Dubai
Dubai Silicon Oasis: real costs, licences and review
A self-contained tech park with housing, schools and offices — now part of DIEZ.
Our view
Dubai Silicon Oasis is a mixed-use technology park: companies, apartments, schools and retail on one campus. It sits in the middle of the market on price — above the northern emirates, below Internet City — and suits electronics, IT services and light technical manufacturing.
It now operates under Dubai Integrated Economic Zones alongside DAFZA and Dubai CommerCity. It is also the physical address of IFZA, which causes regular confusion: an IFZA licence is issued by IFZA, not by DSO, and the two have different fee schedules and different reputations.
Key facts
| Emirate | Dubai |
|---|---|
| Licence from | AED 18,500 |
| Typical cost (1 visa) | AED 34,000 |
| Issuance time | 5–15 working days |
| Visa quota | Unlimited (with office) |
| Flexi-desk | Yes |
| Remote setup | Yes |
| Licence types | Professional / service, Commercial, Industrial |
| Established | 2002 |
Official source: www.dsoa.ae
Honestly
What works
- Balanced cost against Dubai location
- Genuine technology infrastructure
- Integrated residential and schooling
- Remote incorporation available
What doesn't
- Frequently confused with IFZA
- Away from the central business districts
- Less prestige than Internet City
- Activity list skews technical
Who this suits
- IT services and electronics
- Light technical manufacturing
- R&D operations
- Companies wanting live/work on one campus
Let's talk about your actual case
A twenty-minute call. We will also tell you if the UAE is the wrong answer for you — it often is.