SRTIP or Meydan Free Zone — which is cheaper with 1 visa in 2026?

Why SRTIP undercuts Meydan by AED 11,950

The saving is location, not contents: each side includes the licence, government fees, Formenzo's setup work and one full visa block. SRTIP — the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park — prices the package at AED 12,500, while Meydan's Dubai equivalent is AED 24,450. The advantage holds at every size in the 2026 index: AED 5,500 against AED 12,500 with no visas, AED 17,795 against AED 34,400 with two, and AED 26,035 against AED 44,350 with three.

Who picks which option

SRTIP fits founders with a technical slant — engineering consultants, hardware and prototyping ventures, software studios — along with pragmatists based in Sharjah or eastern Dubai who care more about the number than the postcode. Meydan wins where Dubai is a commercial requirement: agencies pitching Dubai corporates, or founders whose investors want the emirate on paper.

Two things founders ask

Is SRTIP only for science and technology businesses? The park's identity is research-led, but its activity list runs well beyond laboratories into consultancy, services and trading. Formenzo is itself an SRTIP licensee and confirms activity availability in writing before anything is filed.

What does the extra AED 11,950 at Meydan buy? Principally the Dubai jurisdiction and address — the legal form, ownership rights and visa outcome are equivalent. If no client or contract specifically requires Dubai, the difference stays in the business; the calculator puts both side by side.