Ras Al Khaimah is the best location for business growth

As the northernmost emirate of the UAE, Ras Al Khaimah aptly means "top of the tent". Today, that phrase implies more than the emirate's mere geographic location; it also illustrates Ras Al Khaimah's emerging role in global trade and business. 

Ras Al Khaimah is one of the seven emirates in the UAE, along with Dubai and Abu Dhabi. As one of the country's fastest-growing emirates, Ras Al Khaimah has a domestic economy that has expanded nearly 8 per cent over the past few years. 

Ras Al Khaimah has been ranked among the Top 10 Small- and Mid-sized Global Cities of the Future, along with Zurich, Geneva, Edinburgh and other internationally recognised cities. The ranking, published in the London-based Financial Times' fDi Magazine, lists Ras Al Khaimah in eighth place overall, and in the top 10 of an impressive total of six categories. 

The buzz about the business-friendly investment environment of the emirate has drawn thousands of international companies to locate in Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone (RAK FTZ), a cost-effective market entry portal to the rapidly growing Middle East, Africa and South Asia region. RAK FTZ has been recognised by fDi Magazine as one of the best free zones in the world for small- and medium-sized enterprises that are looking to access the vast potential in this fast-evolving region of more than 2.5 billion people. 

The lure of RAK FTZ is quite obvious. Businesses in the free zone do not have to pay any corporate or income taxes, and they can own 100 per cent of their ventures. Companies can also fully repatriate their profits, and business costs are up to 50 per cent lower than in other emirates, allowing companies to maximise their return on investment. 

One of the key advantages of RAK FTZ is its proximity to one of the world's largest logistics hubs: Dubai. The free zone is only 45 minutes from the Dubai International Airport, which serves more than 125 airlines that fly to nearly 300 destinations across six continents.