SHAMS Free Zone Company Setup
Sharjah Media City - purpose-built for media, creative, and marketing businesses, at Sharjah's lower cost base relative to Dubai.
SHAMS (Sharjah Media City) is built specifically around media, creative, and marketing businesses - a narrower focus than general trading free zones, but one that comes with lower setup and renewal costs thanks to Sharjah's overall cost base relative to Dubai. For agencies, content businesses, and consultants in the creative sector, it's a purpose-fit option rather than a general-purpose licence stretched to cover the activity.
Who SHAMS suits best
- Media production, publishing, and content businesses
- Advertising, marketing, and PR agencies
- Creative and design consultancies
- Event management businesses
Licensed activities
- Media production and publishing
- Advertising and marketing consulting
- Design and creative services
- Event management
Cost profile
SHAMS sits at the low-to-mid end of UAE free zone pricing, benefiting from Sharjah's lower overall cost base compared to Dubai-based zones. It's a common comparison point for media and marketing businesses weighing SHAMS against a Dubai-based general trading zone. See our full cost breakdown for ranges.
What sets SHAMS apart
Sector focus. Unlike general trading free zones that license media activities as one category among dozens, SHAMS is built around creative and media businesses specifically - which shows up in the activity list, the facility options, and the surrounding professional community.
Setup process
Activity & licence match
We confirm your activity fits SHAMS's permitted activity list and licence category - weighted toward media, broadcasting, publishing and digital content, though a meaningful range of general trading and consulting activities are also permitted.
Trade name reservation
Reserved directly with Sharjah Media City.
Application & documentation
Application form, passport copies, and Memorandum of Association submitted. Media and creative licences (production, broadcasting, publishing, digital content) are SHAMS's core focus, and some activity categories require a brief description of your content or media output at this stage.
Licence issuance
The SHAMS trade licence is issued by Sharjah Media City Authority once documents and fees are finalised - the process is built to move quickly for standard media and flexi-desk packages, which is part of the zone's appeal for solo creators and small studios.
Office/facility & visa allocation
SHAMS is built around media and creative businesses, and offers genuine zero-visa, flexi-desk packages for solo creators and small studios, with office upgrades available as headcount grows.
SHAMS questions, answered.
SHAMS is built primarily around media, creative, marketing, and consulting activities - if your business falls outside that scope, a general trading zone like IFZA or RAKEZ is usually a better fit.
Generally, yes - Sharjah's overall cost base tends to be lower than Dubai's, which carries through to SHAMS licensing and facility costs.
Yes, free zone companies can provide services to mainland clients - direct mainland trading of goods is the activity that typically needs a distributor or mainland structure, not service delivery.
Not necessarily - SHAMS offers genuine zero-visa, flexi-desk packages well suited to solo creators and small studios, with office upgrades available once headcount or visa needs grow.
While SHAMS is built primarily around media, content and creative licensing, it also permits a range of general trading and consulting activities - it's worth confirming your specific activity fits before assuming media is a strict requirement.
Start your SHAMS company setup.
Tell us your activity and we'll confirm the right licence category, cost, and timeline for SHAMS.