Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does this activity cover?
It covers bulk trade in metal in primary forms such as ingot, billet, slab and cathode.
2. How is this different from semi-finished metal?
Primary forms come straight from the smelter. Semi-finished products have already been rolled or drawn, and sit under 4662.03.
3. Can I cast or roll the metal?
No. Any shaping of the metal is manufacturing under a separate code.
4. Can I trade metal scrap?
No. Scrap sits under class 4669 and needs its own activity.
5. Do I need third-party approval?
No. This activity does not require third-party approval to obtain a business license from Meydan Free Zone.
How to Open a Wholesale of Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals in Primary Forms in Meydan Free Zone
This activity covers bulk trade in metal in its first solid form. That means ingots, billets, slabs, sows and cast bar of various alloys. The metal has left the smelter, but nothing has been shaped or rolled from it yet. Buyers are rolling mills, extruders, foundries and fabricators.
The UAE is a serious producer at exactly this stage of the chain. Emirates Global Aluminium sold 2.74 million tonnes of cast metal during 2024.1 The company produces roughly one tonne in every 25 made anywhere in the world.1 All of that output has to be sold, stored and shipped on by someone.
The Gulf as a whole adds further weight to that picture. Regional smelters turned out about 6.3 million tonnes of primary aluminium in 2024.2 UAE metal reaches buyers in more than 50 countries around the world.1 Traders sitting close to that supply hold a real advantage on both price and lead time.
How much primary metal the UAE turns out
Whether you supply mills, extruders or foundries, this activity covers bulk trade in primary metal. The figures below show the supply around you.
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Sources: Aluminium International Today (November 2025), International Aluminium Journal (October 2025)
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Who is this activity for?
What this activity covers
This code covers wholesale trade in metals in primary forms. The class guidelines place this between ore and semi-finished product.
- Bulk trade in aluminium ingot, billet and slab
- Bulk trade in steel billet and primary ferrous forms
- Bulk trade in copper cathode and primary non-ferrous metal
- Storage and re-export of primary metal through UAE ports
- Wider metal wholesale allowed under the same class
Product scope
What falls outside this activity
This activity does not cover metal scrap, which the class guidelines place under class 4669. Smelting, rolling or otherwise working the metal is manufacturing and sits under its own code. Selling direct to the public is retail trade and needs a retail activity instead.
In short, you can trade primary metal in bulk, but not scrap, and you cannot cast or roll it yourself.
Compliance
THIRD-PARTY APPROVAL
This activity does not require third-party approval to obtain a business license from Meydan Free Zone.
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING COMPLIANCE
This business activity is not subject to AML compliance requirements.
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Citations
1. Aluminium International Today, Emirates Global Aluminium Achieves Production Milestone, November 2025.
2. International Aluminium Journal, Aluminium Smelters in the Gulf Region, October 2025.
