Main activity families
Most free zones group activities into a few broad licence families. Your real business model should decide which family you use.
- Professional and consultancy services
- Commercial and general trading, including e-commerce
- Technology, software and digital services
- Media, advertising, events and creative services
- Logistics, warehousing and light industry
- Education, training, wellness and hospitality-related services
A simple way to choose
Ask where your income comes from. Fees for expertise point to a professional licence. Margin on goods points to a commercial licence. Turning materials into products points to an industrial licence.
Activities that need approvals
Healthcare, education, financial services, real estate and some engineering or legal activities may require approval from an external regulator before the licence is fully active. Planning for this early saves weeks.