How to Start a Purchasing Through Catalogue Services Business with Meydan Free Zone

Introduction

Catalogue retail is one of the oldest and most enduring forms of distance selling, and it has undergone a profound transformation in the digital era. From printed mail-order catalogues that built household brands across the twentieth century, the catalogue model has evolved into curated subscription boxes, D2C brand websites, personalised recommendation engines, and digital lookbooks, all sharing the same commercial logic: the consumer makes a purchasing decision based on a curated presentation rather than a physical shop visit, and the product is delivered to their door.

This model now encompasses some of the fastest-growing retail segments globally.

The global subscription box market reached USD 34.6 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 114.3 billion by 2033 at a CAGR of 14.2%, according to Reports and Insights¹. This represents the catalogue retail concept at its most modern: a curated selection, chosen for the consumer on the basis of their profile and preferences, delivered directly to their address on a recurring schedule.

The global direct-to-consumer market, which encompasses the broader catalogue and online ordering model, was valued at USD 583.48 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 2.75 trillion by 2033 at a CAGR of 17.3%, according to IMARC Group². Both markets are being driven by the same structural forces: consumers’ desire for personalisation, convenience, and curated discovery.

The UAE is structurally well-positioned for catalogue and direct retail services. The country’s e-commerce market was valued at AED 27.5 billion in 2023, with projections to surpass AED 48.8 billion by 2028, according to GCC retail analysis³.

The UAE government has been actively incentivising D2C logistics automation through warehousing subsidies and tax reliefs for companies adopting high-efficiency fulfilment models, according to Expert Market Research⁴. Dubai’s more than 100 fulfillment centres, combined with 98% smartphone penetration and consumer comfort with remote purchasing across all categories, make it an exceptionally capable environment for catalogue, subscription, and direct-to-consumer retail operations.

The Purchasing Through Catalogue Services activity code covers the full range of catalogue, subscription, and direct-to-consumer retail formats defined by ISIC class 4791: retail via mail order, catalogues, internet, telephone, and direct-response channels, where the consumer makes a purchase decision at a distance on the basis of product presentation. This includes subscription box services, printed and digital catalogue retail, D2C online retail, and internet auctions, making it the appropriate licensing framework for any business that delivers products to consumers through a curated, catalogue-driven, or direct-to-consumer model.

Market at a glance

4791 Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet

Activity code 4791.99 falls within ISIC class 4791, which covers retail sale activities conducted via mail order, catalogues, telephone, television, radio, or internet, where the buyer makes a purchase decision based on product presentation rather than visiting a physical shop. Under the Meydan Free Zone classification, this sub-code is designated as Purchasing Through Catalogue Services, covering the full range of catalogue-driven, subscription, and direct-to-consumer retail formats.

This includes printed and digital catalogue retail, subscription box delivery services, direct-to-consumer online retail, internet retail auctions, and any format where the consumer selects and orders products at a distance on the basis of curated product presentation.

What this activity does not cover

Licensing and compliance

Who is this for?

Activity Details

Subscription box and curated delivery businesses Entrepreneurs building subscription box services that deliver curated product selections to consumers on a recurring basis, operating within a global market growing at a CAGR of 14.2% and driven by consumer demand for personalisation, discovery, and convenience.

Catalogue and direct mail retailersBusinesses selling products to consumers via printed catalogues, email catalogues, brochures, and other advertising media, where the consumer makes a purchase decision remotely and orders by telephone, mail, or online, serving the UAE’s 98% smartphone and 90% internet-penetration market.

Direct-to-consumer brands and D2C operatorsBrands bypassing traditional retail channels to sell directly to consumers via their own websites, apps, online platforms, and internet auctions, serving the UAE’s AED 27.5 billion e-commerce market and benefiting from UAE government incentives for D2C logistics and warehousing automation.

Third-Party Approval

Anti-Money Laundering Compliance

References