How RAKIA built Ras Al Khaimah's economic zones, why it became RAKEZ in 2017, and what the merger means for today's investors and companies.
The Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA) was the emirate's primary investment-promotion and economic-development body before 2017. RAKIA was responsible for attracting foreign direct investment, developing industrial zones, and licensing companies that wanted to operate in Ras Al Khaimah.
It controlled land and facilities that later became part of the RAKEZ portfolio, including industrial and business zones that supported manufacturing, trading and logistics. Many long-standing RAK companies still remember their original licences as RAKIA registrations.
In 2017, RAKIA merged with the RAK Free Trade Zone to create the unified Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ). For current setup procedures, see our RAKEZ business setup guide.
Before 2017, Ras Al Khaimah had two parallel economic-zone bodies: RAKIA for industrial and mainland-style investment, and the RAK Free Trade Zone for free-zone companies. The split created duplicated processes, different service standards and confusion for investors choosing between zones.
The 2017 merger formed RAKEZ to offer a single-window service. The new authority standardised licensing, visa processing and facility management, and marketed Ras Al Khaimah as one coherent investment destination.
RAKEZ now combines the legacy industrial zones of RAKIA with the free-zone benefits of the former RAK FTZ, while keeping costs lower than Dubai and Abu Dhabi alternatives.
RAKIA's original industrial zones continue to operate under the RAKEZ framework and remain central to manufacturing, logistics and trading companies.
Light industrial, logistics and warehousing near Al Hamra Village and the coast.
Heavy manufacturing cluster serving cement, ceramics, steel and allied industries.
Industrial facilities supporting quarrying, construction materials and logistics.
Shared-office, flexi-desk and corporate-office solutions across RAKEZ-licensed buildings.
RAKIA was the emirate's pre-2017 investment-promotion and economic-zone authority. It merged with RAK Free Trade Zone to create RAKEZ.
RAKIA's operational functions were folded into RAKEZ. The RAKIA name is no longer the active brand for new company formation.
RAKIA was the predecessor authority; RAKEZ is the 2017 merged authority that now handles all business licensing and facilities in Ras Al Khaimah.
To eliminate duplication, create a single-window investor experience and present Ras Al Khaimah as one unified, cost-competitive destination.
RAKIA's industrial and business zones were integrated into the RAKEZ facility portfolio and continue to host tenants under the new framework.