WhatsApp quoteIn practice, choosing between Ajman Media City and RAKEZ comes down to cost, location, activity fit and how many visas you need, and this page compares all four side by side. To be clear, both Ajman Media City and RAKEZ offer 100% foreign ownership and UAE residence visas; the differences lie in price, reputation, office options and activity lists. GoldenKey registers companies in both Ajman Media City and RAKEZ, so this comparison reflects real files rather than brochure claims.
Ajman Media City vs RAKEZ at a glance
| Feature | Ajman Media City | RAKEZ |
|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction type | Free Zone | Free Zone |
| Licence from | on request | AED 7,500 |
| Renewal fee | on request | AED 6,500 |
| Extra visa cost | on request | AED 2,500 |
| Foreign ownership | 100% | 100% |
| Trade with UAE mainland | Via distributor / dual licence | Via distributor / dual licence |
| Residence visas | Yes, per package | Yes, per package |
| Typical processing | 3 working days | 5 working days |
| Office options | Virtual Office, Flexi-desk or Studio Space | Flexi-desk, Office Suite or Warehouse |
| Best known for | specialised media licences, affordable for content creators and 100% foreign ownership | competitive pricing, industrial land available and academic zone |
Our verdict
Choose Ajman Media City if
you value specialised media licences and affordable for content creators and your activity sits in media production and digital marketing, where Ajman Media City has the stronger track record.
Choose RAKEZ if
you value competitive pricing and industrial land available and your activity sits in trading and industrial, where RAKEZ has the stronger track record.
About Ajman Media City
Ajman Media City is a free zone jurisdiction located at Ajman emirate — media & creative industry cluster. Its strengths are specialised media licences, affordable for content creators, 100% foreign ownership and multi-activity permitted, and the activities it is best known for include media production, digital marketing, broadcasting and publishing. A standard file is processed in around 3 working days.
About RAKEZ
RAKEZ is a free zone jurisdiction located at Ras Al Khaimah emirate — 45 minutes from Dubai via Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road. It is chosen for competitive pricing, industrial land available, academic zone and 100% foreign ownership, with popular activities including trading, industrial, consultancy and services. Processing typically takes 5 working days.
Why compare with GoldenKey
GoldenKey's consultants have handled choosing between Ajman Media City and RAKEZ for traders, consultants, tech founders and family offices, which gives us a realistic view of what each authority approves quickly. Most of our Ajman Media City and RAKEZ clients come to us through referrals from other founders, which is why we take pride in keeping every promise we put in writing. We speak the languages our clients speak, including English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu and Malayalam, and we can arrange Russian, French and Mandarin support for choosing between Ajman Media City and RAKEZ.
Tell us about your plans for choosing between Ajman Media City and RAKEZ and GoldenKey will come back to you shortly with a clear price, a document checklist and a realistic timeline.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Ajman Media City or RAKEZ?
Compare the live licence prices in the table above; the lower headline price is not always the lower total once office, visas and renewals are included. GoldenKey prepares a like-for-like total for your visa count.
Can I move from Ajman Media City to RAKEZ later?
Yes. You can open a second company or branch in RAKEZ and transfer the business, then close the Ajman Media City entity. We plan the sequence so visas and bank accounts are not interrupted.
Which is better for a bank account, Ajman Media City or RAKEZ?
Banks look at the business profile more than the jurisdiction, although Dubai-registered and mainland entities are reviewed slightly faster by some banks. GoldenKey prepares the file either way.
Do both Ajman Media City and RAKEZ allow 100% foreign ownership?
Ajman Media City does. RAKEZ does, with no local partner required.
