Over the past two decades, Dubai has been experiencing a rapid growth in terms of commercial services, construction and tourism. Today, Dubai is one of the most popular tourism destinations across the region. The construction industry continues to grow and the market is matured more than before. And at last, thanks to the strong infrastructure, high level of security and modern regulations, Dubai has become the commercial hub of the Middle east region.
Considering the dynamic atmosphere of the Dubai market, rapid growth in the number of laborers and expats and the rising number of tourists visiting Dubai every year, Dubai is a great destination for online businesses such as online stores and ecommerce.
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How to start an ecommerce business in Dubai?
The process of starting an ecommerce business is pretty much like other businesses. You need to firstly have a business plan in place and move forward accordingly. For an ecommerce business to start in Dubai, in addition to designing an online platform which can be very complicated, you must get yourself familiar with the relevant regulations and required licenses to start from there.
It goes without saying that the most important part of building an ecommerce is to design an appropriate website. However, even if you work with the best web design company in Dubai to design and build your website, it would be worthless if you can’t get the required licenses.
As such, make sure to have all licenses in hand beforehand, as the web design Dubai price is relatively high, if it comes from professional web design companies.
Now, let’s see, what are the required licenses to get, if you intend to start your ecommerce business in Dubai.
What are the required licenses to start an online-store or ecommerce in Dubai?
● Decide on your business legal structure and register a company accordingly
The first step of your journey to start an ecommerce business in Dubai is to register your own company under your selected brand name. You must decide on the type of the company to be LLC, FZC, etc. based on your specific circumstances. As one of the requirements for registering a company in Dubai is to rent/buy an office, it would be a good idea to claim your business on Google, once your office space is rented out or bought.
● Business bank account is the next step for starting your ecommerce business.
Once your company is registered successfully, you must open a business account under your trade name, which is basically your company name.
● Applying for an ecommerce license is the last step of registering your ecommerce.
The last step to register an ecommerce business legally in Dubai, is to apply for the e-commerce license. Dubai, basically offers three types of license for ecommerce businesses as below:
1. E-Trader License
This type of license is only for UAE and GCC nationals living in Dubai. It will be issued under a single ownership structure and no office space or physical store is allowed.
2. Portal License
Portal license is another ecommerce license that can be obtained by non-UAE nationals. You can start your online business by a portal license which is perfect for selling products and services and also making reservations.
3. Virtual Company License
Virtual company licenses can be obtained by foreign investors and non-residents of UAE to start their online business. However it is only limited to three main categories which are computer programming, designing activities and printing and advertising services.
Bottomline
Now that you are familiar with the process of registering an online store in Dubai and the required licenses to obtain, you are in a better position to choose the right company structure and apply for a correct license. Don’t forget to put a professional business plan together and find the right web design and SEO service provider to work with.
One of the best digital service providers that you can cooperate with, with peace of mind is Websima DMCC. Websima has been serving many happy clients across different industries over the last decade. If you are in need, do not hesitate to contact websima with confidence and book for a free consultation meeting with their talented team. Take the opportunity to discuss your project in detail and they will get back to you with a solution that works perfectly for you.
