How to Start a General Trading Business with Meydan Free Zone

General trading is the business of buying and selling many types of goods under one license. You are not tied to a single product. In the UAE, this is one of the most popular licenses. The country sits on the world's main trade routes, and its economy is built on moving goods.

The scale of trade is large. UAE non-oil foreign trade hit an all-time high of AED 2.997 trillion in 2024. That was up 14.6 per cent on the year before. ¹ Growth has kept going. Non-oil trade reached a record AED 1.937 trillion in the first half of 2026 alone, up 13.1 per cent. ² The UAE now aims for AED 4 trillion in yearly non-oil trade by 2031.

For traders, this means deep and steady demand. A Meydan Free Zone business license lets you trade a wide range of goods. It needs no third-party approval, as shown below.

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Why Traders Choose the UAE

• Location: The UAE links Europe, Asia and Africa on key trade routes.
• Re-export hub: Goods flow through the country to the wider region.
• Strong ports and airports: World-class logistics move goods fast.
• Open economy: Free zones make it easy to set up and trade.
• Growing trade: Non-oil trade keeps hitting new records.

The Scale of UAE Non-Oil Trade

General trading plugs into one of the world's busiest trade economies. Here are the numbers behind the demand.

Sources: Government of Dubai; AGBI

Who Is This Activity For?

4690.97 – General Trading

Activity 4690.97 sits within the broader Non-Specialized Wholesale Trade class. That class covers the wholesale of many goods, with no set specialisation. General trading is the widest form. It lets you buy and sell a broad mix of goods under one license.

The activity is broad by design. But it does not, on its own, cover goods that need their own approvals. It also does not replace the special trading activities that some products require. The exclusions below explain this.

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It helps to be clear on what general trading does not cover on its own. Some goods carry their own rules and need a special activity and approvals. These include products such as pharmaceuticals, tobacco, and precious metals and jewellery. A general trading license does not sweep these in. General trading also does not cover services. Services are licensed under their own activities.

In short: if you are buying and selling a broad mix of unregulated goods, you are in. If you are trading controlled goods that need their own approvals, or providing services, those are separate activities.

General Trading or Specific Activities?

General trading is broad on purpose. It lets you buy and sell many goods under one license, with no need to pick a single product line. Many businesses value that freedom. It is a fully valid choice, and there is no reason you cannot build on it.

It helps to know one thing, though. If you already know your main product lines, it can pay to list the specific trading activities too. This is mostly about banking. UAE banks look closely at your license when you open a company account. They do this as part of their Know Your Customer checks. A very broad activity can take longer to clear. It is harder for a bank to picture what will flow through the account. A specific activity, such as electronics trading or garment trading, gives a clearer picture. In practice, that can mean faster account opening and fewer questions. It also helps your transactions match what your license says you do.

This is not an either-or choice, and it is not limiting. One license can hold several specific trading activities at once. You can also add or change activities later as your business grows. So if your trade is already focused, it is often worth naming the specifics for smoother banking. General trading still fits well when you truly need to trade across many different goods. If you are not sure, raise it with your bank or setup adviser before you finalise the license.

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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.

References

1  Government of Dubai. UAE foreign trade hits all-time high of AED 3 trillion by end of 2024.

2  AGBI. UAE non-oil foreign trade rises as exports hit record, H1 2026.