Table of Contents
How to Start an Industrial and Liquefied Natural Gas Trading Business with Meydan Free Zone
Every LNG cargo leaving Das Island, every pipeline gas delivery to a UAE power plant, and every industrial customer running boilers or process heaters on natural gas connects back to the UAE's industrial gas trading layer. According to Dubai Petrol Station1, the UAE currently exports around 6 MTPA of LNG from Das Island and plans to grow this to approximately 15 MTPA by 2030, anchored by the Ruwais LNG project (9.6 MTPA across two liquefaction trains) which took FID in mid-2024.
ADNOC is signing long-term supply agreements with Chinese, Indian, European, and other international buyers as global LNG demand expands2. A wholesaler in this activity is the firm that trades industrial gas and LNG between producers, traders, and end-users.
For an industrial and LNG trader setting up in this activity, three dynamics define the UAE market. First, export capacity is expanding sharply: Dubai Petrol Station1 reports the UAE growing LNG export capacity from 6 MTPA at Das Island today to approximately 15 MTPA by 2030, with Ruwais LNG adding 9.6 MTPA in two trains powered by clean energy.
Second, the buyer network is increasingly global: Offshore Energy2 reports ADNOC signing multi-year supply agreements with ENN (15-year, 1 MTPA from Ruwais), RWE (up to 1 MTPA for Germany and Europe), plus Shell, EnBW, SEFE, and Chinese state traders, positioning UAE-based gas trading for both long-term offtake and spot market participation. Third, domestic industrial demand runs in parallel: UAE power generation, petrochemical processing, and industrial manufacturing pull pipeline gas continuously, with ADNOC Gas operating infrastructure that includes the Habshan complex at 6.1 billion standard cubic feet per day capacity.
Whether you are trading LNG cargoes to international offtakers, supplying pipeline gas to UAE industrial customers, or running spot and term trading operations across natural gas categories, this activity covers the industrial and LNG trading layer.
Meydan Free Zone offers 100% foreign ownership, zero corporate tax on qualifying income, and a fully digital licensing process, positioning industrial and LNG traders at the centre of a market where UAE LNG export expansion, global gas demand growth, and regional industrial gas consumption are generating sustained trade flows across pipeline, cargo, and industrial delivery formats.
4669.84: Industrial & Liquefied Natural Gas Trading
Under this activity, you are licensed to trade industrial gas and liquefied natural gas between producers, offtakers, and end-users.
However, this activity has defined boundaries. It excludes collection of household and industrial waste, treatment of waste aimed at disposal rather than onward industrial use, processing of waste and scrap into secondary raw material through a real transformation process, dismantling of automobiles, computers, televisions and other equipment for materials recovery, shredding of cars by mechanical process, ship-breaking, and retail sale of second-hand goods.
In short: if you trade industrial gas or LNG between producers, offtakers, and end-users you are in.
Licensing & Compliance
Who is this for?
| Audience Segment | Profile |
|---|---|
| LNG cargo traders and offtakers | |
| Industrial natural gas suppliers to UAE end-users | |
| Regional gas trading and structured supply specialists | |
| Firms trading LNG cargoes between UAE liquefaction producers and international buyers, managing long-term supply agreements, spot transactions, and shipping logistics under SCOE pre-approval framework. | |
| Firms supplying pipeline natural gas to UAE power generators, petrochemical processors, and industrial manufacturers under term contracts with ADNOC and international gas suppliers. | |
| Firms running structured gas trading operations including regasification capacity, storage agreements, and regional supply arrangements across GCC and broader Middle East markets. |
Activity Details
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| LNG cargo trading and international offtake | Trading of LNG cargoes between UAE liquefaction facilities and international offtakers under long-term supply agreements, spot transactions, and structured commercial terms. Trade LNG cargoes from Ruwais and Das Island to Asian offtakers including ENN and Zhenhua Oil, supply European markets via RWE and EnBW agreements, or manage spot cargo trading alongside long-term term contracts. TRADER DYNAMICS LNG trading runs on ADNOC and global gas major relationships, cargo shipping logistics coordination, and SCOE-approved operational framework, with established traders combining long-term offtake with spot-market participation to balance portfolios. |
| Pipeline natural gas for UAE industrial supply | Trading of pipeline natural gas to UAE power generators, petrochemical processors, and industrial manufacturers under term contracts and structured supply arrangements. Supply pipeline gas to UAE power generation plants on long-term contracts, distribute natural gas to petrochemical processors and industrial boiler operators, or arrange structured industrial gas supply for UAE manufacturing clients. MARKET TRENDS Dubai Petrol Station¹ notes UAE LNG expansion from 6 MTPA to 15 MTPA by 2030 with ADNOC Gas infrastructure including the Habshan complex at 6.1 billion standard cubic feet per day, anchoring sustained domestic and export gas trading demand. |
| Regional structured gas trading and supply | Structured gas trading including regasification capacity, storage agreements, and regional supply arrangements across GCC and wider Middle East and Asian markets. Arrange regasification capacity in Germany or regional markets, structure storage-linked supply contracts for regional industrial buyers, or run integrated GCC-Asia gas trading operations leveraging UAE's central position. UAE CONTEXT Offshore Energy² notes ADNOC and RWE exploring LNG supply to Germany and Europe at up to 1 MTPA for up to ten years, alongside regasification and broader value chain opportunities, with UAE positioned as a central Middle East gas trading hub. |
Third-Party Approval
This business activity requires approval from the Supreme Council of Energy (SCOE) prior to obtaining the trading license.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
This business activity is exempt from AML compliance requirements.
References
- ¹ Dubai Petrol Station. (2026). LNG Development Projects in UAE: Export Capacity and Market Opportunities. dubaipetrolstation.com
- ² Offshore Energy. (2026, February 9). ADNOC and RWE diving into new LNG opportunities. offshore-energy.biz
