How to Start a Commercial Brokerage Services Business with Meydan Free Zone

Commercial brokerage services cover wholesale trade conducted on a fee or contract basis, where the broker arranges the sale of goods on behalf and on the account of others rather than trading in its own name. Commission agents sit at the centre of this model. They bring sellers and buyers together, or execute transactions for a principal, across categories from agricultural raw materials and metals to machinery, food, textiles, and building materials. No stock is purchased and no title passes to the broker, which keeps working capital low and makes the model scalable across sectors.

Re-export flows are the clearest indicator of demand. UAE re-exports reached AED 830.2 billion by the end of 2025, growing 15.7% against 2024 and 21.3% against 2023.^[1] These are goods entering the country and moving onward to a third market, and every one of those transactions requires someone to match supply with demand across borders. Total non-oil foreign trade passed AED 3.8 trillion in the same year, up roughly 27%, with non-oil imports alone exceeding AED 2.1 trillion.^[1]

Trade partnerships continue to widen the field. The UAE has signed 37 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements, of which 18 were already in force, opening corridors where commission agents can operate between markets that previously traded little with one another.^[2]

Re-Export Flows Driving Demand for Commission Agents

A Dubai-licensed commercial brokerage operates on re-export flows that reached AED 830.2 billion by the end of 2025, growing 15.7 percent in a single year and 21.3 percent against 2023, within a non-oil trade economy of AED 3.8 trillion where goods routinely arrive from one market and move onward to another.

Sources: UAE Ministry of Economy (2026), UAE official trade statistics (2026), Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development

Who Is This Activity For?

4610.11 - Commercial Brokerage Services

Activity 4610.11 sits within the broader class covering wholesale conducted on a fee or contract basis. Within that class, this activity is the provision of commercial brokerage services by commission agents and other wholesalers who trade on behalf and on the account of others. It covers bringing sellers and buyers together, and undertaking commercial transactions for a principal, including through online channels. The agent may work across agricultural raw materials, fuels, ores, metals, industrial chemicals, food and beverages, textiles and footwear, timber and building materials, machinery, and household goods. The defining feature is that the broker never trades in its own name.

The service range covers:

• Commission agency for wholesale goods transactions
• Brokerage of agricultural raw materials and commodities
• Intermediation in ores, metals, fuels, and industrial chemicals
• Machinery, industrial plant, and equipment brokerage
• Food, beverage, textile, and household goods intermediation
• Timber and building materials trade facilitation
• Online trade intermediation and re-export sourcing

Service Scope

Commission Agency for Wholesale Goods

Arranging wholesale transactions on behalf and on the account of a principal, earning a contracted fee or commission rather than a margin on the goods.

Commodity & Raw Material Brokerage

Intermediating trade in agricultural raw materials, ores, metals, fuels, and industrial chemicals between producers, processors, and end buyers.

Industrial Equipment & Machinery Brokerage

Matching buyers and sellers of machinery, industrial plant, office equipment, and transport assets across regional and international markets.

Consumer Goods & Foodstuff Brokerage

Arranging wholesale transactions in food, beverages, textiles, clothing, footwear, furniture, and household goods on a fee or contract basis.

Online Trade Intermediation & Re-Export Sourcing

Bringing counterparties together through digital channels and sourcing goods for onward re-export, supporting transactions that move between markets.

WHAT THIS ACTIVITY EXCLUDES

It is important to note what activity 4610.11 does not cover. Wholesale trade conducted in the broker's own name, where goods are purchased and resold on the trader's own account, falls under the relevant wholesale trading classifications rather than fee-based brokerage. Commission agency for motor vehicles and the auctioning of motor vehicles sit within vehicle trade classifications. Retail sale by non-store commission agents is a separate retail activity. Insurance agency work and real estate agency work are each separately classified and separately regulated, as are financial and securities brokerage.

In short: if you are arranging wholesale goods transactions for others on a fee or commission basis, you are in. If you are buying and reselling in your own name, or broking vehicles, property, insurance, or financial products, you are not.

Licensing & 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] Trade Arabia (UAE official trade statistics). (2026). UAE's non-oil foreign trade tops AED3.8 trillion for first time.

[2] The National. (2026). UAE's non-oil foreign trade up 13% in first half of year to Dh1.9 trillion.

[3] Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development. Charting the UAE path in global trade.