Hamriyah Free Zone Authority
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) is a Sharjah-based government free zone authority operating the UAE's 2nd largest industrial free zone, providing licensing, leasing, and incorporation services to 5,000+ investors across 160+ nationalities in Oil & Gas, Manufacturing, Food, Maritime, Logistics, and SME sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersSharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Hamriyah Free Zone Authority does
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) is a government free zone authority established in 1995 by Emiri Decree and headquartered in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, under the Government of Sharjah. It is the 2nd largest industrial free zone in the UAE, operating 30+ million square meters of industrial land, pre-built warehouses, and executive offices, and serves 5,000+ investors from 160+ nationalities across six business verticals: Oil & Gas, Industrial Manufacturing, Food Park, Maritime, Global Logistics Park, and Accelerator Hub.
HFZA generates revenue through four primary streams: one-time trade license issuance (basic commercial/service/industrial license from AED 11,000 / USD 3,000), recurring facility leasing (25-year renewable industrial land from 2,500 sqm, pre-built warehouses of 200-600 sqm, and executive offices), service fees (visa processing, establishment cards, immigration, E-Channel account management), and one-time incorporation fees for FZE, FZC, and Branch entities. Its core technology is a digital E-Portal enabling license applications, visa processing, document verification, and company management, supported by an ESS Mobile Application for employee attendance and KPI tracking; company formation is processed in under 60 minutes. Distribution combines a global self-serve e-portal, on-site departments (commercial, leasing, licensing, legal, finance, immigration, investor services), and a network of business setup consultants.
The free zone's value proposition rests on 100% foreign ownership, zero income tax, zero corporate tax, customs duty exemption, capital and profit repatriation, multi-activity licensing, flexible visa quotas, and on-site labor accommodation. Strategic anchors include ArcelorMittal (steel), Dana Gas and ADNOC (oil & gas), DHL and GAC (logistics), and Eurogulf Transformer FZE (a $27M, 32,500 sqm power transformer facility), with broader tenant mix spanning utilities, consumer goods, mining, and SMEs served via Smart, Standard, and Supreme startup packages.
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hamriyah Free Zone Authority
- Legal name
- Hamriyah Free Zone Authority
- Website
- https://hfza.ae
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) is a Sharjah-based government free zone authority operating the UAE's 2nd largest industrial free zone, providing licensing, leasing, and incorporation services to 5,000+ investors across 160+ nationalities in Oil & Gas, Manufacturing, Food, Maritime, Logistics, and SME sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Free Zone Authority Services
- NAICS
- Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Management of Companies and Enterprises (55111), Lessors of Miniwarehouses and Self-Storage Units (531130)
- SIC
- Lessors Of Real Property, Nec (6519), Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512), Non-Operating Establishments (9995)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Asset & Lifecycle Management (CapEx Planning, Reliability) (BPABAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Space & Occupancy Services (Move/Add/Change, Seating, Wayfinding) (IMAIALAF), Self-Storage Facility Management & Operations (Third-Party Managed) (HSAKAGAI)
Keywords
Where Hamriyah Free Zone Authority is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sharjah
- HQ country
- United Arab Emirates
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Trade License Fees: Revenue from issuing commercial, service, and industrial licenses. Basic license costs AED 11,000 (USD 3,000) with additional fees for activities, visas, and services
- Facility Leasing: Revenue from leasing offices, pre-built warehouses (200-600 sqm), and industrial land (starting from 2,500 sqm) to investors. Land lease contracts of 25 years renewable with competitive rates
- Service Fees: Fees for services including visa processing, establishment cards, security approvals, immigration services, and E-Channel account management
- Incorporation Fees: One-time incorporation fees for new company formations including FZE, FZC, and Branch entities
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Basic Trade License - AED 11,000 / USD 3,000 |
| Subscription | Annual | Warehouse 200 sqm Package |
| Subscription | Annual | Warehouse 400 sqm Package |
| Subscription | Annual | Warehouse 600 sqm Package |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Industrial Land Lease |
| Hybrid | Annual | Business Packages (Smart, Standard, Supreme) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) is a government-owned free zone in Sharjah, UAE that enables investors and businesses to establish UAE operations through company formation and trade licensing (Commercial, Service, and Industrial licenses). It operates six specialized business sectors—Oil & Gas, Industrial Manufacturing Park, Food Park, Maritime Industry, Global Logistics Park, and Accelerator Hub—supported by leasing of executive offices, pre-built warehouses (200-600 sqm), and industrial land plots (starting from 2,500 sqm) on 25-year renewable leases. HFZA also delivers E-Portal online services for license applications, visa processing, document verification, and company management, with company formation completed in under 60 minutes.
Product overview
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) is a free zone authority established in 1995 in Sharjah, UAE, providing business setup and licensing services rather than a traditional software product. The organization offers a platform of business sectors including Industrial Manufacturing Park, Global Logistics Park, Oil & Gas, Maritime Industry, Food Park, and Accelerator Hub. Within these sectors, HFZA provides three types of licenses (Commercial, Service, Industrial) and various facility types (executive offices, pre-built warehouses, and industrial land). Digital services include the E-Portal for online company management and the ESS Mobile App for employee attendance tracking. HFZA Ranked 2nd globally as Best Free Zone in 2024.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Oil & Gas Sector A dedicated free zone covering more than 4.6 million square meters for upstream, midstream, and downstream oil and gas operations, including exploration, extraction, refinery, manufacturing, and petrochemicals trading. It is the second-largest petrochemical hub in the UAE, hosting 1,200+ investors and 900+ storage tanks, serving energy companies like Dana Gas, ADNOC, TAQA, DEWA, and SEWA.
- Industrial Manufacturing Park A specialized industrial zone covering over 30 million square meters supporting steel, timber, telecommunications, building materials, plastics, perfumes, furniture, glass, and appliance manufacturing. Offers long-term land leases up to 25 years and is the home of the largest number of steel fabricators in the region, with clients including ArcelorMittal, Ikigai Steel, and Eurogulf Transformer FZE.
- Food Park An 11 million square foot dedicated area for food production, storage, packaging, processing, distribution, trading, and halal certification. Provides specialized facilities for food manufacturing, cold storage, and food safety support, with regulatory liaison to municipalities and consulting services.
- Maritime Industry A maritime hub providing access to a 14-meter deep-water port and 7-meter inner port with dedicated marine land plots starting from 5,000 square meters. Supports shipbuilding, ship repair, vessel conversion, maritime manufacturing, and offshore platforms.
- Global Logistics Park A logistics hub providing integrated distribution infrastructure via land, sea, and air transportation with three world-class seaports and an international airport with 153 daily flights from 85 countries. Supports storage, distribution, e-commerce fulfillment, packaging, repackaging, freight forwarding, and customs-efficient logistics for clients such as DHL and GAC.
- Accelerator Hub A business incubation center providing consulting packages and flexible office spaces for SMEs, startups, and companies with up to six employees, supporting e-commerce, tech startups, consulting, professional services, software development, marketing, and R&D.
- Commercial License A trade license that allows the holder to import, export, sell, distribute, and store goods, including sub-types for Trading, General Trading, and E-Commerce. Base cost AED 11,000 / USD 3,000 with annual renewal.
- Service License A license allowing the holder to conduct services or consultancy services listed on the license contract clause, for businesses seeking to deliver intangible professional services within the free zone.
- Industrial License A license allowing the import of raw materials for manufacturing, processing, assembly, packaging, and exporting of finished products, designed for industrial operations within HFZA's manufacturing sectors.
- Executive Offices Cost-effective office spaces and licensing options at Hamriyah Business Centre, including virtual office services through E-Office packages for businesses needing a UAE presence without physical workspace.
- Pre-Built Warehouses International-standard prefabricated warehouses available in 200, 400, and 600 square meter sizes with loading bays, fire alarm systems, office space, and electric load capacities ranging from 20kW to 150kW. Bundled with license, service fee, deposit, incorporation fee, and 25–50 visa allocations.
- Industrial Land Prime industrial land plots starting from 2,500 square meters with flexible subdivision options, construction holiday periods, and 25-year renewable leases. Competitive fixed land rates for 5+ years with flexible visa quotas.
- HFZA E-Portal Online service portal for HFZA licensed companies enabling license applications, visa services, document verification, E-Channel account management, and various business setup transactions, available 24/7.
- ESS Mobile App Employee Self-Service mobile application (iOS/Android) providing real-time attendance notifications and KPI performance tracking for HFZA staff and investors.
Companies that use Hamriyah Free Zone Authority
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Eurogulf Transformer FZEcoreEurogulf Transformer FZE has invested approximately $27 million in HFZA with a new manufacturing facility spanning 32,500 sqm, more than double the current manufacturing area. The company employs 256 staff and supplies major regional clients including DEWA, SEWA, ADNOC, and TAQA.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA): JAFZA is the UAE's largest free zone, operated by DP World in Dubai. It directly competes with HFZA for industrial tenants, license issuances, and lease/warehouse customers across overlapping sectors (manufacturing, logistics, oil & gas), making it the closest like-for-like peer.
- Sharjah Airport International Free Zone Authority (SAIF Zone): SAIF Zone is Sharjah's airport-adjacent free zone, offering commercial, industrial and service licenses with warehouse and office facilities. It is HFZA's direct intra-emirate competitor for SMEs, consulting, and light-industrial tenants in the same catchment.
- Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD): KIZAD is Abu Dhabi's flagship industrial free zone adjacent to Khalifa Port, providing pre-built warehouses, land leases and licenses across manufacturing, logistics and petrochemicals — directly comparable to HFZA's industrial, oil & gas, and logistics offerings at scale.
- Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ): RAKEZ is a major UAE free zone offering commercial and industrial licenses plus warehouse/land leasing at competitive pricing. It competes head-to-head with HFZA for SME formations, industrial tenants, and cost-sensitive foreign investors.
- Ajman Free Zone Authority (AFZA): AFZA is a nearby UAE free zone offering license, office and warehouse packages targeting SMEs and international investors. Its proximity and pricing model make it a direct substitute for HFZA in the Northern Emirates catchment.
- Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority (DAFZA): DAFZA provides license, office and light-industrial facilities aimed at aviation-linked and services tenants. It is a comparable peer given the same UAE free-zone regulatory framework, services-led value proposition, and tenant overlap with HFZA.
- Dubai South (Dubai World Central): Dubai South is a 145 sq km free zone with logistics, aviation, and industrial districts and licensing for multinational tenants. It competes with HFZA for aviation-linked logistics, manufacturing, and FDI in the wider UAE free-zone market.
- Fujairah Free Zone Authority (FFZA): FFZA is a UAE free zone focused on trading, services and light industrial licensing with warehouse facilities. It targets the same international SME and industrial investor segment as HFZA from a different emirate.
- Abu Dhabi Free Zones Authority (ADFZ) / Multiple Free Zones: ADFZ oversees Abu Dhabi's portfolio of free zones (including twofour54, Masdar City, ADGM). It is comparable as an umbrella government free-zone authority competing with HFZA for investment promotion, tenant formation and FDI in the UAE.
Regional players
- Duqm Special Economic Zone Authority (Sultanate of Oman): Duqm SEZ is a large industrial and logistics free zone on Oman's Arabian Sea coast. It is comparable as a Gulf-region industrial free zone with land, port, and licensing — competing for the same broader regional FDI pool as HFZA but in a different national jurisdiction.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority social profiles
Digital presenceHamriyah Free Zone Authority financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hamriyah Free Zone Authority
What does Hamriyah Free Zone Authority do?
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) is a government-owned free zone in Sharjah, UAE that enables investors and businesses to establish UAE operations through company formation and trade licensing (Commercial, Service, and Industrial licenses). It operates six specialized business sectors—Oil & Gas, Industrial Manufacturing Park, Food Park, Maritime Industry, Global Logistics Park, and Accelerator Hub—supported by leasing of executive offices, pre-built warehouses (200-600 sqm), and industrial land plots (starting from 2,500 sqm) on 25-year renewable leases. HFZA also delivers E-Portal online services for license applications, visa processing, document verification, and company management, with company formation completed in under 60 minutes.
Is Hamriyah Free Zone Authority a public or private company?
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Hamriyah Free Zone Authority founded?
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority was founded in 1995. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Hamriyah Free Zone Authority based?
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority is headquartered in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East region.
How does Hamriyah Free Zone Authority make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Trade License Fees are the primary driver. The others are facility Leasing, service Fees and incorporation Fees.
Who are Hamriyah Free Zone Authority's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA), Sharjah Airport International Free Zone Authority (SAIF Zone), Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), Ajman Free Zone Authority (AFZA), Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority (DAFZA), Dubai South (Dubai World Central), Fujairah Free Zone Authority (FFZA) and Abu Dhabi Free Zones Authority (ADFZ) / Multiple Free Zones. Duqm Special Economic Zone Authority (Sultanate of Oman) is listed as a regional player.
Does Hamriyah Free Zone Authority have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hamriyah Free Zone Authority.
What industry is Hamriyah Free Zone Authority in?
Hamriyah Free Zone Authority's product category is Free Zone Authority Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPABAAAI, Asset & Lifecycle Management (CapEx Planning, Reliability), with a secondary code of IMAIALAF, Space & Occupancy Services (Move/Add/Change, Seating, Wayfinding). Its NAICS code is 921 and its SIC code is 6519.