Find clients and sell your products in Dubai and the Emirates

Finding clients abroad is always a challenge, and business development in Dubai and the Emirates is not different. You need the right contacts and once you reach the decision maker, you need the right sales pitch.

A lot of companies that want to enter the market in Dubai and the Emirates do this with their general sales pitch. However, if you don't know the local regulations, pricing levels and your competition's product, sales meetings may be difficult to conclude successfully.

How to sell your product or service in Dubai and the Emirates?

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), a federation of seven emirates in the Arabian Peninsula, has a population of about 9.9 million as of 2023. It is known for its oil wealth, futuristic architecture, and international business hubs.

The UAE’s economy, with a GDP per capita of around $43,000 USD in 2023, is highly diversified. Although oil and gas remain significant, sectors like finance, tourism, real estate, and aviation play major roles. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are key drivers of economic growth.

Dubai and UAE business culture

Dubai is one of the most cosmopolitan business centres in the Middle East, and a world trade hub. It is relatively easy to do business in Dubai compared to other Middle Eastern countries; Dubai ranks an impressive 22nd in the ease of doing business among 189 countries surveyed in the world.

Negotiation tactics in Dubai

While Dubai has a world-class business culture, the following tips will help conduct business professionally in the UAE:

Address people by their title and adopt a formal business approach
Though modern, Dubai, UAE is an Islamic country; it is best to understand and respect Islamic traditions when conducting business in Dubai
Touching Muslim women or engaging in eye contact with women is against local customs
Touching Muslim women or engaging in eye contact with women is against local customs
Lavish hospitality is the norm during meetings
Arabs are expert negotiators; expect tough bargaining and be prepared with a convincing pitch
Be sensitive to the presence of elderly persons and show them respect

Convince potential distributors

A local consultant can find possible business partners, or you have identified them yourself. But how to convince them to market and sell your products or services?

For this you need an export plan with a clear strategy and sufficient financial details.

Translate your website and check your SEO

Even if your business is really international, it may be wise to set up local website translations and check whether your text aligns with the culture.

This also counts for Dubai and the Emirates and its inhabitants. People prefer reading in their own language and also search most of the time in their own language. Therefore you need to include the relevant keywords in your texts, and these may not be a direct translation.

With regards to content, my personal experience is that if you have a successful blog topic in one language, it is likely to do well also in other languages. Don’t reinvent the wheel, just make a proper translation.

Translate your Wordpress site with WPML

For targeting a country you may need website translations that go beyond Google translate. You can do this with WPML.

WPML is a Wordpress plugin that helps you set up different translations of your web pages. This can be with automated translations, but you can also choose to have manual or adjusted translations or even specific content on the language pages.

Shipping your products

If you sell physical products, you need them to get delivered into Dubai and the Emirates. Depending on the country you are in, this may be a challenge.

First of all you may have to pay import duties or settle VAT. This can be complex if you don’t have your own legal entity in the country.

There may also be non-financial bariers, like certifications or approvals to be obtained. Especially for food, cosmetics or medicine this may be the case. Check this in advance, even before you invest in your marketing.

Get funding from banks & investors

Entering a new market is an investment. Finding partners, contracts, translations and marketing costs money and you may need additional working capital.

Only with a good plan with enough financial data you can convince banks and investors to fund you. We help you with the complete business case and documentation.

Frequently asked questions

How to do business development in Dubai and the Emirates?

First determine who can be the end-users for your product or service. From who do they purchase now? Interview a number of key players in the value chain how they perceive your offering and ask them who is your competition. Only then you can position your product or service and effectively approach potential buyers.

Is it difficult to find B2B clients in Dubai and the Emirates?

In Dubai and the Emirates, just as many comparable countries, this all depends on your offering and the way you organise your sales. If you offering already sells in other countries, you have good chances, but you still need to figure out the market structure and the sales channels that perform best. We always recommend to do interviews with key players first.

Is Dubai and the Emirates open for international business?

Yes, Dubai and the Emirates is certainly open for international business, the country has trade relationships with many other nations and although there may be import duties, certification and other customs regulations, you can certainly sell your goods there.

How to do sales in Dubai and the Emirates?

First of all adhere to the local business culture and follow local ways of making appointments and structuring them. Also in Dubai and the Emirates, companies want to make profits so if you can show how your product or service contributes to that, then the interest will be not different than in other countries. Where possible, work with local partners or have your sales supported by an international business consultant.

Can you find B2B clients for me in Dubai and the Emirates?

Yes, we can certainly do that, because we have experienced business developers in the country. Of course it is important that your product is good, well documented and you have discovered the best sales processes already in your home country.