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Approved auditors in UAE free zones are audit firms that a zone accepts for accounts filed with it. DMCC, RAKEZ and ADGM name approved or registered auditors, IFZA accepts any registered UAE auditor, and for many zones we could not find a published rule. Use the quote form on this page to ask listed firms for an audit quote.
What does "approved auditor" mean in a UAE free zone?
There is no single UAE definition. Each free zone authority writes its own rule. In one zone it means a firm on a list the authority keeps. In another it means a firm with a licence from a named government department. In a third it means only that the auditor is registered in the UAE.
So the first job is to read your own zone's rule. Do not assume that a firm approved by one zone can sign for another.
Zone by zone
Check date for every row: . "Not verified" means we could not open a page that states the rule.
| Zone | Audit rule | List status | Where the list is |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMCC | Yearly, approved auditor, 6 months after year end | Published as a live search tool, names not readable as a page | DMCC approved auditors |
| JAFZA | Yearly for FZE and FZCO, auditor with a Dubai Economic Department licence | No panel published | None found |
| DAFZA | We could not find a published rule | Dated PDF titled Auditors List | dafz.ae document downloads |
| DSO | FZCO accounts audited, Registrar keeps an approved list | List not published on dso.ae | None found |
| Dubai South | We could not find a published rule or list; ask the free zone | Not found | None found |
| Meydan | Report signed by a licensed auditor registered with the Ministry of Economy | No list on the page we read | None found |
| IFZA | At renewal, simplified statement for small companies, otherwise audited | No list, any registered UAE auditor | None needed |
| DIFC | We could not find a published rule | DFSA public register exists | DFSA registered auditors page |
| DHCC | Audited financial statements copy listed for renewal documents | No list found | None found |
| TECOM (Internet City, Media City) | We could not find a published rule or list; ask the free zone | Not found | None found |
| RAKEZ | Yearly, within 6 months, approved auditors only | Published PDF | RAKEZ auditors list PDF |
| SAIF Zone | We could not find a confirmed rule | Auditors directory page exists | SAIF Zone Auditors Directory |
| Sharjah Publishing City, SPC Free Zone, SHAMS | We could not find a published rule or list; ask the free zone | Not found | None found |
| Ajman Free Zone | We could not find a published rule or list; ask the free zone | Not found | None found |
| Hamriyah | Signed undertaking to submit audited financials at renewal | No list found | None found |
| ADGM | Yes unless exempt, ADGM registered auditor only | Public register | ADGM find an auditor page |
| KEZAD, Masdar City, twofour54 | We could not find a published rule or list; ask the free zone | Not found | None found |
| Fujairah, Creative City, UAQ | We could not find a published rule or list; ask the free zone | Not found | None found |
Source: each free zone authority's own website and documents (linked in the last column), checked .
Which free zones have their own auditor page?
These have a published list or a clear rule, so each has a page of its own: DMCC, JAFZA, RAKEZ and ADGM. DAFZA, DIFC, SAIF Zone, IFZA, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Meydan, DHCC and Hamriyah are covered section by section on free zone audit requirements.
How to pick an auditor for your zone
- Find the rule on your zone's own site or in its licensing handbook. If you cannot find one, ask the zone in writing.
- If a list exists, pick from it. Check the list date, since lists are updated.
- If the rule names a licence, such as a Dubai Economic Department licence, ask the firm for a copy.
- Check who must sign. DMCC, for example, asks that the audit partner holds a Ministry of Economy certificate.
- Ask for the due date in writing. Zones set it at different points after year end.
For the general process outside the zone rules, see audit for free zone licence renewal.
