Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need approval to operate as a goods wholesaler?
No. Activity 4690.98 requires no third-party approval, so Meydan Free Zone can issue the business license directly. The activity is also not subject to AML compliance requirements.
Who does a goods wholesaler sell to?
Retailers and retail chains, plus industrial, commercial, and professional users buying in volume for operational use. Sale to final consumers falls under separate retail classifications.
How large are UAE wholesale flows?
Non-oil imports exceeded AED 2.1 trillion in 2025 and re-exports reached AED 830.2 billion, up 15.7% on the previous year, within a total non-oil trade economy of AED 3.8 trillion.
What is the difference between wholesaling and brokerage?
A wholesaler buys in its own name, takes ownership, holds stock, and carries the risk. A broker arranges transactions for others on commission without owning the goods, which is a separate licensed activity.
Can I hold inventory under this licence?
Yes. Stock holding and bulk breaking are central to the wholesale function, absorbing the timing gap between production and eventual sale.
Does this licence cover warehousing or freight services?
No. Providing warehousing, freight forwarding, or transport as standalone services to third parties is separately classified and requires its own activity.
How to Start a Goods Wholesalers Business with Meydan Free Zone
Goods wholesalers supply products in volume to retailers and to industrial, commercial, and professional users. The wholesaler sits between producer and end seller, buying at scale, holding stock, and breaking bulk into the quantities its customers actually need.
That intermediary function is what the trade is paid for: it removes the need for every retailer to deal directly with every manufacturer, and it absorbs the timing risk between production and sale.
The UAE gives that model an unusually deep base. Non-oil foreign trade passed AED 3.8 trillion in 2025, growing around 27% in a single year, with non-oil imports exceeding AED 2.1 trillion.[1] Re-exports reached AED 830.2 billion, up 15.7% against 2024 and 21.3% against 2023, which is a direct measure of wholesale distribution moving goods onward to third markets.[1]
Growth has continued into 2026, with non-oil trade reaching AED 1.937 trillion in the first half, up 13.1% year on year, supported by a widening network of trade agreements.[2] For a wholesaler, the practical advantage is that both sourcing and onward distribution can be run from the same base.
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Re-Exports of AED 830 Billion Moving Through Wholesale Channels
A Dubai-licensed goods wholesaler operates in a market where non-oil imports exceeded AED 2.1 trillion in 2025 and re-exports reached AED 830.2 billion, up 15.7 percent in a single year, within a total non-oil trade economy that passed AED 3.8 trillion for the first time.
Sources: UAE Ministry of Economy (2026), UAE official trade statistics (2026), Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development
Who Is This Activity For?
4690.98 - Goods Wholesalers
Activity 4690.98 sits within the broader class covering non-specialised wholesale trade. Within that class, this activity is the operation of a goods wholesaling business, offering wholesale goods and products to retailers and to industrial, commercial, and professional users. It covers buying in volume, holding stock, and supplying onward in trade quantities across product categories. The wholesaler trades in its own name and takes ownership of the goods, which distinguishes the activity from agency and brokerage work carried out on behalf of others.
The wholesale range covers:
- Volume purchasing from producers and importers
- Supply to retailers and retail chains in trade quantities
- Distribution to industrial and commercial end users
- Supply to professional and institutional buyers
- Bulk breaking into customer-sized consignments
- Stock holding and inventory buffering between producer and seller
- Onward distribution and re-export into regional markets
Service Scope
Retail Trade Supply
Supplying shops, chains, and retail groups with stock in wholesale quantities, including bulk breaking into shelf-ready consignments.
Industrial User Distribution
Supplying goods to industrial buyers purchasing for operational consumption rather than resale, where specification consistency matters most.
Commercial & Professional Supply
Distribution to offices, contractors, hospitality operators, and professional users buying in volume for business use.
Stock Holding & Bulk Breaking
Absorbing the timing gap between production and sale by holding inventory and supplying customers in the quantities they need.
Regional Onward Distribution
Moving goods that arrive in the UAE onward to buyers across the GCC and beyond, the largest single component of local wholesale volume.
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WHAT THIS ACTIVITY EXCLUDES
It is important to note what activity 4690.98 does not cover. Retail sale to final consumers falls under retail classifications rather than wholesale. Commission agency and brokerage carried out on behalf of others, without taking ownership of the goods, sits within its own fee or contract basis classification.
Specialised wholesale in a defined product category, such as food, textiles, metals, machinery, or pharmaceuticals, is separately classified. Manufacturing the goods, and providing warehousing, freight forwarding, or transport as standalone services, are each distinct activities.
In short: if you are buying in volume and supplying retailers and business users onward, you are in. If you are selling to consumers, brokering without owning stock, manufacturing the goods, or providing logistics as a standalone service, you are not.
Licensing & Compliance
Third-Party Approval:
No third-party approval is required before your business license is issued.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance:
This business activity is exempt from AML compliance requirement.
References
[1] Trade Arabia (UAE official trade statistics). (2026). UAE's non-oil foreign trade tops AED3.8 trillion for first time. tradearabia.com
[2] The National. (2026). UAE's non-oil foreign trade up 13% in first half of year to Dh1.9 trillion. thenationalnews.com
[3] Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development. Charting the UAE path in global trade. added.gov.ae
