Click-click, ding-dong. The world’s a digital playground – and that includes online shopping. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has the biggest online shopping market in the Middle East and it shows no signs of slowing down soon.
You can’t go wrong with setting up an online business in Dubai. Not only does this city boast a thriving e-commerce sector, but it is also geared to business like no other. Dubai provides a strategic location with access to global markets; an internationally acclaimed air, sea, and land transport infrastructure; preferential tax treatment conditions (a 0% personal and corporate tax rate); and business-friendly laws and regulations incentivised for economic development.
What’s more, conducting business online is easier than ever thanks to the proliferation of online platforms that make selling a service or a product incredibly simple and straightforward for shoppers.
Whether a one-person company, a new business venture, or offering professional services, creating an e-commerce company in Dubai is a relatively easy process. When you partner with Trade License Zone in Dubai, we’ll guide you through your company formation and trade license application to get you trading as soon as possible.
This article will show you 7 low-cost online business ideas in Dubai to kick-start your own online business ideas as well as inspire you to learn new skills to grow your e-commerce business.
Making Arts and Crafts
Arts and crafts – and other home-made items – are popular sellers in Dubai. Whether selling one-off furniture pieces, artwork and curios to collectables, you can conduct business as a legal entity in Dubai with the relevant business license. This type of online business is growing in popularity in this emirate, especially for the burgeoning ex-pat communities in Dubai.
An e-commerce license is essential for these types of business activities in Dubai. You won’t be required to hire office space or any other type of physical presence, but you can have a website and sell your products online. You can also make use of a delivery service for your products to be couriered to your customers speedily and safely.
To avoid making errors or wasting time on your business license application, speak to the friendly and experienced consultants at Trade License Zone.
Freelance Writer
Not every online business in the UAE is an e-commerce store. Do you have a way with the written word? Pursuing a career as a freelance writer in Dubai is an exciting business opportunity. A rewarding career as a freelance writer doesn’t necessarily mean trying to pen a hit novel. Companies in the UAE require expert content writing, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) services, copywriting, editing, and website content for their campaigns. Freelance writing also means you’ll be able to work from home – and it is a low-cost business to start; only an internet connection and a laptop are essential.
Worried your writing skills aren’t up to scratch? Perhaps you’d like to refresh your knowledge? Take one of Udemy’s Freelance Writing courses to learn more and start your business.
Consulting Business
Are you an industry specialist? If you’re skilled in any given field (such as IT, medicine, accounting, finance, marketing or engineering), starting a consulting business as a one-person company in Dubai will be a profitable move. Consulting businesses doesn’t require a physical office – you can work from home (WFH). The online business tools we have access to today mean you can hire an industry professional for a short time to assist your company with a specific task, instead of employing a full-time specialist. All a consulting business needs to get started is a website, proof of their experience in a given field, and an internet connection.
Contact the business startup specialists at Trade License Zone to learn how they can help you navigate your way through the business regulations, applications, and approvals processes to get a trading license for your new online business in Dubai.
Recruitment Agency
Over 90% of Dubai’s population is made up of foreign nationals. This emirate provides the perfect destination for investors and entrepreneurs – and these, in turn, create a greater demand for top talent. Recruitment agencies in Dubai are some of the busiest businesses: they need thousands of new hires for fields such as education, hospitality, finance, science, tech, and health.
Setting up an online business in Dubai such as this doesn’t require a physical office; you can operate as an online company offering online services to companies and job seekers alike. Serving as a conduit between job seekers and the growing businesses can be a highly lucrative online business in Dubai.
Brush up on the top tips for talent acquisition for your new e-commerce company from Skillshare.
Video Editor
When you open your social media apps, you will have been struck by the sheer number of videos being posted. They are undoubtedly the future of social media (think of the tremendous growth of TikTok and Instagram), and companies in Dubai are vying for the screen time of their customers too.
You can learn the skills to craft engaging, fun, and beautiful videos on Udemy to launch an online business as a video editor.
There are a few different video editing software systems to learn, and you can master them in a few weeks of online study to confidently advertise your new business on Dubai’s e-commerce market.
Social Media Specialist
You’re probably reading this article from your smartphone after coming across it on one of the world’s social media channels. If you’re interested in how to sell online, you need to master the fundamentals of social media marketing. That is also a fantastic online business to start in Dubai.
You don’t need to devote many months to studying: one of these online courses from Coursera will help you get started with the advanced skills you’ll need to service your clients’ needs.
A social media specialist usually helps companies to improve their online stores’ sales figures by generating leads, optimising advertising, generating the content, and managing their social media channels.
Translation Services
An online business service often overlooked is translation. With over 90% of Dubai’s population comprising foreign nationals, and thousands of businesses on the local market supported by a foreign parent company, translation services are always in demand. The most popular languages in Dubai – apart from English and Arabic – are Hindu, Faris, Urdu, Mandarin, Tamil, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Tagalong, and many more. That’s why Dubai enjoys professional document translation and other translation services. The business activities will be fun and exciting, and always different from day-to-day.
Working with Trade License Zone
Business setup in the UAE can be a complex process – even if you think you know what you’re doing. When you partner with Trade License Zone, we will save you from unnecessary delays or rejections and make the entire process a streamlined one.
When you work with the specialists at Trade License Zone, all you need to provide is some basic documentation and a little information about the nature of your business. Then, sit back and let the experts take care of the rest – managing your trade license and visa applications, communicating with all relevant departments and authorities, and reporting back when you’re ready to trade. It really is that simple.