How to start an Ecommerce Business in the UAE? The complete guide, 2023 edition

E-commerce or electronic commerce is defined as the trade of selling goods and services mainly for the purpose of monetary gain and profit over networks on the internet. The trade in e-commerce involves B2B( Business to Business) and B2C(business to customer) transactions in the digital world. The UAE is a brilliant home ground for e-commerce businesses to thrive. The UAEs e-commerce industry is all set to reach the 10 billion dollar mark by the onset of 2026.

Social media activity in the UAE has reached an all time high with up to 99% of the population using a smartphone for Internet connectivity. In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, e-commerce development firms crafted and created e-commerce websites and homepages for almost all markets including retail, airlines, the Food industry, Fashion and jewelry, Homecare, education, holidays and destinations, vehicles and primary factory manufacturing and the services industry. You name it and it’s selling online! Starting an E-commerce company in the UAE?

Study your product and services

The products and services in the objective of the proposed e-commerce business, should solve a problem or meet a demand of the particular geography of incorporation. Products and services to be sold on the e-commerce homepage should be studied, researched and analysed with data to get the best of knowledge about it’s launch, stability, it’s competition in the market and other businesses that can propel the proposed business online either via SEO(search engine optimisation) or with AI(artificial intelligence) recognition that automatically marks your business to support or enhance another business with a similar narrative within the same geography. Pricing products and services, their availability, stock regulation, branding and packaging make up for the major part of the process of the study of the proposed products and services to be sold

Government policies and Licensing in the UAE

Governments across the UAE are very supportive when it comes to startup business models. E-commerce business ideas are of the highest importance to the Emirates. They have undertaken various programmes and schemes to support e-commerce business in the UAE. E-commerce businesses in the UAE, need approval from the Department of Economic Development (DED), for that particular Emirate. The DCC(Dubai Commercity) supports the growth of the e-commerce market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The e-Commerce License( Tajer Abu Dhabi)from Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) permits businesses in Abu Dhabi to add their online activities to existing licences and it also helps in obtaining a new license for online marketing and website business positioning. The DED trader license for Dubai is a Dubai zoned license that permits nationals from the UAE and the GCC who are residents of Dubai to practice business activities through social media and digital marketing. The Eitimad Sharjah license for Sharjah issued by theSharjah Department of Economic Development (SEDD) permits home-based businesses and electronic businesses to market, transact and develop an online market for their products and services in Sharjah. This licence cannot be issued to UAE residents living in Sharjah to protect and maintain a system of licensing e-Commerce businesses in the Emirates, the right way.

The Emirate of Ras-Al Khaima issues a virtual trader license to permit online businesses on all social media platforms and e-commerce websites for trade and online marketing purposes. The UAE is the perfect breeding ground for an e-commerce venture owing to its stringent and perfect policies of business incorporation that serve the interests of young budding entrepreneurs who hope and dream of achieving the best.

“The race for excellence has no finish line“
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Branding and registration

Get ready with an official name for the e-commerce business, apply for registration and select the right location for incorporation. As per laws and regulations in the UAE, every e-commerce business must have a physical presence or a physical business location.This makes way for a guarantee and a place of assurance for online customers as payment transactions are online. Zero in on an online name or a trade name that’s catchy, attractive and easy to remember. The trade name is every e-commerce company’s identity. The name selected should be in line with the regulations of the government in that particular region in the UAE. Different zones and regions have rules and regulations while naming a brand in the UAE as a copyright issue is a serious offence in the Emirates.

The Logo

Now comes the Logo for the proposed e-commerce venture. Now, why a logo? A logo calls out for attention in a very unique way. A logo is the first impression and foundation of your E-commerce business. It’s a mind thing as you might have noticed, at times, we remember a logo first, to remember the brand name. It’s easy to penetrate into a consumers mind, with a striking logo and an attractive brand name. Did you know logos speak stories about the brand? World famous German carmakers are identified with a symbol or a logo on their manufactured motor works. The logo on a motor vehicle is its identification. Famous food companies have logos that customers identify across the globe. The development of a logo is very important and when a logo goes wrong, it can be a problem. It can single handedly propel your branding or have a negative impact on it. Hire, an expert branding and merchandising team in the UAE, to get the best of branding and recognition for your e-commerce business. Logos are vital to an e-commerce business for its branding and positioning. HelloPixels is an e-commerce website developer and an expert in Logo design in the UAE. Their team of logo experts have designed and developed market positioning logos for clients across the GCC. Their logo derivation team are experts in emblem logos, Pictorial logos, Wordmarks type of logos, Monogram type of logos Abstract logo marks, Mascot Induced logo and the Combination marked logo.

“Logos are a graphic extension of the internal realities of the company” Saul Bass