Dubai Science Park Company Setup Consultants

Setting up in Dubai Science Park: the short answer

Dubai Science Park is a free zone built for science, healthcare, life sciences and research businesses. It sits under TECOM Group, and it lets you own 100% of your company as a foreign investor. So if you run a lab, a diagnostics outfit, a medical device business, a pharma distribution arm or a research firm, it’s one of the few Dubai zones designed around what you actually do.

But the licence is the easy part. The approvals that come with it are where people lose months. That’s where good Dubai Science Park company setup consultants earn their fee.

At ASC Global, we’ve spent 30+ years helping businesses get set up in the UAE, and we’ve worked with 5,000+ clients. Here’s how a Science Park setup really works.

Why work with Dubai Science Park company setup consultants?

You can apply directly. Plenty of people do. Honestly, though, the form isn’t the problem.

The problem is choosing the right activity on the licence. Pick one that’s too broad and you may trigger approvals you didn’t need. Pick one that’s too narrow and you’ll find out later you can’t do half of what you planned. We see this trip up a lot of clients, especially those in healthcare and lab services, where one wording change can alter the regulatory path.

A few other things consultants handle that most first-time founders don’t think about:

• Matching your activity to the right licence type before you apply
• Working out whether a regulator, such as the Dubai Health Authority, needs to sign off on your activity
• Choosing office, lab or flexi space that fits your operation and your visa needs
• Sequencing bank account opening, visas and tax registration so nothing stalls

Is it worth paying someone? If your time is worth more than the weeks you’d spend chasing paperwork, probably yes.

One thing to keep straight: the 0% corporate tax rate isn’t automatic. A company has to meet the conditions for Qualifying Free Zone Person status, and income outside those conditions is taxed at the standard rate. We’d rather you hear that now than from your accountant next year.

What activities can you run from Dubai Science Park?

The zone is built for businesses in these areas:

• Medical and diagnostic equipment
• Pharmaceutical and biotech activities
• Laboratory and testing services
• Research and development
• Healthcare consulting and related support services
• Scientific and technical services

Your exact activity list is confirmed at the application stage, and the zone authority makes the final call. Some activities need extra approval from a health or other authority. That’s not a red flag. It’s just the part of the timeline most people underestimate.

Cost and fee overview

Nobody can give you an honest fixed number without knowing your activity, your space and your visa count. Anyone who does is guessing.

Your costs generally fall into these buckets:

• Licence registration and annual renewal
• Office, lab or flexi space lease
• Establishment card and visa fees
• Any activity-specific regulatory approvals
• Professional and consulting fees

Lab space costs more than a desk. That’s obvious, but it’s also the line item that moves your budget most. We’ll give you a written quote based on your plan, and we’ll check the figures against the zone’s current published fee schedule before you commit.

Setup steps

1. Define your activity. Be specific about what you’ll do, sell and store.
2. Pick your licence and space. Office, lab or flexi, depending on your operation.
3. Submit your application with your documents and shareholder details.
4. Get regulatory approvals if your activity needs them.
5. Receive your licence and sign your lease.
6. Apply for visas and your establishment card.
7. Open your bank account and register for tax.

The order matters. Banks, for example, often want to see your licence and lease before they’ll start, so don’t leave this one to the end.

Documents required

Requirements shift by activity and nationality, but you’ll typically need:

• Passport copies for every shareholder and director
• Passport-size photos
• Proof of address
• A business plan or activity description
• Company documents and attested translations, if a corporate entity is the shareholder
• Professional qualifications or licences, for regulated activities

We’ll send you the exact list for your case on day one. It saves back-and-forth.

Who should (and shouldn’t) choose Dubai Science Park

It’s a good fit if you work in healthcare, life sciences, research or medical technology, and you want an ecosystem of similar businesses around you. It also suits you if you need lab-ready space.

It may not be right if you’re a general trading company, a consumer-facing retailer, or a business that needs to sell directly into the local Dubai market without a distributor or a mainland structure. And if your plan is mostly consulting from a laptop, you may be paying for infrastructure you’ll never use.

Not sure which side you’re on? That’s a normal question, and it’s best answered before you pay for anything.

How ASC Global helps

We handle the full process, from choosing the activity to your first day of operations. That means licence application, regulatory approvals, space selection, visas, bank account support and tax registration guidance.

Our approach is practical. We tell you what’s required, what’s optional and what isn’t worth the money. We won’t promise you shortcuts, because there aren’t any. What we can do is keep you out of the mistakes that cost time.