Dubai Knowledge Park (DKP)
Company Formation

Set up a training, HR, professional-development or learning business in the region's free zone built for it. Formerly Dubai Knowledge Village, DKP gathers training providers, HR consultancies and professional institutes into one learning community.

  • 100% Ownership
  • TECOM Group
  • Training & HR
  • Professional Development
  • Learning Community

The Region's Learning and HR-development Community

Dubai Knowledge Park (DKP), previously Dubai Knowledge Village, is TECOM Group's free zone for human-resource development and learning. More than 400 companies and institutions operate here, including corporate-training providers, assessment centres, professional-development organisations and HR consultancies. In 2007 TECOM launched Dubai International Academic City as a separate campus, leaving DKP focused on training and HR.

Dubai Knowledge Park — previously Dubai Knowledge Village — is TECOM Group's free zone for human-resource development and learning. More than 400 companies and institutions operate here: corporate-training providers, occupational assessment and testing centres, professional and executive-development organisations, HR consultancies and learning businesses. It is the established home for the training and talent-development industry in the region.

DKP is operated by TECOM Group, part of Dubai Holding, and is closely tied to the wider knowledge cluster. In 2007 TECOM launched Dubai International Academic City as a separate campus, and the higher-education institutions that had sat in the park moved there — leaving DKP focused on corporate training, professional development and HR. For a training or HR business, that focus and the community around it are the draw: clients, partners and talent in the same field, in one place.

Dubai Knowledge Park (DKP) training and HR free zone — Avyanco company formation
The region's dedicated home for training, HR and professional development

Why Dubai Knowledge Park

DKP is built around learning and talent development. For a training provider, HR consultancy or professional institute, being in the free zone designed for the sector — among its clients, partners and the wider knowledge cluster — is the advantage a general free zone can't offer.

A Dedicated Learning Community

400+ training providers, HR consultancies, assessment centres and professional institutes in one place — the sector ecosystem a training or HR business wants around it.

Built for HR and Training

Licensing is designed for corporate training, professional development, assessment, certification and HR services — not adapted from a generic commercial licence.

Part of the Knowledge Cluster

DKP sits alongside Dubai International Academic City and the wider TECOM districts, linking corporate training with higher education and the talent pipeline.

Recognised Sector Address

An established, recognised home for the training and talent-development industry — credibility that matters when winning corporate L&D and government training contracts.

A Regional Training Base

Businesses based in DKP deliver training and HR services across the GCC from a single, recognised learning address.

Full Ownership, UAE Free-Zone Status

100% foreign ownership with no local-shareholder requirement, and eligibility for the 0% Qualifying Free Zone Person Corporate Tax rate on qualifying income.

Ideal for
  • Corporate training and L&D providers
  • HR consultancies and recruitment firms
  • Professional and executive-development institutes
  • Assessment, testing and certification centres
  • E-learning and edtech businesses
  • Language schools and skills academies

Dubai Knowledge Park Licence Types

DKP licences are organised around training, HR and professional development.

Training & Development Licence

For corporate-training, professional-development, executive-education and skills providers — the core of the DKP community.

  • Corporate training & L&D
  • Executive & leadership development
  • Skills & vocational academies
  • Language schools
  • Coaching & facilitation

HR & Talent Licence

For HR consultancy, recruitment, talent management and the professional services that support people functions.

  • HR consultancy & advisory
  • Recruitment & talent acquisition
  • Talent management & assessment
  • Payroll & people operations support
  • Organisational development

EdTech & Services Licence

For e-learning, edtech platforms, assessment / certification providers and other learning-technology and professional services.

  • E-learning & edtech platforms
  • Assessment, testing & certification
  • Learning content & publishing
  • Professional & corporate services
  • Specialist B2B services

Legal Structures Under Dubai Knowledge Park

DKP recognises the standard TECOM / free-zone legal forms — the right one depends on shareholder count and whether you are incorporating fresh or extending a company.

01

Free Zone LLC (Single Shareholder)

A limited-liability entity with one shareholder, individual or corporate — for a founder or wholly-owned training / HR business.

02

Free Zone LLC (Multiple Shareholders)

A limited-liability entity with two or more shareholders, for partnered institutes and joint ventures.

03

Branch of a Company

A branch of an existing UAE or foreign training / HR company, operating under the parent's name and balance sheet.

04

Freelance Permit

A permit for individual trainers, coaches and HR professionals to operate under their own name.

How a Dubai Knowledge Park Company Is Formed

Five steps from activity selection to a banked, visa-ready entity.

  1. 01

    Confirm Activity & Licence

    Pick the activities and matching licence — training / development, HR / talent, edtech / services, or a freelance permit.

  2. 02

    Reserve the Name & Apply

    Reserve the company name and file the licence application with shareholder and activity documents through TECOM's portal.

  3. 03

    Choose Premises

    Select premises to fit the licence — a freelance desk, training rooms or office space.

  4. 04

    Licence & Establishment Card

    On approval, the trade licence and establishment card are issued, which unlocks visa allocation.

  5. 05

    Bank Account & Visas

    Open the corporate bank account and process investor and employee visas with Emirates ID and medicals.

Documents Required for Dubai Knowledge Park Setup

A standard learning free-zone document set — corporate shareholders add a few group documents.

  • Passport copies of all shareholders and directors (valid at least 6 months)
  • UAE residence visa copy for residents in the country
  • Emirates ID for UAE residents
  • Passport-sized photographs of shareholders
  • Proposed company names and the planned training / HR activities
  • Personal information / KYC form
  • For corporate shareholders: parent licence, MoA, board resolution and UBO list

Why Choose Dubai Knowledge Park

DKP pairs free-zone basics with the training and HR sector on your doorstep.

100% foreign ownership with no local-shareholder requirement

The region's dedicated free zone for training and HR development

A community of 400+ training and professional-development providers

Licensing tuned to training, HR, assessment and edtech

Part of the wider knowledge cluster with the academic city alongside

0% Corporate Tax on qualifying income under the QFZP regime

Freelance permits for individual trainers and HR professionals

An established sector address recognised across the GCC

Tax & Compliance Position — Dubai Knowledge Park

DKP entities follow UAE Federal Corporate Tax and can qualify for the 0% QFZP rate. VAT applies in the standard way, with education-specific treatments for some activities.

UAE Corporate Tax

9% Headline · 0% QFZP on Qualifying Income

DKP entities follow UAE Federal Corporate Tax under Decree-Law 47/2022 — 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000. Most can elect the Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) regime and pay 0% on Qualifying Income.

QFZP eligibilityQFZP eligibility needs Qualifying Income, adequate Free Zone substance, arm's-length transfer pricing and audited financials. Training and HR-services income — particularly to UAE-mainland clients — needs careful qualifying / non-qualifying analysis, which we do per business.
UAE VAT

5% Standard Rate · Education Treatments Apply

DKP entities follow UAE VAT — 5% on taxable supplies, AED 375,000 mandatory registration threshold. Certain recognised education services carry specific VAT treatment; corporate training and HR consultancy are generally standard-rated. We confirm the treatment per service.

Not a Designated ZoneDKP is a learning and services free zone, not a Designated Zone for goods under Cabinet 59/2017 — Designated-Zone treatment is not relevant to its training and HR tenant base.

Ongoing Compliance Obligations

  • Annual Corporate Tax return (9 months from FY-end)
  • VAT returns per FTA assignment
  • Audited financial statements (free zone requirement; mandatory for QFZP)
  • Trade-licence renewal with the free zone authority
  • Programme / course approvals where required for specific activities
  • ESR notification + report where a Relevant Activity is carried on
  • UBO register with the free zone authority

Sources & official references: Federal Decree-Law 47/2022 (Corporate Tax) · Cabinet Decision 100/2023 (QFZP) · Federal Decree-Law 8/2017 (VAT)

Sectors Active in Dubai Knowledge Park

DKP's tenant base is training, HR and the learning economy.

Corporate Training & L&D

HR Consultancy & Recruitment

Executive Development

E-Learning & EdTech

Assessment & Certification

Language & Skills Academies

Coaching & Facilitation

Learning Content

The Avyanco Advantage

Avyanco runs Dubai Knowledge Park setups end-to-end — from activity scoping through to a banked, visa-ready entity registered for Corporate Tax and VAT.

Training-Activity Fluency

We map training, HR, assessment and edtech activities to the right DKP licence, and flag any programme-approval needs.

QFZP for Services Income

Qualifying Free Zone Person assessment for training and HR-services income, including the mainland-client split.

Corporate Bank Account

Introductions to UAE banks that onboard DKP training and HR firms, with the compliance file they ask for.

Investor & Employee Visas

Investor, employee and freelance visas processed alongside Emirates ID and medicals.

Corporate Tax & VAT

FTA registrations and ongoing filings, including VAT treatment for training and education services.

Ongoing Compliance

Licence renewals, programme approvals, audited financials, ESR and UBO handled so the entity stays in good standing.

Meet Our Specialists

Partner-level advisors covering every leg of a Dubai Knowledge Park setup — formation, structuring, tax and ongoing compliance.

Chandy Joseph, Sales Director at Avyanco

Chandy Joseph

Sales Director · UAE Company Setup

Astha, Senior Business Setup Consultant at Avyanco

Astha

Senior Business Setup Consultant

Dhiren, Business Setup Consultant at Avyanco

Dhiren

Business Setup Consultant

Hadir, Business Setup Consultant at Avyanco

Hadir

Business Setup Consultant

Tanya, Business Setup Consultant at Avyanco

Tanya

Business Setup Consultant

Why Founders Choose Avyanco for Dubai Knowledge Park

Three things that come up in every DKP engagement once the licence is issued.

Avyanco advisor closing a Dubai Knowledge Park company formation engagement

Sector-Aware Setup

We set up training and HR businesses regularly and know how DKP, the academic city and the knowledge cluster fit together.

End-to-End Delivery

Licence, premises, bank, visas and tax — handled by one team on one engagement letter.

Tax Done for Training

QFZP and VAT handled for the way training and HR-services income — including mainland clients — actually arises.

What Clients Say

A slice of recent feedback from founders who set up their UAE companies through Avyanco.

Dubai Knowledge Park — Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about setting up in Dubai Knowledge Park.

What is Dubai Knowledge Park?
Dubai Knowledge Park (DKP), previously Dubai Knowledge Village, is TECOM Group's free zone for human-resource development and learning. More than 400 companies and institutions operate here — corporate-training providers, professional and executive-development organisations, assessment and testing centres, and HR consultancies. It is the established home for the training and talent-development industry in the region.
How is DKP different from Dubai International Academic City?
DKP focuses on corporate training, professional development and HR; Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), which TECOM launched in 2007, is the campus for higher-education institutions and universities. The two are part of the same knowledge cluster, but they serve different audiences — DKP for training and HR businesses, DIAC for universities and colleges.
What kinds of business is DKP best for?
Corporate-training and L&D providers, HR consultancies and recruitment firms, executive-development and professional institutes, assessment and certification centres, e-learning and edtech businesses, and language and skills academies.
Can individual trainers set up in DKP?
Yes. DKP offers freelance permits that let individual trainers, coaches and HR professionals operate under their own name and obtain a UAE residence visa — a low-overhead route for independent practitioners.
Does DKP qualify for the 0% UAE Corporate Tax rate?
DKP is a UAE free zone for Corporate Tax purposes. The 0% rate applies to qualifying income earned by a Qualifying Free Zone Person; non-qualifying income is taxed at 9%. Training and HR-services income — particularly to UAE-mainland clients — needs careful qualifying / non-qualifying analysis, which we do at the planning stage.
Are course or programme approvals required?
Some training and certification activities require programme or course approvals on top of the trade licence, depending on the activity. Avyanco identifies which approvals apply to your offering and handles them as part of the setup.
Verification & independence

Content verified against the official Dubai Knowledge Park / TECOM Group sources and Wikipedia as of June 2026. Avyanco Business Consultancy LLC is independent of Dubai Knowledge Park, TECOM Group, Dubai Holding and all UAE government authorities, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.

Free zone licence categories, programme-approval rules, VAT treatment of education and training, and Corporate Tax Qualifying Free Zone Person eligibility evolve, and the legacy 'tax-free' free-zone incentives have been superseded by the UAE Corporate Tax regime. Always confirm the current rules for your specific activity directly with TECOM Group and the Federal Tax Authority before acting on any fact on this page.

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