Sharjah Publishing City company setup
Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone says it was established in 2017 and is a free zone focused on the print and publishing industry. It describes itself as a subsidiary of the Sharjah Book Authority. A Ministry of Economy and Tourism licensing-authority note names “Sharjah Publishing City – Free Zone Authority” in Sharjah, gives the legal forms as FZE, FZC and branch, and points to spcfz.ae. The UAE government portal’s Sharjah list names the airport free zone, Hamriyah and Shams, and does not name Publishing City. THAJ can advise on an SPC file. SPC issues the licence. No SPC package price is printed here, including any “tax-free” slogan on a zone marketing page.
Publishing zone, with the tax claim left off
Use SPC when the business is in print, publishing or the related activities that authority actually licenses. The ministry note says the legal forms are a Free Zone Establishment (FZE), a Free Zone Company (FZC) and a branch. It does not set a fee on the pages we use. SPC’s own site mentions packages. Those prices are not copied here.
Some Sharjah Book Authority wording still calls the zone tax-free and says corporate and personal income tax are zero. That slogan is not how this site describes UAE tax. Free zone companies are taxable persons. A Qualifying Free Zone Person can have 0% on qualifying income, and other income is taxed at 9%. Registration is an introduction to licensed partners: Get connected with our licensed accounting and tax partners for VAT registration, Corporate Tax registration, return filing and bookkeeping.
SPC is not Shams. Media City and Publishing City are different Sharjah authorities. If u.ae’s short list is the only page a reader has seen, Publishing City will be missing from it. The ministry registrar note is why this page exists.
What THAJ prepares for SPC
THAJ prepares a Sharjah Publishing City file when the activity fits that authority. We do not file a general Dubai trading company at SPC to chase a package, and we do not renew an SPC licence under the Dubai DET renewal process.
- The activity is matched to that authority’s list before a trade name is reserved.
- The legal form is one the authority actually registers. u.ae says not every free zone registers every type.
- THAJ’s fee is quoted in writing, separate from the authority’s charges. This page has no package price.
- VAT & Corporate Tax Support: Get connected with our licensed accounting and tax partners for VAT registration, Corporate Tax registration, return filing and bookkeeping.
- Visas follow that authority’s quota and rules. A licence is not a Golden Visa. The business owners page is the residence test.
Dubai PRO renewals are described on the trade licence renewal page. A free zone outside Dubai renews with its own authority. We say which file we can prepare before anyone assumes one retainer covers every emirate.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sharjah Publishing City on the u.ae free-zone list?
Not on the Sharjah names we reviewed there (airport free zone, Hamriyah, Shams). The Ministry of Economy and Tourism registrar note does name Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone Authority, established in 2017.
Which legal forms does that note list?
Free Zone Establishment (FZE), Free Zone Company (FZC) and a branch.
Is SPC tax-free?
Do not rely on a zone slogan that says so. UAE corporate tax applies to free zone companies. Qualifying free zone income can be at 0%. Other income is at 9%.
What does SPC setup cost?
SPC’s packages are not printed here. THAJ’s fee is quoted after the activity and the legal form are confirmed.
Official sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 5 November 2026. Rules and fees can change; the authority’s current page always prevails.
- About Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone — SPC Free Zone
- Licensing authority note — Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone Authority — UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism
- Starting a business in a free zone — The UAE Government portal (u.ae)
- Corporate Tax in the UAE — UAE Ministry of Finance
- Corporate Tax — basic information for Free Zone Persons — Federal Tax Authority (FTA)
THAJ is not Sharjah Publishing City and not the Sharjah Book Authority. Zone marketing that says the company is tax-free is not repeated as a fact.
Say if the business is publishing or something else
SPC is a publishing free zone. A different activity belongs with the authority that lists it.