Free Zones

Hamriyah Free Zone: Company Setup & Accounting Guide

2025-10-19 · 4 min read · By Aureus Worldwide

Hamriyah Free Zone, in the emirate of Sharjah, is one of the UAE's leading industrial free zones, built around a deep-water port and large plots of industrial land. It is a natural home for heavy industry, oil and gas services, manufacturing, logistics and trading at scale. This guide explains how a Hamriyah Free Zone company setup works, the licences and facilities it offers, the steps, and the accounting and tax obligations that follow.

Why choose Hamriyah Free Zone

Hamriyah's defining advantages are its deep-water port and abundant, competitively priced industrial land. It offers 100% foreign ownership, full profit repatriation and a single-authority process. For manufacturers, oil-and-gas service providers and bulk traders that need genuine industrial capacity and sea access, Hamriyah provides infrastructure that lighter, office-only zones cannot match.

Who it suits

Hamriyah Free Zone is a strong fit for:

• Heavy and light manufacturing operations
• Oil, gas and petrochemical service companies
• Maritime, logistics and distribution businesses
• Bulk and commodity traders
• Companies needing large industrial land or warehousing

Licence and activities

Hamriyah issues licences across industrial, commercial, service and trading categories, tied to defined activity lists.

Confirm the current activity list and any sector approvals with the free zone authority.

Facilities

Hamriyah is infrastructure-led, typically offering:

• Industrial land plots for development
• Pre-built warehouses and industrial units
• Deep-water port and quayside access
• Offices and labour accommodation options

Premises and land choices affect visa allocations, so plan them together with your workforce needs, and confirm current facilities and pricing with the authority.

Setup steps

1. Choose your activity and licence type.
2. Reserve a compliant company name.
3. Select your structure and shareholders (full foreign ownership permitted).
4. Choose premises or land, warehouse, unit or development plot.
5. Submit documents and receive approval and the trade licence.
6. Process establishment card and visas, including labour where relevant.
7. Open a corporate bank account, see our bank account guide.

Our company formation team can manage the full process.

Accounting, audit and tax considerations

A Hamriyah company has the same UAE-wide obligations as any other entity:

• Bookkeeping and cost accounting. Manufacturing and industrial businesses need robust cost, inventory and asset accounting, see our accounting service.
• Audit. Free zones commonly expect audited financial statements at renewal; our audit team arranges this through licensed partner firms.
• Corporate Tax. Register and file federally. A QFZP may access 0% on qualifying income with substance and within the de minimis limits; otherwise 9% applies above AED 375,000. See our tax service.
• VAT and customs. Register for VAT at the threshold and manage import VAT, customs duty and excise where relevant, see our excise tax guide.

Setup timeline and costs

A Hamriyah setup can range from days to several weeks: a service or trading licence is quick, while developing an industrial plot or commissioning a warehouse adds significant lead time. The total cost depends on the licence type, the land or premises, utilities, the number of visas (including labour) and your activities, and Hamriyah revises its terms periodically. Confirm current fees, land terms and packages directly with the free zone authority rather than relying on third-party figures, and plan around a realistic project timeline. Customs registration, environmental approvals for certain activities and bank-account opening can extend the overall process.

Staying compliant after setup

A Hamriyah licence is renewed annually, and obligations continue between renewals. Diarise the renewal date and prepare early so visas, labour quotas, customs codes and banking are not disrupted. Industrial and oil-and-gas businesses should keep cost, inventory, asset and customs records current throughout the year, alongside Corporate Tax registration, any VAT filings and excise where it applies. Reviewing land use, visa allocation and any sector approvals before each renewal keeps a large industrial operation running without compliance gaps.

Hamriyah at a glance

Hamriyah versus SAIF Zone

Hamriyah's strength is its port and heavy-industrial land, while SAIF Zone is built around air logistics next to Sharjah Airport. Choose based on whether sea or air access and the scale of industrial space matter most. For a broader framework, see choosing the right UAE free zone.

How Aureus Worldwide helps

Aureus Worldwide helps founders set up in Hamriyah Free Zone end to end, selecting the right licence, land or premises and visas through our company formation team. We then keep you compliant with accounting, Corporate Tax, VAT and customs, and arrange audit through licensed partners. We confirm changeable fees and facilities with the authority before you commit. To set up in Hamriyah Free Zone, contact us.

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