Company Registration Costs in Duqm Free Zone (SEZAD)

Registering a company in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD) starts with a published government fee of OMR 1,000 for a new company, with reduced fees of OMR 30–40 announced for SMEs. On top of that you budget for your activity licence (industrial licences are OMR 1,550–2,250), land or premises (a usufruct application costs OMR 250; land rates depend on activity), visas and recurring costs. There is no minimum capital requirement.

This guide focuses only on money: which fees are published, which costs are quoted case by case, and how to build a realistic first-year budget. For the process itself, see procedures and documents for Duqm registration.

Published SEZAD fees

These are the fees listed on SEZAD's own service pages. Fees can change, so confirm them at the time of application.

Not published in a single public schedule: commercial (trading) and service activity licence fees, building and environmental permit fees, and land utilisation rates. SEZAD's investment department issues these by activity, so treat them as "on application".

Cost components to budget for

1. Government setup fees (one-time)

• Commercial registration in SEZAD (OMR 1,000, or the reduced SME fee if eligible).
• Activity licence for your sector (industrial, commercial, logistics, tourism, etc.).
• Chamber of commerce (OCCI) registration, which is graded by company capital and paid annually.

2. Premises: land, office or warehouse

Every SEZAD company needs a registered address in the zone. Your options drive most of the budget:

• Office or desk space in a business centre: suits trading, services and holding activities; quoted by the landlord.
• Ready-built warehouse or workshop: quoted by developers in the logistics and industrial areas.
• Land under usufruct: for factories and large projects. You pay the OMR 250 application fee, then an annual land utilisation fee at SEZAD's tariff rate for your activity. Agreements run up to 50 years and are renewable.

Building on your own plot adds design, building permit, environmental permit, civil defence and construction costs before you can apply for the industrial licence.

3. Residency and staffing

• Investor residence visa for the owner or manager.
• Work permits (labour clearances) and residence visas for expatriate staff.
• Medical tests, resident card and visa stamping for each person.
• Salaries, social insurance for Omani staff and staff housing, which is a real cost in Duqm because it is far from Muscat.

Visa and labour fees are set by the Royal Oman Police and the Ministry of Labour and vary by category, so get a current quote for your headcount. For a 10-year route, see the Golden Visa options.

4. Professional and banking costs

• Translation and attestation of foreign documents (passports, parent-company documents).
• Business plan or concept paper for land allocation.
• Corporate bank account opening (fees vary by bank).
• Accountant and auditor for annual financial statements and tax filing.

Example budgets (structure, not a quote)

Because many items are priced on application, use this structure to collect quotes:

Recurring annual costs

• Licence renewal and commercial registration renewal.
• Land utilisation fee or rent.
• Visa, resident card and labour permit renewals.
• Chamber of commerce renewal.
• Audit, bookkeeping and tax return (filing is required even during an exemption).
• Utilities, insurance and staff costs.

Tax: what you save and what still applies

SEZAD advertises income tax exemption of up to 30 years from the start of operations, renewable, under its original framework. For new enterprises, the 2025 Special Economic Zones and Free Zones Law provides a 10-year base exemption that can be extended for activities of a special nature, and excludes sectors such as banking, insurance, telecoms, contracting and transport. Customs duty does not apply to goods imported into the zone or exported from it. Read our Duqm laws guide for the legal detail and our Oman tax guide for mainland comparisons.

Ways to reduce your Duqm setup cost

1. Check SME eligibility before paying the full OMR 1,000 registration fee.
2. Start with office space and apply for land only when the project is ready; you avoid paying land fees while plans are still changing.
3. Choose the right industrial category. The licence fee depends on whether SEZAD classifies your activity as light, medium or heavy.
4. Prepare documents correctly the first time. Re-attesting documents from abroad is one of the most common avoidable costs.
5. Plan visas against Omanisation so you do not pay for permits you cannot use.

Common budgeting mistakes

• Treating the OMR 1,000 registration fee as the total cost.
• Forgetting construction and permit costs on usufruct land.
• Ignoring staff housing and travel costs in a remote location.
• Assuming the advertised 30-year tax holiday applies automatically to a new company.

Oman Register can collect current quotes from SEZAD and landlords for your activity and give you a written first-year budget. If you are still choosing a location, compare Duqm with Sohar costs or see the Duqm Special Economic Zone page.