Comparison
Meydan vs SHAMS
Meydan Free Zone against Sharjah Media City. The specifications side by side, what each actually costs, how banks receive them, and a straight answer about which suits which business.
Side by side
| Criterion | Meydan | SHAMS |
|---|---|---|
| Emirate | Dubai | Sharjah |
| Type | Free zone | Free zone |
| Location | Nad Al Sheba | Al Messaned |
| Licence issuance | 4–7 days | 2–4 days |
| Residence visas | Typically up to 3 on standard packages | Up to around 6 depending on package |
| Ownership | 100% foreign | 100% foreign |
| Premises | Virtual office standard | Virtual and serviced desks |
| Commonly licensed | E-commerce, Consulting & professional services, Media, creative & marketing, Software & IT | Media, creative & marketing, Consulting & professional services, Freelance & solo, Software & IT |
Timelines and quotas are indicative and revised by the authorities without notice.
Straight answer
Which one?
Dubai versus Sharjah at a similar price point. Meydan gives you a Dubai licence, better e-commerce handling and easier banking. SHAMS gives you a lower annual renewal and a broader media activity list. If you sell online or need a payment gateway, Meydan — the gateway providers are more comfortable with it. Otherwise SHAMS saves you money every year.
What each actually costs
Meydan
Competitive and light. Virtual office is standard, which keeps the entry price down, and the packages are transparent.
SHAMS
Among the lowest genuine licence costs in the country, issued in days, with virtual and serviced desk options.
How banks receive them
Meydan
Workable. Meydan is recognised and e-commerce files in particular are processed without unusual friction, though payment gateway onboarding is a separate matter.
SHAMS
The main trade-off. Some banks are slower with SHAMS files — not refusals, but weeks of additional questions. That delay is the real cost of the saving.
Who is based in each
Meydan
E-commerce businesses, digital agencies, consultancies and holding companies — largely licensed here and physically elsewhere.
The lightest-touch route to a real Dubai licence. Documentation is minimal, a physical desk is not required, and e-commerce activities are handled without the interrogation some zones apply to them.
SHAMS
Media professionals, marketing consultants, IT freelancers, small agencies and a very large solo-practitioner population.
Among the cheapest genuine licences in the country, issued in days, with a media and services activity list broad enough to cover most creative and consulting work. For a solo practitioner it is very hard to beat on price.
Activities
Only Meydan: Trading & distribution
Questions
Meydan: Competitive and light. Virtual office is standard, which keeps the entry price down, and the packages are transparent. SHAMS: Among the lowest genuine licence costs in the country, issued in days, with virtual and serviced desk options.
Meydan — workable. Meydan is recognised and e-commerce files in particular are processed without unusual friction, though payment gateway onboarding is a separate matter. SHAMS — the main trade-off. Some banks are slower with SHAMS files — not refusals, but weeks of additional questions. That delay is the real cost of the saving.
Meydan hosts e-commerce businesses, digital agencies, consultancies and holding companies — largely licensed here and physically elsewhere. SHAMS hosts media professionals, marketing consultants, IT freelancers, small agencies and a very large solo-practitioner population.