SHAMS Company Setup
The UAE's lowest-cost credible licence, built for media and creative businesses.
- Ownership
- 100% foreign
- Setup time
- 3 to 5 working days
- Licence cost
- from AED 5,750
- Visas
- 0 to 6 on shared desk
Sharjah Media City, SHAMS, offers one of the cheapest business licences in the UAE while remaining a fully fledged free zone with 100% ownership. Its activity list leans media and creative, video, publishing, marketing, production, but includes hundreds of general business activities too.
The pitch is simple: if the goal is a legal UAE company with residence-visa eligibility at the lowest defensible cost, SHAMS is usually the answer. The compromises are a Sharjah registered address and less banking prestige than the Dubai zones, both of which we talk through honestly before you choose it.
Who SHAMS suits
- Content creators and influencers
- Media and production companies
- Bootstrapped startups
- Cost-driven holding or invoicing entities
Why choose SHAMS
- Among the lowest licence costs in the UAE
- No physical office requirement
- Media-focused activity list plus general trading options
- Quick, straightforward incorporation
- Visa-eligible packages at entry pricing
SHAMS frequently asked questions
How cheap is a SHAMS licence really?
Zero-visa licences start around AED 5,750 per year. Add an establishment card and one visa and the realistic first-year total lands near AED 9,000 to AED 12,000. We always quote the landed figure, not the headline.
Do I have to live or work in Sharjah?
No. SHAMS is a registered address, not a residency constraint. Most SHAMS licence holders live in Dubai; your residence visa is UAE-wide and where you rent a home is up to you.
Will banks accept a SHAMS company?
Yes, though onboarding can be slower than with premium Dubai zones because banks risk-rate by profile. A clean KYC file, real business activity and correct expectations about which banks to approach solve this, and that preparation is part of our setup service.
Is SHAMS only for media businesses?
No. Media is the anchor, but the activity list covers consulting, e-commerce, trading and hundreds of other categories. If your activity needs a different regulator or zone, we will flag it during scoping rather than force a fit.
JRE analysis
Advisory Journal- 2026-10-04UAE Free Zone 0% Tax Qualification: What the Rules Actually RequireFree zone companies risk losing their 0% corporate tax rate if they fail to meet the Qualifying Free Zone Person criteria.
- 2026-08-02SHAMS in 2026: What the Free Zone Positioning Debate Means for OperatorsA review of SHAMS's place in the UAE free zone landscape as entrepreneur confidence data and zone commentary surfaces in mid-2026.
Latest SHAMS news
Auto-updated- Hungary’s Origo Studios Partners with Sharjah Media City (Shams) - Film New EuropeFilm New Europe · 13 Oct 2026
- Shams extends registration for Arabic Content Award - Sharjah24Sharjah24 · 29 Sept 2026
- How Shams is building a global community for media, creativity and entrepreneurship - Arab NewsArab News · 24 Sept 2026
- Sultan Bin Ahmed praises Shams' impressive record - GulfTodayGulfToday · 17 Sept 2026