Last updated
IFZA, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Hamriyah state an audit rule on their own documents. DAFZA, DIFC and SAIF Zone point to a list or register of auditors, but the pages blocked us or showed no names. This page keeps each zone in its own section, with what we confirmed and what we could not. Use the quote form on this page to ask audit firms for a quote.
For DMCC, JAFZA, RAKEZ and ADGM, see their own pages from the links further down. The zone by zone overview is on free zone approved auditors.
IFZA
An audit is part of the IFZA licence renewal. The IFZA FAQ on renewal allows a Simplified Financial Statement on the IFZA template when annual turnover is AED 3 million or less and the company has nine employees or fewer. Fail either test and you need full audited statements.
The auditor rule is loose: any registered UAE auditor may be used, and there is no IFZA approved list. A report already done for the Federal Tax Authority for the latest year can be reused. The authorised signatory submits the statements by electronic form during renewal.
Source: IFZA FAQ on renewal requirements, checked .
Practical point: both tests count, so a company with low turnover and ten staff is outside the simplified route. Count staff before you ask for a cheaper quote.
Dubai Silicon Oasis
The DIEZA Implementing Regulations, regulation 65.1, say an FZCO must have its accounts audited by an auditor. Regulation 9.3(f) says the Registrar maintains a list of approved auditors.
We did not find that list on dso.ae, and the Legislations page does not carry it. We also could not confirm whether the audit is tied to renewal. Ask the Registrar for the current list and the filing date.
Source: DIEZA Implementing Regulations and the dso.ae Legislations page, checked .
Hamriyah Free Zone (HFZA)
HFZA licences can be renewed on a signed "Undertaking (For Submission of Audited Financials)". The company promises to submit the audited financials by a stated date, and failure brings penalties. HFZA rules also appear to require auditors from those approved by the Free Zone Authority, but we only saw that in a search snippet, so treat it as not verified. No list is published.
Source: HFZA audit submission undertaking form and implementing rules, checked .
Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZA)
We could not verify an audit rule from a DAFZA page we could open. What DAFZA does publish is a PDF titled Auditors List, in its document downloads on dafz.ae, with the date in the title. We saw versions dated , , , , , , and .
The file sits behind a bot wall, so we read no names and no count. The list is replaced often, so ask any auditor to confirm that it is on the newest dated file before you sign.
Source: Dubai Airport Freezone, document downloads, checked .
DIFC
The Dubai Financial Services Authority says it holds a Public Register of Registered Auditors and Audit Principals. The DFSA page blocked our access, so we cannot state the DIFC audit rule, the exemptions, the deadline or any names. If your DIFC company is regulated by the DFSA, the register is the first place to check an auditor. For a non regulated company, ask the DIFC registrar what applies.
Source: Dubai Financial Services Authority, registered auditors page, checked .
SAIF Zone
SAIF Zone has an Auditors Directory page at saif-zone.com/en/auditors-directory. The content we fetched showed only the heading. A search result said companies submit audited statements from approved auditors, but we saw that only in a snippet, so we do not present it as the rule. Open the directory in your browser and ask SAIF Zone whether listing is required.
Source: SAIF Zone, Auditors Directory page, checked .
Meydan, DHCC, Dubai South and TECOM
Meydan Free Zone says audited statements are needed in many UAE free zones and that the report must be signed by a licensed auditor registered with the UAE Ministry of Economy. It does not state Meydan's own deadline, and it publishes no approved list.
The Dubai Healthcare City Registration and Licensing Client Handbook lists a copy of audited financial statements among documents for FZ LLC and branch licence renewal. Which step needs it is not clear in the text we read.
For Dubai South, Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City we found no audit page on the zone sites. Ask the zone.
Sources: Meydan Free Zone, financial audit report page; DHCC Client Handbook; Dubai South, work page. Checked .
Zones with a page of their own
DMCC has a live approved auditor search and a six month deadline. JAFZA asks for a Dubai Economic Department licensed auditor and files on Dubai Trade. RAKEZ publishes a PDF list with a fine for late filing. ADGM requires a registered auditor unless an exemption applies. If your zone is not named anywhere here, read audit for free zone licence renewal.
