Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does this activity cover?
It covers bulk trade in semi-finished metal such as sheet, bar, tube and structural sections.
2. Can I cut material to length for a customer?
Cutting stock to length is normal wholesale practice. Fabricating a finished product is manufacturing and needs its own code.
3. How is this different from primary metal?
Primary metal is ingot and billet straight from the smelter, under 4662.02. This code covers metal that has already been rolled or drawn.
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.
Topic Summary
What Semi-Finished Metal Products Actually Are
Semi-finished metal products include sheet, plate, coil, bar, rod, tube, and structural sections that have been shaped but not yet turned into a finished good. They sit between raw smelted metal and the final fabricated product, ready for workshops to cut, bend, or weld.
Why Dubai Is a Strong Base for This Trade
Emirates Global Aluminium sold 2.74 million tonnes of cast metal in 2024, and Gulf smelters together produced roughly 6.3 million tonnes of primary aluminium that year. Much of that metal becomes semi-finished product before leaving the region, placing Dubai traders close to abundant supply.
Who Your Buyers Will Typically Be
Customers in this trade are fabricators, site contractors, and workshops rather than smelters or end consumers. UAE metal already reaches more than 50 countries, so your buyer base can span both local projects and export markets.
Two Business Models That Fit This Activity
Stockists and service centres win business by holding sheet, bar, and section ready for quick collection, where range and stock depth matter most. Contractor and fabricator suppliers, by contrast, succeed by meeting project schedules, where delivery timing is the critical factor.
Products You Can and Cannot Trade
The activity covers bulk trade in flat product, bar and rod, tube and pipe, structural sections, and aluminium extrusions for facades and fit-out. It does not cover metal scrap, any smelting or rolling process, or direct retail sales to the public.
Compliance Is Straightforward Under Meydan Free Zone
This activity does not require third-party approval to obtain a business licence from Meydan Free Zone. It is also not subject to anti-money laundering compliance requirements, keeping the setup process relatively simple.
How to Open a Wholesale of Semi-Finished Metal Products in Dubai with Meydan Free Zone
This activity covers bulk trade in metal that has been shaped but not finished. That means sheet, plate, coil, bar, rod, tube and structural sections of all sizes. The metal arrives ready for a workshop to cut, bend or weld into something. Buyers are fabricators, contractors and workshops rather than smelters or refiners.
Supply for this trade sits very close by. Emirates Global Aluminium sold 2.74 million tonnes of cast metal in 2024, feeding rolling and extrusion plants across the region.1 Gulf smelters together produced roughly 6.3 million tonnes of primary aluminium that year.2 Much of that metal becomes semi-finished product before it ever leaves the region.
Demand comes from construction and industry. UAE metal reaches more than 50 countries, so traders serve both local and export buyers.1 Building work, fit-out and infrastructure all consume these forms steadily through the year. Stock availability usually matters more to buyers than price alone.
Where semi-finished metal demand comes from
Whether you supply fabricators, contractors or workshops, this activity covers semi-finished metal trade. The figures below show the supply behind it.
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Sources: International Aluminium Journal (October 2025), Aluminium International Today (November 2025)
Who is this activity for?
What this activity covers
This code covers wholesale trade in semi-finished metal products not classified elsewhere. The class guidelines place these between primary metal and finished goods.
- Bulk trade in sheet, plate and coil
- Bulk trade in bar, rod and wire
- Bulk trade in tube, pipe and hollow section
- Bulk trade in structural sections such as beams and angles
- Storage, cutting to length and delivery to trade buyers
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 shaped metal stock in bulk, but not scrap, and you cannot fabricate finished goods.
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.
FOOTNOTES
1. International Aluminium Journal, Aluminium Smelters in the Gulf Region, October 2025.
2. Aluminium International Today, Emirates Global Aluminium Achieves Production Milestone, November 2025.
