Selected zone research
Three focused research notes that surface the evidence question before sending you into the full SEZ Explorer zone record.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates · Airport-adjacent free zone · Operating
DAFZ is an operating Dubai free zone governed within the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority portfolio. Its proposition combines proximity to Dubai International Airport with offices, warehousing, light-industrial units and a broad licence menu for international trade, services and selected industrial activities.
Best suited to businesses that value airport proximity, rapid regional connectivity and a single free-zone operating environment. A 0% UAE corporate-tax rate can apply to Qualifying Income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person when all statutory conditions are met. In-scope multinational groups must also assess the UAE Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax, which applies from financial years starting on or after 1 January 2025 and targets a 15% minimum effective rate for groups meeting the €750 million revenue threshold.
Evidence coverage: 100/100 (passed)
Tangier, Morocco · Free zone / industrial acceleration zone · Operating
Tanger Free Zone is an operating export-oriented industrial zone within the Tanger Med Zones platform. Current official operator pages describe a 440-hectare dedicated zone, multiple sale and rental options, and sector clusters spanning automotive, aerospace, electronics, textiles, logistics and services.
Best suited to export manufacturers and suppliers seeking access to northern Morocco’s established industrial and logistics ecosystem. The zone-level case rests on its 440-hectare operating footprint, proximity to Tangier airport, sale and rental options and sector depth. Current tax, VAT, customs and foreign-exchange treatment should be confirmed under Moroccan law for the investor’s activity and structure; this profile does not publish an unsupported blanket incentive rate.
Evidence coverage: 100/100 (passed)
Barcelona, Spain · Industrial estate with a separate EU customs free zone · Operating
Zona Franca de Barcelona combines a 4.7 million square metre industrial estate, a separately defined customs free-zone area and the wider economic-development and innovation activity of the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona. These are related assets, but they are not one undifferentiated zone footprint.
Best suited to industrial, logistics and technology businesses seeking a mature Barcelona operating location and, where relevant, EU customs-procedure benefits. The customs free zone suspends import duties and related measures for eligible non-Union goods; it is not a corporate-tax holiday and it is materially smaller than the surrounding industrial estate.
Evidence coverage: 100/100 (passed)
How to use these notes
Start with the distinction each note isolates, then follow the zone record and source links. A note does not replace the canonical catalogue record or the deeper operating, cost, incentive and connectivity views.