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

VAlidate the HS-codes you use for shipping

Almost every country or trade block in the world has its own detailing on the international HS-code list. With our report you strongly reduce the risk on misclassifications, delays and higher custom duties than expected.

Tell us what you want to ship and where to and we ask you all relevant questions to get to the most likely code.

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.

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.