Set up in Sharjah Publishing City — the world's first free zone dedicated to the global print and publishing industry, established in 2017 as a Sharjah Book Authority subsidiary.
Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone (SPC) was established in 2017 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah. A subsidiary of the Sharjah Book Authority, it is the world's first free zone dedicated to the global print and publishing industry, supporting more than 1,500 business activities.
Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone was established in 2017 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah. The zone operates as a subsidiary of the Sharjah Book Authority — the regulator that runs the Sharjah International Book Fair and the Sharjah World Book Capital programme — and positions itself as the world's first free zone dedicated to the global print and publishing industry.
Despite its publishing roots, SPC's activity catalogue runs far beyond books. According to Avyanco's published catalogue, more than 1,500 business activities are supported, covering trading, consultancy, IT, marketing, e-commerce and general commercial work alongside the zone's publishing speciality. The combination of Sharjah's lower-cost base, the Sharjah Book Authority's cultural credibility and a broad commercial licence makes SPC a default choice for publishing-adjacent founders, content businesses and trading entrepreneurs who want a recognised Sharjah address.
SPC Free Zone — Sharjah Publishing City — was established in 2017 as the world's first dedicated free zone for publishing and intellectual-property-driven businesses. It has since broadened into a multi-activity zone particularly popular with SMEs needing the ability to combine several unrelated activities under a single trade licence. Strong combination of IP-friendly framework, multi-activity flexibility, and Sharjah cost economics.
SPC was set up by the Sharjah Book Authority — operator of the world's third-largest annual book fair. Original positioning was publishing and IP-driven businesses; that focus remains in its licence catalogue and ecosystem partnerships.
SPC allows more than 1,500 business activities across multiple sectors under a single trade licence — one of the most flexible activity-combination frameworks in the UAE. Strong for SMEs that don't fit neatly into one sector code.
SPC's licence framework was built around the needs of publishers, authors, content houses and IP-licensors. Copyright, trademark, and licensing activities have clear regulatory pathways here that don't exist as cleanly elsewhere.
Licence + facility costs sit at the cost-efficient end of the UAE free zone spectrum — meaningfully below DMCC, DIFC, JAFZA equivalents. Particularly compelling for SMEs and solo-founder ventures.
SPC tenants tap into the Sharjah Book Authority ecosystem — Sharjah International Book Fair (one of the world's largest, drawing well over 1.4 million visitors annually), Knowledge Without Borders publishing programmes, and direct access to global-publishing decision-makers during fair season.
SPC campus in Sharjah's Al Zahia district is 20-30 min from central Dubai. Tenants get Sharjah cost economics while maintaining Dubai-client access for sales and meetings.
SPC issues four licence families that map cleanly to founder profiles — from solo consultancies through full trading operations.
For consultancy, advisory, publishing-adjacent and creative services. SPC's largest licence category by activity count and a default for service-led founders.
For trading, distribution, retail and wholesale activities. The General Trading licence supports broad multi-product trading operations.
For online retail, digital marketplaces and content-led commerce — built around modern direct-to-consumer business models.
SPC recognises three structures — covering solo founders, multi-shareholder partnerships and branches of existing groups.
Single-owner vehicle with limited liability. Standard route for solo founders, independent publishers and individual practitioners.
Multi-shareholder limited-liability vehicle. The most common structure for partnerships, joint ventures and growth-stage businesses.
Branch of a UAE or overseas parent company. Used by established publishers, agencies and trading houses extending into SPC.
SPC runs incorporation through a digital portal. Standard setups complete inside five to ten working days once the document set is ready.
Browse SPC's activity catalogue, licence categories and office packages through the portal to scope the licence shape.
Choose between flexi-desk, shared workspace or private office inside SPC. Office grade drives the visa quota.
Settle the application fees through SPC's portal or via an authorised consultant.
Upload shareholder documents, the personal information form and the chosen trade name for verification.
Once documents and security checks clear, SPC issues the trade licence and corporate documents. The company can then open a corporate bank account and apply for investor and employee visas.
Standard document set for individual shareholders. Corporate shareholders need additional KYC documents on the parent entity.
SPC pairs the Sharjah Book Authority's cultural credibility with a broad commercial licence and Sharjah's lower-cost base — a default for publishing-adjacent and content-led founders.
SPC entities follow the standard UAE Free Zone Corporate Tax regime. Qualifying intellectual-property income — directly relevant to SPC's publishing-and-IP tenant base — is explicitly listed as a Qualifying Activity for QFZP purposes.
Corporate Tax at 9% above AED 375,000. SPC entities can elect QFZP for 0% on Qualifying Income. Qualifying intellectual-property income (income from patents, copyrighted works, IP licensing), publishing royalties, and qualifying headquarters/qualifying services activities are on the Qualifying Activities list under Ministerial Decision 265/2023.
Standard UAE VAT — 5% on taxable supplies, AED 375,000 mandatory registration threshold. Specifically for publishing: qualifying educational printed materials tied to a recognised curriculum may be zero-rated under the education provisions of Federal Decree-Law 8/2017 (subject to conditions), while general printed books are standard-rated; e-books, digital content, and licensing royalties to non-UAE customers follow place-of-supply rules and may zero-rate as export of services.
Sources & official references: Federal Decree-Law 47/2022 (Corporate Tax) · Cabinet Decision 100/2023 (QFZP) · Ministerial Decision 265/2023 (Qualifying activities incl. IP) · Federal Decree-Law 8/2017 (VAT) — Article 45 (printed books zero-rating) · SPC Free Zone Authority / Sharjah Book Authority
SPC's member base reflects its publishing roots alongside a broader commercial complement.
Avyanco runs SPC engagements end-to-end — from activity selection through to a banked, visa-ready entity registered for Corporate Tax and VAT.
We map the business to the right SPC licence — Service, Commercial, General Trading or E-Commerce — and confirm fit with the zone's catalogue.
Holding and ownership structures designed for UAE Corporate Tax efficiency, including QFZP positioning where applicable.
Memorandum of Association drafted to SPC's current template and the application taken through the zone's portal.
Introductions to UAE banks that actively onboard SPC entities, plus the compliance file the bank's KYC will require.
Investor, partner and employee visas processed end-to-end with Emirates ID and medicals coordinated.
FTA registrations and ongoing filings — including QFZP eligibility assessment for the 0% qualifying-income rate.
Three things that come up in every SPC engagement.
Live engagements with publishers, content businesses, e-commerce founders and trading houses inside SPC means we know how to use the broad activity catalogue to your advantage.
Application, MoA, office, bank, visa and tax — handled by one team on one engagement letter.
Recommendations shaped by how SPC's typical members — publishers, content businesses, trading SMEs — actually operate, not enterprise-only templates.
SPC suits publishing-adjacent, content and SME trading founders who want a Sharjah base with cultural credibility. Other zones serve different ecosystems — compare here.
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Read moreA slice of recent feedback from founders who set up their UAE companies through Avyanco.
In so far as the emigration process can ever be made easy, Avyanco achieves exactly this.
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Read more — Purushottam Mukkundi's review on GoogleI've used the services of Avyanco twice over the past 3 years for visa processing, and they have never failed to impress me.
Read more — Dominic Pinto's review on GoogleI had an excellent experience with Avyanco Business Setup Consultancy for both my company formation and family dependent visa process in the UAE.
Read more — Eder Schaphauser Ziomek's review on GoogleWe had an excellent experience working with this company for our ADGM company setup in Abu Dhabi.
Read more — Nikhil Nadanga's review on GoogleI have been dealing with Akshta for more than a year now and she has been very professional.
Read more — Sherif Ayub's review on GoogleCommon questions about setting up in Sharjah Publishing City.
Content verified against the live Avyanco site and the official SPC website (spcfz.ae) as of June 2026. Avyanco Business Consultancy LLC is independent of SPC, the Sharjah Book Authority and the Government of Sharjah, not endorsed by any of them, and not affiliated with any UAE government agency.
SPC activity catalogues, dual-licence rules and Qualifying Free Zone Person eligibility evolve. Always confirm the current rules for your specific activity directly with SPC, the Sharjah Book Authority and the Federal Tax Authority before acting on any fact on this page.
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