the other six emirates and neighbouring GCC countries, links by air through Sharjah International Airport, and access to a 14-metre deep water port and a 7-metre deep inner harbour.

Source: Hamriyah Free Zone: discover HFZA

What licenses does Hamriyah Free Zone issue?

HFZA issues three license types: commercial, service and industrial. The commercial license covers trading in the items named on it, general trading in an unlimited number of products, or e-commerce. The service license covers listed services or consultancy, and the industrial license covers manufacturing, processing or assembling products from imported raw materials, then packaging and exporting them.

Source: Hamriyah Free Zone: FAQ

Can a Hamriyah Free Zone company sponsor visas?

Yes. HFZA links your visa allocation to your facility package. Its setup page lists 1 visa with the Start Up Business package, and office packages from 10 sqm to 40 sqm with allocations from 2 to 12 visas, depending on office size, shareholders and activities. After licensing, the immigration step covers your e-channel account, visa application, medical, Emirates ID and visa stamping.

Source: Hamriyah Free Zone: set up a business

Can I lease land or a warehouse in Hamriyah Free Zone?

Yes, and leasing is the only option, as HFZA states that facilities can only be leased. Prefabricated warehouses come in 200, 400 and 600 sqm sizes. Industrial plots start from 2,500 sqm on a 25-year renewable lease and can be developed up to 60%. Maritime plots with access to the sea start from 5,000 sqm.

Source: Hamriyah Free Zone: infrastructure and facilities

Can a Hamriyah Free Zone company sell on the UAE mainland?

Generally not directly. HFZA's pages do not set out a mainland trading route, and its FAQ says it does not offer a license with an office outside the free zone. The UAE government portal says a free zone company sells locally through a licensed mainland distributor or a mainland branch or company, and that goods moving into the mainland market pay UAE customs duty.

Source: UAE government portal: running a business in a free zone

How much does Hamriyah Free Zone company setup cost?

It depends on your activities, the license term, your workspace and how many visas you need. Rather than a headline price that may not fit your plans, your consultant sends a written quotation with every HFZA fee and our service fee shown separately, so you can compare before you pay anything.

Source: Hamriyah Free Zone: set up a business

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Licenses are issued by the relevant authority (DET for Dubai mainland, or the chosen free zone authority). Global Sky PRO prepares and submits your application. Last reviewed 31 October 2026 by the Global Sky PRO team.

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