Not everything that gets printed goes onto paper. The UAE retail sector is forecast to hit USD 75 billion in 2025, per Smerk Tech¹, and much of what shoppers, guests, and visitors see - branded glass panels in hotel lobbies, printed ceramic tiles in mall atriums, logo-etched metal signage on storefronts, custom graphics on acrylic displays - is produced by direct-to-substrate printing. The global direct-to-object printing sector is expanding at over 10% per year, per Markets², and UV-cured ink, the fastest-growing segment in digital printing, adheres to glass, metal, plastic, wood, and ceramics on contact³.
This is where printing meets manufacturing.
Mordor Intelligence⁴ values the UAE ceramic tiles market at USD 920 million in 2025, with digital printing technology driving the patterns and textures onto every surface. Dubai approved over 30,000 building permits in the first half of 2025 alone⁴, feeding demand for printed architectural glass, decorative panels, and surface cladding. The UAE's hospitality, retail, real estate, and events sectors all depend on printed surfaces that paper printing never touches. Whether you're printing branding onto glass bottles, custom designs onto ceramic tiles, graphics onto metal panels, or patterns directly onto fabric, this activity sits at the intersection of print technology and industrial production.
Who is this for?
1811.02 - Printing Directly Onto Textiles, Plastic, Glass, Metal, Wood And Ceramics (Except Silkscreen Printing On Textiles And Wearing Apparel)
Under this activity, you are in the business of printing directly onto textiles, plastic, glass, metal, wood, and ceramics. Unlike conventional paper printing, the substrates here are rigid, curved, heat-sensitive, or porous, and the equipment, inks, and techniques are specialised accordingly: UV-cured, solvent-based, and latex inks are commonly used depending on the surface.
This activity covers all printing methods except silk-screen printing on textiles and wearing apparel. It serves industrial, decorative, promotional, architectural, and consumer product applications.
However, there are boundaries. This activity does not cover silk-screen printing on textiles and wearing apparel, manufacture of paper articles such as binders and folders, publishing of printed matter, or photocopying of documents.
In short: if you are printing directly onto a surface that isn't paper (glass, metal, plastic, wood, ceramics, or textiles), you are in. If you are silk-screening onto fabric, printing on paper, or publishing content, that is a different business.
Third-Party Approval:
No third-party approval is required for this business activity.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance:
This business activity is exempt from AML compliance requirements.
Reference
¹ Smerk Tech — Retail Signage Trends in UAE Malls 2025 — https://www.smerktech.com/retail-signage-trends-in-uae-malls/
² MarketsandMarkets (via Andresjet) — Global Direct-to-Object Printing Sector — https://www.andresjet.com/blogs/knowledge/tapered-product-printer-advanced-precision-for-modern-manufacturing
³ SkyQuest — Digital Printing Market Trends, Opportunities, and Growth Outlook — https://www.skyquestt.com/report/digital-printing-market
⁴ Mordor Intelligence — UAE Ceramic Tiles Market — https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/uae-ceramic-tiles-market
