Dubai Production City (DPC)

Most Dubai free zones are built around desks and offices. Dubai Production City is one of the few in the city designed around presses, cutters and loading bays. It opened in the early 2000s as the International Media Production Zone, and many drivers and suppliers still call the area IMPZ.

The zone groups its businesses into clear clusters: printing machinery suppliers, printing consumables such as inks and paper, packaging producers, publishers of books, magazines and online titles, and signage makers. Licences are issued by the Dubai Development Authority, the same body behind Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City, while TECOM Group runs the property and services.

What sets DPC apart is the real estate. Alongside office towers, the zone markets multipurpose light industrial units and warehouses, which lets a packaging start-up rent a space with power and loading access inside a free zone rather than moving out to Jebel Ali. Some brokers say ready warehouse stock is limited at times, so availability is worth checking early.

Capital rules are stricter here than in most service-only zones. Under the DDA licensing categories, several production segments carry minimum paid-up capital well above the default, with figures such as AED 50,000 for warehousing-related activities and AED 100,000 for printing and packaging machinery often quoted. Budget for that before you commit.

The zone also hosts a growing residential and retail area, which means staff can live within walking or short driving distance. Since 2025 Dubai has opened routes for free zone companies to serve the mainland under permits, and corporate tax applies, so production firms selling locally should model whether their income is qualifying for the 0% free zone rate or taxed at 9%.

Visas in DPC scale with the space you lease. A small office seat supports only a couple of residence visas, while a light industrial unit or warehouse can justify a larger team of machine operators, designers and drivers. Ask TECOM for the allocation that comes with each unit before you choose.

The visa process itself follows the normal Dubai steps and typically takes one to two weeks per person after the immigration file is open. Production businesses often hire blue-collar staff, so budget for medical insurance for every employee as required in Dubai.

Owners can usually hold an investor or partner visa through the company. If you plan to bring technicians for machine installation, look at short-term work permits instead of full residence visas.

Banks tend to view a production company with a physical unit, machinery invoices and supplier contracts as a solid profile, which can make onboarding smoother than for a desk-only start-up. You will still be asked for source of funds, a business plan and expected trade partners. If you import raw materials, have your supplier details ready.

Dubai Production City sits inland, along Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and close to Al Khail Road, between Motor City, Arabian Ranches and Jumeirah Golf Estates. Road access for trucks is good, and there is no metro station inside the zone, so staff usually drive or use buses.

Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum International Airport are roughly 25 to 35 minutes away, and Dubai International Airport about the same in light traffic. That middle position works well for printers who deliver to clients all over Dubai.