For a small marketing or production agency, SHAMS (Sharjah Media City) is the cheapest published route: AED 5,760 a year for a media licence with five activities and no visa, or about AED 18,440 in year one with an investor and an employee visa. Dubai Media City charges AED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 a year (AED 20,000 for advertising and communication) before desk and visas. twofour54 in Abu Dhabi lists AED 15,000 plus AED 3,500 but has waived both for new partners' first two years, with a mandatory office whose rent isn't published. Every route still needs NMA approvals for media activities.
Not legal advice. Rules change; check with the authority before you act.
Key facts
Fact
Value
Source
SHAMS Media package
AED 5,760/yr, up to 5 media activities, flexi desk, no visa
Our studio is licensed at SHAMS, so read our view on Sharjah with that in mind. The figures below come from the zones' published fees and calculators as summarised by setup sites; none of these zones publishes a full fee schedule in one place, so get a written quote before you pay.
A content agency with one founder on an investor visa and one employee.
Line
SHAMS
Dubai Media City
Licence + registration
5,760 (licence package)
3,500 + 15,000 + 20 = 18,520
Workspace
Flexi desk included
Open desk 12 × 1,000 = 12,000
Establishment card
Included in calculator visa items
2,000
Two visas
Calculator total for 1 investor + 1 employee: 18,440 overall
Not published as a package; budget separately
Year one before visas
5,760
32,520
Year one with two visas
18,440 (official calculator)
32,520 + visas
twofour54 would show AED 0 for licence and registration in years one and two under the waiver, but the mandatory office and visas are quoted per case, so we can't put a defensible total on it.
Camera operator in a purple-lit studio · Photo: Pexels
Which one fits
If your agency…
Lean towards
Why
Is 1–5 people, works for clients across the UAE, watches costs
SHAMS
Lowest published price, five activities, fast setup
Sells to multinationals that value a Dubai media address
Dubai Media City
Cluster and client perception; pay for it consciously
Does film, TV or gaming production, or Abu Dhabi government work
twofour54
Studios, CMA ecosystem, Abu Dhabi production rebate
Needs a shop front or to sell directly to Dubai consumers
Dubai mainland (DET)
Free zones restrict direct mainland trading; not compared here
The licence is not the last approval
Media activities need federal sign-off. Advertising, publishing, film and broadcasting activities often carry post-approval from the National Media Authority (MirDXB).
People need permits too. Staff or partners who post sponsored content need their own Advertiser Permit.
Activities must match reality. Doing a media activity that isn't on the licence costs AED 5,000, then AED 16,000, under Cabinet Resolution 42/2025. Our fines table has the rest.
Hands signing a document · Photo: Pexels
What nobody tells you
Year two is the real price. SHAMS doesn't publish renewal; its calculator charges the same yearly lines. DMC renewals broadly repeat the licence fee. Ask every zone for year-two numbers in writing.
"From" prices exclude the desk you'll need. DMC's licence fee doesn't include workspace; twofour54's waiver doesn't include its mandatory office.
Five activities fill up fast. Social media management, photography, video production, advertising and events is already five. Pick the wording carefully at setup; changes cost time.
Corporate tax registration applies to every company. A licensed company registers for corporate tax regardless of profit; see VAT and tax for marketing services.
Vladimir Chernyshev, GM: clients hire an agency for the work, not the postcode. Unless your sales depend on a Dubai Media City address, put the difference into equipment and people.
Questions people ask
What is the cheapest licence for a marketing agency in the UAE?
Among the media free zones, SHAMS publishes the lowest company price: AED 5,760 a year for the Media package with up to five activities and a flexi desk, before visas. Each visa allocation adds AED 1,600 a year plus immigration costs.
Can a free zone agency serve clients in Dubai mainland?
Yes for services delivered to businesses, which is how most agencies work, but check your free zone's rules on trading with mainland consumers and on physical activity outside the zone, such as shooting at client premises, which may need permits.
Does a media licence replace the NMA Advertiser Permit?
No. The company licence covers the business. Individuals who advertise on social media, including the agency's own staff posting for clients, need their own Advertiser Permit, and certain media activities need NMA approval.
What happens if my agency does something not on its licence?
Under Cabinet Resolution 42/2025 an extra media activity without a licence costs AED 5,000 the first time, with 30 days to fix it, and AED 16,000 the second time, followed by closure until fixed.
Is twofour54 really free for the first two years?
Its regulator lists a waiver of the licence and registration fees for new partners' first two years, per a summary of the CMA fee table, but an office in the creative zone is mandatory and its rent is quoted, not published. Ask for the full year-one quote.
