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SHAMS Company Setup in Sharjah
Lexoford Services L.L.C-FZ is a SHAMS Authorized Partner for Sharjah Media City (SHAMS) company registration in Sharjah.
Lexoford Services is an IFZA Authorized Professional Partner. Partner ID 11215-7490. The certificate is dated 2026-09-25. Lexoford Services is a SHAMS Authorized Partner and an Expo City Dubai Free Zone Channel Partner. The Authorized Professional Partner title applies to IFZA. Lexoford Services is licensed in Meydan Free Zone, Dubai, licence 2651822.01. That licence is Lexoford Services' own trade licence. It is not a SHAMS licence.
What the service covers
Match the planned activity to a form the 2024 regulations define: a limited liability company, or a branch of a company or foreign entity. SHAMS's licensing page states that up to five activities can sit on one licence. Confirm the activity list in writing before filing.
Prepare the application form the Authority prescribes, the memorandum the regulations require, and the identity, UBO and parent-company papers SHAMS's setup blog lists where they apply.
Follow the digital application SHAMS's licensing page describes: register, pay, and receive the licence if the Authority grants it. The regulations say the Authority may accept or reject an application. External approvals stay with the authority that issues them.
The 2024 regulations define UBO Regulations as those issued by the Authority or a competent authority. SHAMS's 2023 setup blog lists an ultimate beneficial owner form. Lexoford Services coordinates the information the file needs.
Prepare the corporate account file and coordinate with the bank. SHAMS's FAQ says a list of banks is provided, and that bank representatives are in the SHAMS office to answer queries. The bank decides. Account opening is not guaranteed.
Coordinate the visa steps that sit inside the service tier you select. Immigration decides. Visa approval is not guaranteed.
Lexoford service fee from AED 3,999; government and free-zone fees are extra, paid at cost. Estimate your itemised total.
Other jurisdictions
If SHAMS is not the right jurisdiction, Lexoford Services is an Expo City Dubai Free Zone Channel Partner. Lexoford Services can arrange company registration in Meydan Free Zone, DMCC, RAKEZ or SPC Free Zone, and on Dubai mainland. IFZA company setup is the only page on which Lexoford Services is an IFZA Authorized Professional Partner.
Compare activity, visas and budget before choosing a zone. How to choose a Dubai free zone is a decision framework, not a ranking. Company formation covers mainland, free zone and offshore work beyond this page.
What SHAMS publishes about setup
The points below are taken from SHAMS's regulations, homepage, licensing page, FAQ and a dated setup blog, checked on 2026-10-14. This page does not add fee amounts or a processing time that those sources do not agree on.
The English homepage states that Sharjah Media City (SHAMS) was established in 2017 by Emiri Decree of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, as a free zone for media and creativity. The contact page publishes the address as Sharjah Media City (Shams), Al Messaned, Al Bataeh, Sharjah. The regulations name the authority as the Sharjah Media City Free Zone Authority and the zone as the Sharjah Media Free Zone under Emiri Decree No. 11 of 2017. The homepage places the zone in Al Messaned, Sharjah, on more than 2 million square metres, and says it licenses and supports startups, SMEs, companies and freelancers.
A company under the 2024 regulations is a limited liability company with separate legal personality. Shareholder liability is limited to the capital to be contributed for the shares, except as the regulations say UAE Federal Law No. 2 of 2015 and its amendments provide. The company must have at least one shareholder and no more than 50.
A company or a foreign entity may apply to establish a branch. A branch has no separate legal personality. Profits and liabilities of the branch are profits and liabilities of the company or foreign entity that established it.
A valid licence is required to carry on an activity, and only the activity on that licence. The Authority may issue a temporary licence, and it may accept or reject an application or vary or withdraw a licence. A licence may not be assigned without the Authority's prior written approval. The current licensing page states that up to five activities, including across industries, can sit on one licence, and names consultancy, trading, media and e-commerce among the sectors.
SHAMS's FAQ states that a local partner is not required and that the owner has 100% ownership of the company. The same FAQ states that an existing visa can be used and that a no-objection certificate from the current sponsor is not required. The licensing page states that the company can be registered as an LLC without "FZ" in the name. Those are SHAMS's statements.
A company must have a memorandum, in Arabic or English, filed with the Authority. It states the company name, financial year, each shareholder's name and nationality, the capital and the shares. Share capital is determined by the shareholders. A share is paid in full when allotted unless the Authority authorises a partly paid share. Bearer shares and fractional shares are not allowed. The entity must keep a registered address in the zone, notify specified changes within 15 business days, and keep records for at least five years.
SHAMS's published setup sequence
The licensing page describes an LLC or a branch, and up to five activities on one licence. The regulations require the prescribed application.
The regulations require the memorandum. The 2023 blog lists identity papers, an onboarding form, a UBO form, a business plan, and parent-company papers for a branch.
The licensing page describes registering, paying and receiving the licence online. The regulations say the Authority may grant or refuse the licence.
Visas, a corporate bank account, a Chamber of Commerce certificate and an import or export code are separate applications. SHAMS's FAQ says the Chamber certificate is not issued with the licence.
SHAMS's FAQ states that payment is 100% upfront and that major credit cards are accepted, while banks may convert a payment to instalments. The licensing page also names Tabby, Tamara and monthly instalments through partner banks. This page does not resolve that difference. The FAQ also states that a P.O. Box is available for an annual fee. It does not state the fee.
Sources: SHAMS Companies and Licensing Regulations 2024 (PDF); SHAMS homepage; SHAMS contact; SHAMS licensing page; SHAMS FAQ; SHAMS setup blog, 9 October 2023. Checked 2026-10-14.
Visas, in SHAMS's own wording
- The licensing page states that a licence can carry up to 50 visas, with the allocation based on business needs and structure.
- The 2023 setup blog says a visa can be applied for after the application is approved. That is an application, not an approval.
- The FAQ asks whether a dependent visa is available. On 2026-10-14 that answer was not published, so this page does not state one.
- Medical tests, Emirates ID and residence stamping are separate from licence issuance.
Those statements do not fix a visa count for every file. The visa counts named in the service tiers below are Lexoford Services' service-fee scope, not a SHAMS allocation. Approval of the company application does not mean a visa will be approved for a particular person.
Sources: SHAMS licensing page and SHAMS FAQ. Checked 2026-10-14.
Service fees
The three service tiers and the visa-count sentence below are the same wording as the pricing section on the Lexoford Services homepage. They are Lexoford service fees, not SHAMS fees.
0–1 visa: Starter AED 3,999. 2–3 visas: Business AED 4,999. 5 visas: Premium AED 7,999. Each additional visa adds AED 1,000 service fee beyond the visas your tier includes. Customer pays = government/free-zone fees at cost + Lexoford service fee.
Government and free-zone fees are extra, paid at cost. Estimate your itemised total. This page does not publish a SHAMS fee schedule.
How Lexoford Services handles a SHAMS file
Activity, customers, shareholders, whether the file is an LLC or a branch, and whether anyone needs a residence visa.
Service fee and authority fees listed separately, using the service tiers above. No all-in sticker on this page.
The prescribed application, the memorandum, and the identity, UBO and parent-company papers that apply to the shareholder type.
Licence documents first. Banking and visas are separate applications. The bank and immigration decide.
It depends on the jurisdiction, business activities and authority review; Lexoford gives an estimate after checking your documents. That is not a SHAMS service level. Remote company setup separates licence steps from medical, Emirates ID and bank visits.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Lexoford Services L.L.C-FZ is an IFZA Authorized Professional Partner. Partner ID 11215-7490. The certificate is dated 2026-09-25. Lexoford Services is a SHAMS Authorized Partner and an Expo City Dubai Free Zone Channel Partner. Lexoford Services can arrange company registration in Meydan Free Zone, DMCC, RAKEZ and SPC Free Zone, and on Dubai mainland. The Authorized Professional Partner title applies to IFZA.
No. AED 3,999 / 4,999 / 7,999 are Lexoford service fees (Starter / Business / Premium). Free-zone and government fees are billed at cost, with no markup. This page does not publish a SHAMS fee schedule.
The Sharjah Media City Free Zone Companies and Licensing Regulations 2024 define a company as a limited liability company incorporated in the Sharjah Media Free Zone, with a minimum of one and a maximum of 50 shareholders. The same regulations say a company or a foreign entity may apply to establish a branch, and that a branch has no separate legal personality. SHAMS's current licensing page lists LLCs and branches, and states that up to five activities can sit on one licence. A 2023 SHAMS blog also names a sole proprietorship. This page follows the 2024 regulations and the current licensing page for the company form, and does not treat that blog line as the current form.
The 2024 regulations say incorporation and branch establishment use the application form prescribed by the Authority. A company must have a memorandum, in Arabic or English, filed with the Authority. A 2023 SHAMS blog lists identification documents, an onboarding form, an ultimate beneficial owner form and a business plan for an LLC or a branch, and, for a branch, the parent company's certificate of incorporation, articles of incorporation and a certificate of good standing. Do not send passports or identity documents through the form on this page.
SHAMS's licensing page states that setup can be completed fully online, and that the licence can be received from anywhere. SHAMS's FAQ asks whether the investor must be a UAE resident, and on 2026-10-14 that answer was not published on the page. This page does not fill that gap. The same FAQ states that an existing visa can be used and that SHAMS does not require a no-objection certificate from the current sponsor. Visa, medical and Emirates ID steps are separate from licence issuance. This page does not state a SHAMS processing time. It depends on the jurisdiction, business activities and authority review; Lexoford gives an estimate after checking your documents. That is not a SHAMS service level.
SHAMS's licensing page states that a licence can carry up to 50 visas, with the allocation based on the business needs and structure. That figure is SHAMS's published ceiling. It is not a Lexoford fee and it is not a promise that a particular person will be approved. SHAMS's FAQ asks about a dependent visa and, on 2026-10-14, that answer was not published. The visa counts in Lexoford's Starter, Business and Premium service tiers are the scope of the service fee, not a SHAMS allocation. Visa approval is not guaranteed.
SHAMS's homepage states that the zone covers more than 2 million square metres in Al Messaned, Sharjah, and that it was established in 2017 by Emiri Decree. SHAMS's contact page publishes the address as Sharjah Media City (Shams), Al Messaned, Al Bataeh, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. SHAMS's FAQ states that the company address will be Sharjah Media City (SHAMS). Those are the zone's published addresses, not Lexoford Services' meeting office. Lexoford Services' public office is Office 607, 6th Floor, RAG Tower Business Center, Al Barsha 1, Dubai. In-person meetings are by appointment. Email info@lexofordservices.ae or call +971 58 500 2191.
What this page does not state
- No SHAMS licence, visa or package fee in dirhams. SHAMS marketing pages and the licensing-page calculator publish amounts. This page does not repeat them, so they are not read as Lexoford fees.
- No SHAMS processing time. The licensing-page title refers to 60 minutes. On 2026-10-14 the body of that page described a callback in less than 60 seconds and did not state a licence-issuance time. The 2023 setup blog does not state a number of days.
- No single payment rule. The FAQ says payment is 100% upfront. The licensing page also names Tabby, Tamara and partner-bank instalments.
- No answer where SHAMS left the FAQ blank on 2026-10-14: invoicing clients anywhere in the UAE, whether the investor must be a UAE resident, and dependent visas.
- No minimum share capital in dirhams. The 2024 regulations say the shareholders determine the capital. They do not state a minimum amount on the pages cited here.
- No sole proprietorship as the current company form. The 2023 blog names one. The 2024 regulations define a limited liability company, and the current licensing page lists LLCs and branches.
- No tax rate. SHAMS marketing pages make broader tax claims. The FAQ cites Federal Decree-Law No. (8) of 2017 and tells licence holders to check VAT eligibility. See UAE corporate tax and VAT.
- No guarantee of licence, visa or bank-account approval, and no ranking of free zones. Lexoford Services is a SHAMS Authorized Partner.
Lexoford Services is not a law firm. What Lexoford Services does not guarantee.
Discuss a SHAMS company registration
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Office 607, 6th Floor, RAG Tower Business Center, Al Barsha 1, Dubai, UAE. Meetings by appointment. Licence No. 2651822.01.