Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) Free Zone closed 2025 with its strongest licensing figures to date, issuing 850 new licences — a 41% year-on-year increase — as the zone surpassed 2,500 active companies and cemented its standing as one of Dubai's most dynamic business destinations.
The Free Zone maintained a 96% licence renewal rate, with 1,822 renewals recorded during the year, signalling strong retention among its existing business community. Active employee visas grew 20% year-on-year to over 8,000, while the number of nationalities represented across Free Zone companies jumped from 107 to 148, a 38% increase that reflects the zone's widening international appeal.
Growth in 2025 was concentrated across three sectors: sports and entertainment, virtual assets, and AI-focused professional services. The sports and entertainment segment gained particular momentum following DWTC Free Zone's establishment of the International Sports and Entertainment Free Zone cluster (ISEZA) and the arrival of the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA). Other notable new entrants included Louis Vuitton, KPMG, Baker Tilly and Deutsche Messe.
The Free Zone also expanded its workspace portfolio with the addition of Sentinel Business Centre and BizElite, broadening its commercial offering across flagship addresses including One Central, Sheikh Rashid Tower and One Za'abeel.
On the regulatory front, DWTC Free Zone introduced a Multiple Share Class Framework to give businesses greater corporate structuring flexibility. Its broader offering spans over 1,200 licensed activities, with benefits including 100% foreign ownership, zero personal income tax and full capital repatriation.
Abdalla Al Banna, VP of Free Zone Regulatory Operations at DWTC, said the results reflect the growing breadth of businesses choosing the zone as their Dubai base, adding that the Free Zone remains focused on enabling companies to establish and scale within a globally connected environment.
The 2025 performance aligns with Dubai's Economic Agenda D33, which targets the emirate's continued rise as a leading global business hub.
News Source: Dubai Media Office
