Business Setup · Property · 2026
Can a free zone company buy Dubai property?
What actually changed in July 2025
The Dubai Media Office reported that the Dubai Land Department signed a memorandum of cooperation with Masdar City on 24 July 2025, aiming to enable companies and establishments operating in the free zones under Masdar City to own land plots and properties under Dubai’s freehold system, inside a regulatory framework the parties would develop. DLD and Masdar statements described eligibility criteria, legal and administrative procedures, and coordination between DLD and the free zone authority — not an overnight, UAE-wide rule for every free zone licence.
Gulf News and other outlets summarised the same memorandum as opening Dubai freehold to Masdar City free zone companies, with a digital coordination path still being built. That is the story competitors are ranking on. It is not a substitute for checking whether your licence — Meydan, IFZA, SPC, or otherwise — can take title.
What this does not mean
- It does not mean every UAE free zone company can buy Dubai freehold in the company name.
- It does not automatically cover Meydan Free Zone or IFZA companies we form as a partner.
- It does not replace individual purchase in designated freehold areas, which remains the usual path for relocating founders.
- A memorandum plus a framework-in-development is not the same as a completed, generally available title product. Confirm current DLD/Masdar operational status before you underwrite a deal on it.
How founders usually hold the asset
For most of the people who ask this question, the operating company and the apartment are different jobs. The company invoices, holds the visa file, and renews annually. The home or investment unit is often bought in the founder’s personal name in a designated freehold community, once residency and remittance are clear.
Company-title purchases (when permitted) add board resolutions, constitutional documents, and DLD checks that personal purchases do not. Structure it because the business needs the asset — not because a headline said “free zone companies can now own property.”
Business Setup services are provided by CoreSpaces L.L.C-FZ, licensed through Meydan Free Zone and acting as an authorised, non-exclusive channel partner of the free zone authorities it represents. Which zone suits you is confirmed during consultation. CoreSpaces L.L.C-FZ is a separate operating entity from CoreSpaces Realty LLC. Full entity breakdown.
Property search, viewing, and purchase process: CoreSpaces Realty (separate RERA-licensed brokerage). Company formation: this site.
FAQ
Can a Dubai free zone company buy property in Dubai?
Not as a blanket rule. Many free zone companies have historically faced restrictions on holding Dubai freehold in the company’s name. Eligibility is zone-specific, DLD-specific, and document-specific. Confirm the current registration path before you structure a purchase around the licence.
Did Dubai open property ownership to all free zone companies in 2025?
No. On 24 July 2025 the Dubai Land Department and Masdar City signed a memorandum of cooperation to enable companies operating in Masdar City’s free zones to own plots and properties under Dubai’s freehold system, within a regulatory framework the parties said they would develop. That is a Masdar City corridor — not a general Meydan, IFZA, or UAE-wide permission.
Can a Meydan or IFZA company buy Dubai freehold in its own name?
Do not assume yes from the Masdar headline. We confirm the current DLD and zone position for the specific licence at the time of purchase. Many founders still buy designated freehold in their personal name, in parallel with the company — property advisory sits with CoreSpaces Realty, a separate RERA-licensed brokerage.
Is the Masdar framework already live for every Masdar licensee?
Official statements described a framework to be developed, with eligibility criteria and procedures still being defined, and rollout described as phased. Treat “now allowed” marketing as a prompt to check DLD/Masdar status on your file — not as a completed title-deed product.
Should I form a company just to buy an apartment?
Usually no. Formation cost, annual renewal, corporate tax, and bank onboarding are a heavy wrapper around a residential purchase. If the goal is a home or an investment unit, start with personal freehold eligibility and a brokerage conversation — then consider a company only if there is a real operating business.