A new free-zone company in Dubai needs five printed things before it can trade properly: business cards, letterhead, envelopes, a company stamp and an office nameplate or reception sign. A lean week-one set runs about AED 954 (1,000 business cards at 119, 500 A4 letterheads at 230, a custom stamp at 210 and indoor wall signage at 395). A full set with branded DL envelopes and an acrylic reception sign comes to roughly AED 2,109. This guide covers what each free zone expects, the specs that get signage approved, and the real store prices for every item — so you can order the right thing once instead of reprinting in month two.
What free-zone companies genuinely need printed
DMCC in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, JAFZA in Jebel Ali and DIFC in the financial district are very different environments — commodity trading, logistics and regulated finance — but the print list converges, because what drives it is the paperwork of doing business in the UAE, not the sector.
- Business cards. Still the default exchange at a DMCC networking event or a JAFZA supplier meeting. Nobody scans a QR code across a conference table at 8 a.m.
- A4 letterhead. Needed for offer letters, NOCs, bank correspondence, authority submissions and anything your licence-issuing authority wants on company paper.
- Branded envelopes. DL for letters and cheques, A4 for contracts and licence copies that must not be folded.
- A company stamp. Non-negotiable in practice. Banks, landlords, customs brokers, courier accounts and most authority forms all expect a stamped signature.
- Office signage. Most free-zone leases — including flexi-desk and serviced offices — require the licensed trade name to be displayed at the unit. This is a lease and fit-out condition, so check your tenancy pack.
- Marketing material. Flyers and a company brochure or profile for exhibitions, tenders and client meetings.
Information to put on the stationery
Standard practice for a UAE free-zone entity is to carry the full legal name exactly as licensed (including “FZ-LLC”, “FZE” or “Ltd” as applicable), the registered office address, the trade licence number and, once registered for VAT, the TRN. Put the TRN on anything that can become a tax invoice. Requirements differ between authorities and change, so confirm your specific obligations with your company-services provider before you print 5,000 sheets — the cost of checking is zero and the cost of a reprint is not.
One practical note on bilingual layout: if you serve government or local corporates, an Arabic version of the company name on the card and letterhead is worth the space. Arabic sets at a larger optical size than Latin type at the same point size, so it needs its own typesetting pass rather than a straight swap.
Signage: the part that needs approval
Inside a free zone, signage approval generally comes from the free-zone authority and your building management, not Dubai Municipality — DMCC, JAFZA and DIFC each run their own fit-out and signage review. That changes the sequence: you submit a design with dimensions and a mounting method, get approval, then produce. Producing first is how companies end up with a sign that has to be remade.
Three practical specs that get approvals through faster:
- Unit nameplate. Small acrylic or aluminium plate beside the door with the licensed trade name and unit number. This is the minimum for a serviced office or flexi-desk and is usually approved without fuss.
- Reception sign. Acrylic or 3D letters behind the desk. Non-illuminated acrylic is the easiest to get approved; backlit needs a power feed, which means the fit-out team has to be involved.
- External or facade signage. In DIFC and DMCC towers this is tightly controlled and almost always handled through building management. Assume a longer timeline and get the drawing approved before anything is cut.
Non-illuminated internal signage can usually be produced and installed within the week once the design is signed off. Illuminated and facade work depends entirely on the authority's turnaround, not the printer's.
Real prices: the free-zone print list
Live store prices in AED, VAT inclusive. Everything below can be ordered online.
| Item | Spec | Quantity | Price (AED) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Cards, matt laminated | 350 GSM, full colour 2 sides | 500 | 99 |
| Business Cards, matt laminated | 350 GSM, full colour 2 sides | 1,000 | 119 |
| Business Cards, matt + round corners | 400 GSM, full colour 2 sides | 1,000 | 159 |
| Business Cards, matt + Spot UV | 400 GSM, raised gloss logo | 1,000 | 290 |
| Letterheads A4 | Wood-free 120 GSM, full colour 1 side | 500 | 230 |
| Letterheads A4 | Wood-free 120 GSM | 1,000 | 420 |
| Letterheads A4 | Wood-free 120 GSM | 5,000 | 880 |
| Envelopes DL | Wood-free 100 GSM, full colour 1 side | 1,000 | 760 |
| Envelopes A4 | Wood-free 100 GSM, full colour 1 side | 1,000 | 1,340 |
| Custom Rubber Stamp | 32 × 32 mm, self-inking | 1 | 210 |
| NCR Books A5, 1 colour | 1 + 1 part (invoices / receipts) | 5 books | 265 |
| Flyers A5 | 170 GSM glossy, full colour 2 sides | 1,000 | 270 |
| Flyers A5 | 170 GSM glossy | 5,000 | 840 |
| Brochure A4 | 170 GSM glossy | 1,000 | 610 |
| Indoor Wall Signage | Internal, non-illuminated | 1 | 395 |
| Office Wall Signage | Internal, non-illuminated | 1 | 425 |
| Acrylic Wall Signage | Acrylic, wall-mounted | 1 | 495 |
| Acrylic Reception Signage | Acrylic, behind-desk | 1 | 750 |
| 3D Acrylic Signage | Built-up acrylic letters | 1 | 1,150 |
| 3D Reception Signage | Built-up letters, reception wall | 1 | 1,850 |
| Backlit Reception Signage | Illuminated, needs power feed | 1 | 2,950 |
| Roll-Up Banner | 85 × 200 cm, stand included | 1 | 190 |
Browse the full ranges: Print & Marketing, Signage, Business Cards and NCR Books.
Three budgets that actually work
Flexi-desk / one-person consultancy — about AED 954. 1,000 business cards (119), 500 A4 letterheads (230), a 32 mm stamp (210) and indoor wall signage for the unit door (395). No envelopes until you need to post something; scanned PDFs cover most correspondence in year one.
Small office, client-facing — about AED 2,109. 1,000 business cards with round corners (159), 500 letterheads (230), 1,000 DL envelopes (760), stamp (210) and acrylic reception signage (750). This is the set that stops you looking like a shell company when a client visits.
Trading or logistics company — about AED 3,324. Add 5 NCR invoice books (265), 1,000 A5 flyers (270) and a roll-up banner (190) to the office set, and upgrade to 3D reception signage (1,850) in place of acrylic. Trading and freight businesses need the NCR books from day one — delivery notes and LPOs cannot live on a thermal till receipt.
How to order, and what to send
- Have the licence in front of you. Legal name, licence number and registered address go on the stationery exactly as licensed, including the entity suffix.
- Send vector artwork. AI, EPS or PDF with fonts outlined and 3 mm bleed. A logo lifted from a website at 72 DPI will print soft at business-card size and visibly rough at sign size.
- Get the signage design approved first. Submit dimensions and mounting method to your free-zone authority or building management before production starts.
- Approve the digital proof carefully. Check the licence number, the TRN and the phone country code. Production only starts after approval, and the clock starts then.
- Allow the production window. Business cards run 3–4 working days after approval, letterheads and envelopes about 5, non-illuminated signage within the week. Delivery across Dubai is routine; JAFZA and Jebel Ali deliveries need a gate pass contact name.
If you want the whole set quoted as one job, send your licence and logo on WhatsApp +971 52 210 0909.
Frequently asked questions
Does a DMCC flexi-desk company need office signage?
Check your tenancy and fit-out pack — displaying the licensed trade name at the unit is a common lease condition even for flexi-desk and serviced offices, and it is also what a visiting client looks for. An indoor nameplate at AED 395 covers it, and it is the cheapest item on this list to get right.
Do I have to put my trade licence number on the letterhead?
It is standard practice for UAE free-zone entities and many authorities and banks expect to see it, alongside the TRN once you are VAT-registered. Requirements vary by authority, so confirm with your company-services provider before a long run — order 500 sheets first, then reprint in volume once you are certain nothing changes.
How long does signage approval take in DIFC or DMCC?
That timeline belongs to the authority and the building, not the production. Internal nameplates and reception signs are usually straightforward; anything external, illuminated or on a facade takes materially longer and goes through building management. Submit the drawing early and treat the approval, not the printing, as the critical path.
What is the cheapest credible starting set?
1,000 matt-laminated business cards (AED 119), 500 A4 letterheads (AED 230) and a stamp (AED 210) — AED 559 in total. Add the unit nameplate when the lease requires it. Skip the envelopes and the brochure until there is a reason for them.
Can I print in Arabic and English on the same card?
Yes, and for government-facing and local-corporate work it is worth doing. Keep one language per side rather than crowding both onto one face, and have the Arabic typeset properly — Arabic needs a different optical size and line spacing to sit comfortably next to Latin type. Send both name spellings when you order.
Do you deliver inside JAFZA and Jebel Ali?
Yes. Deliveries inside gated free zones need a contact name and number for the gate, so include that with the order. Dubai deliveries are routine; Sharjah, Ajman and Abu Dhabi are same-week.
Get your free-zone print set quoted
Send your trade licence and logo on WhatsApp +971 52 210 0909 or call 0522100909, and you will get one quote covering stationery, stamp and signage. To order the stationery immediately, start with Print & Marketing; for the office nameplate and reception sign, see Signage. Related reading: letterhead sizes and prices and signage materials and permits.
