Dubai Commer city: the first regional e-commerce free zone

July 17, 2024

Did you know there are plans to build a free zone dedicated to e-commerce in the UAE region? Called Dubai CommerCity, the free zone is a joint venture between Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (Dafza) and Wasl Asset Management Group and will capitalize on the Gulf’s growing e-commerce sector to boost Dubai’s leading position in global trade for the entire region.

Statistics show the e-commerce market has significant growth opportunities that will be worth $48.6 billion in 2022, up from an estimated $26.9 billion in 2018.

Commenting upon the project’s launch in October 2017, HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the chairman of DAFZA, said Dubai CommerCe city will promote UAE’s position as a leading platform for international e-commerce and is intended to help attract more direct foreign investments, especially start-ups who might want to establish a presence and expand in this field, in line with Dubai Plan 2021.

Al Maktoum is confident that the Dafza/Wasl joint venture project of Dubai CommerCity will “add a new dimension to Dubai’s commercial activity and will help attract more direct foreign investments to the emirate”.

HE Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni, the director-general of DAFZA, added that Dubai Commer city will enhance the role of e-commerce as a key driver of Dubai’s sustainable economy based on Innovation and Smart transformation for sustainable economic growth.

Dubai Commer city, an $871m (AED3.2bn) project in the making will be located in Umm Ramool area, close to the Dubai International Airport that provides direct access for e-commerce stakeholders in the Mena and South Asia regions; the project will be implemented in two phases and will include the use of environment-friendly building materials and recycled resources.

With office spaces and logistics units that will cover 207,000 square meters and also include infrastructure and parking spaces. The area will meet many companies’ needs in terms of logistics, IT solutions and customer service opportunities.

This project consists of three clusters that will be developed within the free zone.

• The Business Cluster will comprise 13 office buildings with a TLA of 108,000m2 and total built-up area (BUA) of 136,000m2.
• The Logistics Cluster will have 84 logistic units and offer 68,000m2 in TLA and 71,000m2 as total BUA.
• The Social Cluster (the heart of Dubai CommerCity) will include art galleries, restaurants, and additional facilities to support international e-commerce firms that seek to establish regional headquarters in Dubai.

Foreign investors will benefit from a number of excellent perks including no taxes, no restrictions on currencies and capital movements, 100% company ownership without local partners, state-of-the-art infrastructure in a high-end modern business community zone.

As the first regional e-commerce free zone, Dubai CommerCity is transforming the digital landscape in the Middle East. With world-class infrastructure, tax incentives, and strategic location, it’s the perfect launchpad for your online business. At Setup Dubai Business, we’re here to help you navigate the entire setup process—from licensing to logistics.