United arab emirates Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in united arab emirates, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Market Entry Strategy
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The UAE has an open market economy and there are several market entry options available for exporters. Here are some highlights of market entry topics. The Selling U.S. Products and Services chapters has additional information on market entry strategy.

Trade Events

The UAE is a regional commercial hub and hosts world-class trade exhibitions and conferences where U.S. companies can meet buyers from the UAE, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and around the world. The U.S. Commercial Service offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai support a wide range of trade exhibitions and promotion events designed to help U.S. companies that are seeking to enter and expand in the UAE and regional markets.

Distributors and Agents

Working with a distributor or agent is an option for entering the UAE market. Finding the right local agent or distributor can be a critical first step for success. Due diligence is crucial. The U.S. Commercial Service team has business matchmaking services available to meet qualified distributors and agents and to help with due diligence.

Free Trade Zones (FTZs)

Free Trade Zones allow 100% foreign ownership, quick registration, and advanced logistical support. They are often organized along sectoral lines. In 2025, the Dubai Free Zones Council (DFZC) rolled out the One Freezone Passport to enhance the ease of doing business across Dubai’s free zones. The initiative provides businesses with access to multiple free zones with a single license, in keeping with Dubai’s goal of fostering an agile and investor-friendly business environment.

Competitive Positioning

As a regional trade hub supporting significant international business activity, the UAE is a market where U.S. companies can expect to face strong multinational competition. Successful U.S. companies often rely on technological and qualitative advantages, customer service, and after-sales service to compete with foreign companies that may have lower price points. 

Regional Approach

Many U.S. companies looking to do business in the Middle East often find advantages in a regional approach. The Gulf region is also one of the largest and fastest-growing export markets for U.S. goods and services. The members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC - UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain) have taken steps to harmonize standards and regulatory measures.
 

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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