FREE ZONE GUIDE

Dubai Science Park (DSP)

The UAE’s Purpose-Built Free Zone for Life Sciences, Pharma and Research

In short: Dubai Science Park, launched in 2005 as Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park, has grown into a genuine life sciences hub under TECOM Group, hosting Pfizer, Medtronic and Olympus among its 3,600+ professional community. Licences start from around AED 15,000, with an overall cost structure typically 30 to 40% lower than premium free zones like DMCC, and LEED-certified lab space available by the hour rather than requiring AED 500,000+ in owned equipment.

INCHUB LICENSED CORPORATE SERVICE PROVIDER
IncHub corporate service provider trade licence

IncHub Corporate Services Providers LLC is a duly licensed business operating in the United Arab Emirates, authorised to provide corporate and business setup consultancy services in accordance with its trade licence. The trade licence serves as official proof of the company’s legal registration and authorised business activities, demonstrating that IncHub operates as a licensed corporate service provider in the UAE.

Licence No.1017774
Issue Date28/12/2021
Valid Through27/12/2026
Zone Overview

What Is Dubai Science Park?

Setting up a business in Dubai Science Park begins with understanding the zone’s sector focus. Dubai Science Park (DSP) was launched in 2005 as the Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park (DuBiotech), purpose-built around the vision of the Ruler of Dubai to create what he described as an incubator for researchers and scientists, a centre for production, creativity and development. It was rebranded as Dubai Science Park to reflect a broader scope merging the energy, environment, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors under one community, and today operates under TECOM Group across roughly 300 hectares in Al Barsha South, with strong connectivity to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road.

For founders considering Dubai Science Park company formation, the park offers a genuine life sciences and science-sector hub rather than a generic licensing zone. It hosts global names including Pfizer, Medtronic, Olympus, Mettler Toledo and First Solar, and serves a community of more than 3,600 professionals. Its infrastructure includes LEED-certified laboratory complexes for medicine, perfumery and F&B production, light industrial units, warehouses and co-working office space, a combination purpose-built for companies that need more than a postal address.

Ideal Profiles

Who Is Dubai Science Park For?

Life sciences and pharmaceutical companies needing regulatory recognition and lab infrastructure

Healthcare service providers establishing a Gulf market entity

Biotechnology, environmental and energy sector companies

Technology and science-adjacent startups wanting lower costs than premium commercial free zones like DMCC

Manufacturers needing light industrial units or production-grade laboratory space

For businesses considering setting up a business in Dubai Science Park, it is important to assess whether the zone’s sector-specific infrastructure matches their operations. It is a less natural fit for businesses with no genuine science, health or research component, where Dubai Internet City or Dubai Media City align more closely with tech or content activity respectively.
Sector Profile

What Dubai Science Park Is Famous For: Sector Profile and Core Commercial Case

Dubai Science Park is famous in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry as the UAE’s dedicated life sciences cluster, hosting Pfizer, Medtronic, Olympus, Fresenius and 300+ companies in pharmaceutical, medical device, healthcare technology and biotech sectors. It is the address that global pharma companies choose for their UAE and GCC regional offices, precisely because being co-located with Pfizer and Medtronic signals industry-grade operations to regulators, distributors and hospital procurement teams.

The core commercial problem it solves:

DSP solves two distinct problems for life sciences businesses. The first is the early-stage laboratory access problem: a biotech startup needs real lab space to conduct research and product testing, but a five-year lab lease costs more than the company’s entire seed funding. DSP’s LEED-certified laboratory facilities, rentable by the hour or on monthly terms, let a startup run genuine lab work without the capital commitment of a dedicated facility. The second is the regulatory credibility clustering problem: MOHAP product registration, DHCC collaboration and hospital procurement relationships are all materially easier for a life sciences company headquartered at Dubai Science Park than for the same company in a generic free zone, because the sector cluster signals genuine life sciences operations rather than a trading company that has added “pharmaceutical” to its licence activities.

Pfizer MENA regional office and distribution
Medtronic MENA medical device operations
Olympus Medical MENA
Fresenius Medical Care GCC operations
Novo Nordisk Middle East
Contract Research Organisations (CROs)
Biotech startups and pre-clinical research businesses
Clinical diagnostic and laboratory services companies
Health IT and digital health platform companies
Veterinary pharmaceutical businesses
Medical aesthetics and skincare product manufacturers
Who is actually registered here: Pharmaceutical regional headquarters and distribution operations (Pfizer, Fresenius, Novo Nordisk and peers), medical device companies (Medtronic, Olympus and peers), healthcare IT and digital health platforms, biotech startups and CRO (contract research organisation) businesses, medical diagnostics and laboratory services companies, health and wellness product companies, veterinary pharmaceutical businesses, and the clinical research and regulatory affairs consultancies that serve the life sciences community.
Designated Zone for VAT purposes: No: Dubai Science Park is not classified as a Designated Zone under UAE VAT law (Cabinet Decision No. 59); all supplies of goods and services within Dubai Science Park are subject to standard UAE VAT rules. The zone’s tax advantages come through corporate tax treatment as a Qualifying Free Zone Person (potential 0% rate on qualifying income) and through 100% foreign ownership rights, not through VAT exemption on goods transactions. Businesses trading goods in Dubai Science Park must charge and account for VAT on all qualifying domestic supplies in the same way as mainland UAE businesses.
Structures & Requirements
Licensing

License Types Available at Dubai Science Park

Commercial / Trade Licence: for importing, exporting and distributing goods
Service Licence: for consultancy, testing, analysis or other knowledge-based activities
Industrial Licence: for light manufacturing, packaging or production, requiring approved leased facilities
All invoiced services or traded goods must align with the licensed scope; applying for the wrong licence type or carrying out unlisted activities is one of the more common compliance issues investors run into at DSP.
Structures

Company Structures at Dubai Science Park

Free Zone Limited Liability Company (FZ-LLC / FZE): a legal entity with its own shareholders or members
Branch: an extension of an existing foreign or UAE company
Setup Costs

Setup Costs

ItemTypical Cost (AED)
Entry-level licenceFrom approx. 15,000
Lab space (hourly rental option)Approx. 200 to 800 per hour, vs AED 500,000+ for owned equipment
Formation Guide

How to Set Up a Company in Dubai Science Park: Dubai Science Park Company Formation

1
Activity & Licence
1 Business Day
Identify your business activity and select your licence type (Commercial, Service, or Industrial)
2
Legal Structure
1 Business Day
Choose your legal structure, FZ-LLC or Branch
3
Trade Name
1 – 2 Business Days
Propose your trade name for approval against naming rules
4
Choose Premises
1 – 3 Business Days
Choose your premises and sign a lease contract with your licence application.
5
Submit Application
1 – 2 Business Days
Submit your application to DSP with properly attested and notarised foreign documents.
6
Receive Licence
8 – 9 Business Days
Receive your digital licence, typically within 8 to 9 working days
7
Residency Visas
7 – 10 Business Days
Apply for investor and employee visas under your facility’s allocated quota
8
Bank Account
3 – 6 Weeks
Open a corporate bank account, mandatory for all UAE businesses
Commercial Advantages

Key Benefits of Setting Up in Dubai Science Park

Life sciences cluster hosting Pfizer, Medtronic and Olympus:

DSP’s tenant community is dominated by global pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare technology companies, creating a peer and supply chain network that generalist free zones cannot replicate for life sciences businesses

LEED-certified laboratory facilities rentable by the hour:

DSP offers laboratory space that can be leased by the hour or on short-term arrangements rather than locked into annual contracts, significantly reducing capital commitment for research-intensive businesses in their early stages

30-40% lower commercial space cost than DMCC for comparable specification:

DSP’s Barsha Heights location offers meaningful rent savings compared to DMCC’s JLT premium for comparable office and laboratory space without sacrificing life sciences sector cluster access

Estidama Pearl-rated sustainable building infrastructure:

DSP’s built environment meets Abu Dhabi’s Estidama Pearl sustainability standard, giving life sciences companies with ESG reporting requirements a physical base that supports their sustainability disclosures

Proximity to Dubai Healthcare City for clinical sector crossover:

DSP’s geographic proximity to DHCC enables life sciences businesses to build clinical research partnerships and healthcare delivery connections without establishing separate entities in both zones

Suitability Check

When Dubai Science Park May Not Be the Right Fit

If your healthcare activity involves direct patient care, clinical treatment or hospital operations, Dubai Healthcare City with its DHCR clinical licensing framework is the correct jurisdiction; DSP does not issue clinical facility licences
If your clean energy or sustainability technology business needs Abu Dhabi government backing and IRENA proximity, Masdar City’s sustainability credentials and Abu Dhabi framework are more aligned with clean-tech sector support than DSP
If your pharmaceutical activity is distribution and trading rather than R&D or manufacturing, DMCC’s pharmaceutical trading licence or JAFZA’s logistics infrastructure may serve you better than DSP’s research-focused model
If you have no genuine life sciences, pharmaceutical, biotech or health technology component, DSP’s sector-specific infrastructure adds cost without the cluster value it was designed around
IncHub compares DSP against DHCC, Masdar and DMCC for health and pharmaceutical businesses before recommending it; DSP is strongest when laboratory access, life sciences cluster networking and sustainable infrastructure are all genuine operational priorities.
Free Zone Comparison

DSP vs Dubai Healthcare City vs Masdar City

Dubai Science Park, Dubai Healthcare City and Masdar City serve different health, research and sustainability models. IncHub compares each one so you choose the authority that matches what your business actually needs, not just the most recognisable name.

Factor DSP Dubai Healthcare City Masdar City
Core Focus Life sciences, pharma, biotech & research Clinical care, hospitals & medical tourism Clean tech, sustainability & renewables
Location Al Barsha South, Dubai (TECOM / DDA) Central Dubai (DHCR-regulated) Abu Dhabi sustainability campus
Cluster / Community Pfizer, Medtronic, Olympus; 3,600+ professionals 10 hospitals; 480+ licensed facilities Clean-tech campus; IRENA proximity
Entry-Level Cost From approx. AED 15,000; typically 30–40% below DMCC Facility licence approx. AED 5,000–40,000 From approx. AED 12,000
Setup Time Approx. 8–9 working days Entity plus DHCR clinical licensing Remote-ready; sustainability review
Specialised Infrastructure LEED labs rentable by the hour Clinical facilities; DHCR credentialing Purpose-built sustainable campus
Clinical / Patient Care No clinical facility licences Independent DHCR clinical licensing Not a clinical healthcare free zone
Ideal Company Types Pharma R&D, medical devices, biotech & health tech Hospitals, clinics & patient-facing practices Clean energy, climate tech & sustainability firms

IncHub holds direct relationships across the UAE’s free zones, helping you choose the one that best fits your sector and regulatory needs, not just the one with the strongest brand.

Ongoing Requirements

Compliance and Ongoing Obligations

Standard UAE federal compliance obligations that apply to all free zone companies (corporate tax, VAT, UBO, accounting, licence renewal, visa renewal and FTA amendments) are documented in full in IncHub’s UAE Free Zone Compliance Guide. The Dubai Science Park-specific obligations that differ between zones are listed below.

Annual Audit:

audited financial statements are required at Dubai Science Park within 90 days of financial year-end as a condition of ongoing TECOM compliance and licence renewal; this 90-day deadline is stricter than most UAE free zones and should be built into the financial calendar from year one

LEED Certification and Laboratory Safety Compliance:

DSP tenants in LEED-certified buildings are expected to maintain practices consistent with LEED occupancy standards; companies operating laboratory facilities must additionally maintain current laboratory safety certifications, Civil Defence approvals and, where applicable, pharmaceutical or biotech product registrations with MOHAP or equivalent regulatory body

Economic Substance Regulations (ESR):

companies carrying out a relevant activity, including holding, distribution and service centre, intellectual property, headquarters, shipping, fund management, banking, insurance, lease-finance, and high-risk IP activities, must file annual ESR notifications and, where applicable, full ESR reports with the FTA; first-violation penalties are AED 50,000 rising to AED 400,000 on repetition

Client Testimonials

What Our Clients Say

Watch how IncHub helped life sciences, pharmaceutical and research businesses establish in Dubai Science Park and across UAE free zones.

Video Stories
Client Story
Google Reviews 1 / 20
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L S R Holiday Homes L.L.C
3 weeks ago

Visa renewal can often feel complicated due to the multiple steps involved. However, my experience with IncHub was very smooth. They planned the process in advance, guided me at every stage, and ensured everything was completed on time. What I liked most was that I didn’t have to follow up everything was managed efficiently by their team.

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DigitalX Tech – FZCO
1 month ago

Setting up my free zone company was not straightforward, especially when it came to choosing the right jurisdiction for my business model. Making the wrong decision could have resulted in unnecessary time and cost. IncHub provided clear and practical guidance, helping me select the most suitable free zone based on my activities.

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Cosmium IT – FZCO
2 months ago

Setting up a company in Dubai can get confusing, especially with so many free zones. I wasn’t sure what would suit my business, but IncHub made it simple. They guided me clearly, handled everything, and kept me updated throughout. The whole process felt very smooth. Definitely recommend speaking to them before you get started.

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BLUEDCM FZE
1 month ago

Setting up my free zone company through IncHub was seamless from start to finish. Their team handled everything — trade licence, immigration card, and office registration — within the promised timeline. No surprises on costs. If you’re serious about establishing in the UAE, IncHub is who you call first.

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ABI Quality Goods Wholesalers Co. L.L.C
2 weeks ago

Most consultants only react when you approach them, but Inchub is different. They track your renewal timelines and remind you in advance. The execution was smooth, and everything was done exactly when it should be. If you want it done right the first time, Inchub is the way to go.

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Optimity L.L.C
1 month ago

I had a very positive experience with Inchub for my license renewal. What stood out the most was their follow-up system — I was reminded well before the expiry date, which gave enough time to plan everything properly. The team handled the entire process efficiently, and the renewal was completed without delays.

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Univex L.L.C-FZ
3 months ago

Inchub handled the entire business setup process smoothly — everything was clearly explained, and the execution was efficient from start to finish. They have also assisted and guided us when there were AML compliance notifications from the authority. Overall, a reliable partner for end-to-end corporate services.

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Ecom Vacation Homes Rental L.L.C
1 month ago

We had a bit of a challenge when it came to opening the labor file and processing new visas. There were a few complications along the way. That’s where Inchub really stepped in. Their team handled the entire process clearly and kept us updated throughout without us having to follow up constantly. Very reliable team.

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CMAR Management FZE
3 months ago

Our experience with Inchub has genuinely exceeded expectations. From the very beginning, the team has been extremely professional, approachable, and proactive. They’ve supported us across multiple areas — including corporate services, corporate tax filing, and visa renewals — all managed in a structured manner.

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Toyo Mea L.L.C-FZ
2 months ago

We worked with Inchub on a share amendment, which was quite complex. Their team guided us through each step, managed the process efficiently, and ensured everything was handled correctly despite the challenges. They also handle our accounting and VAT filing smoothly. A reliable and professional team.

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Nicube International FZCO
4 months ago

We’ve been working with Inchub across multiple areas. They initially helped us with setting up both our offshore and free zone company, guiding us clearly. Since then, they’ve assisted us with annual renewals on time, and they manage our accounting and VAT filings efficiently. A highly dependable partner.

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Well Mate L.L.C-FZ
5 months ago

I’ve been working with Inchub for several years, and the experience has been consistently positive. Their services are reliable and efficient. They’ve supported me across multiple areas — from managing trade license renewals to assisting with business bank account opening. Having everything under one team saved a lot of effort.

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Telora Global L.L.C – FZ
2 months ago

Managing compliance alongside running a business can get overwhelming. Inchub takes care of our accounting, VAT, CT filings, and license renewal, which has saved us a lot of time and effort. Everything is handled efficiently and professionally. IncHub operates across every discipline and maintains high quality.

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Gaia Resources DMCC
2 months ago

We’ve been working with Inchub for our ongoing compliance and business support. They handle everything from maintaining our company’s good standing to managing renewals on time, along with accounting and VAT filings. A very smooth experience, and they are definitely a reliable partner.

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Nextgen Brokers FZE
3 months ago

We have engaged Inchub for ongoing compliance support. They handle our company’s good standing, ensure renewals are completed on time, and manage accounting and VAT filings efficiently. The team is proactive, well-organized, and keeps everything on track without the need for constant follow-ups.

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Mw Holding Group Ltd
4 months ago

We worked with Inchub for setting up our offshore holding company. They facilitated the entire process smoothly, including the company formation and opening the corporate bank account. They also manage our accounting and bookkeeping. It’s helpful to have one team handling both setup and ongoing requirements.

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Jannali Foundation
3 months ago

We engaged Inchub for setting up our RAK ICC foundation. They supported us throughout the entire formation process, including documentation, and guided us at every step. They also assisted with opening the bank account, which was handled smoothly. The team was very organized and efficient.

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Drops By Nada Portal
1 month ago

We worked with Inchub for both our license renewal and visa renewal. The entire process was handled very smoothly and efficiently from start to finish. Everything was completed right on time without any complications. Their structured approach and clear communication make them very easy to work with.

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Peopex LLC
5 months ago

Setting up a company in the UAE can feel complex. With Inchub, the entire process was handled seamlessly. They took care of everything — from the trade license and immigration card to visa application and even opening the company bank account. The team managed the entire process efficiently.

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Aube International Commercial Brokers
4 weeks ago

We’ve been working with Inchub since day one for license renewals, accounting and bookkeeping, and visa processing. The experience has been very smooth. One thing that stands out is how responsive their team is. Whenever we need support, they’re quick to respond and guide us clearly.

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Work with IncHub

How IncHub Can Help You Set Up in Dubai Science Park

IncHub supports businesses through Dubai Science Park company formation, helping life sciences, pharma and biotech businesses with commercial vs industrial activity classification and lab facility selection through to MOHAP product registration coordination, LEED compliance management, and the 90-day audit deadline that DSP imposes.

Our services for Dubai Science Park company formation include:

  • Free zone suitability assessment comparing DSP against DHCC, Masdar City and DMCC for your life sciences, pharmaceutical or health technology activity
  • Commercial vs industrial licence decision for businesses combining research, manufacturing and distribution activities
  • LEED-certified laboratory facility selection including hourly and short-term lab lease options
  • MOHAP and Ministry of Health product registration coordination for pharmaceutical and medical device businesses
  • Laboratory safety certification and Civil Defence approval coordination
  • Investor and employee visa processing for scientific and research professionals
  • Annual audit management (90-day year-end deadline), ESR notification and DDA compliance
  • UBO maintenance, VAT registration and FTA amendment management
Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

The cost of company formation in Dubai Science Park depends on the selected activity and premises. Entry-level licences start from around AED 15,000, with total cost depending on licence type, office or lab configuration and visa count. DSP’s overall cost structure is commonly cited as 30 to 40% lower than premium commercial free zones like DMCC.

Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park (DuBiotech), launched in 2005, before being rebranded to reflect its broader science, energy and environmental scope.

Free Zone Limited Liability Company (FZ-LLC/FZE) and Branch of an existing foreign or UAE company.

Yes. Dubai Science Park offers hourly lab rental, typically AED 200 to 800 per hour, an alternative to investing AED 500,000 or more in owned equipment.

DSP hosts global names including Pfizer, Medtronic, Olympus, Mettler Toledo and First Solar, alongside a community of more than 3,600 professionals.

Dubai Science Park company setup typically takes 8 to 9 working days with complete and properly attested documentation.

Ready to Begin?

Ready to set up your Dubai Science Park company?

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