The Dubai Free Zones Council announced the implementation of the “One Freezone Passport” initiative on 29 July 2025. The system permits companies licensed in any of the emirate’s 30‑plus free zones to conduct business activities across all participating zones under one consolidated commercial licence. The resolution was endorsed by His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chair of the Council.
The unified licence streamlines procedures by eliminating the need for multiple legal entities, additional share capital, and duplicate lease contracts when firms expand from one free zone to another. The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism confirmed that a single‑window digital platform has been deployed to handle application submissions, payment of applicable fees, and issuance of electronic licences within five working days.
All existing free‑zone authorities, including Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, and Dubai International Financial Centre, have agreed to standardised compliance and due‑diligence protocols. Companies opting into the programme must renew the passport annually through their home‑zone authority, which will coordinate data sharing with other zones and with federal registries via API.
The initiative aligns with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 target of doubling the emirate’s GDP by 2033 and aims to attract new regional headquarters and manufacturing investments. Authorities stated that over 500 companies expressed interest during the pilot phase earlier in 2025, with formal applications open from 1 August 2025 onward.