Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does this activity cover?
It covers bulk trade in ferrous and non-ferrous metal ores, sold on to smelters and refineries.
2. Can I refine the ore myself?
No. Refining and smelting are manufacturing and need a separate code.
3. Can I trade finished metal too?
The class covers primary and semi-finished metal, so check which codes match your range.
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 Metal Ores in Meydan Free Zone
Wholesale of metal ores covers bulk trade in the raw rock that metal is made from. Ferrous ores here mean iron and its close relatives. Non-ferrous ores cover bauxite for aluminium, along with copper and zinc ores. Buyers are smelters and refineries rather than the end users of the metal.
The UAE has almost no ore of its own. It imports what its smelters need instead, and it does so at very large scale. Gulf smelters produced about 6.3 million tonnes of primary aluminium during 2024.1 Every single tonne of that started life as imported ore.
One producer shows the scale involved. Emirates Global Aluminium sold 2.74 million tonnes of cast metal in 2024 and ships to more than 50 countries.2 Feeding a plant of that size takes a constant flow of bauxite through the ports. Traders who can secure and move that volume have a clear role to play.
Why the UAE imports ore to feed its smelters
Whether you supply smelters, refineries or other traders, this activity covers bulk ore trade. The figures below show what that ore feeds.
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Sources: International Aluminium Journal (October 2025), Aluminium International Today (November 2025)
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Who is this activity for?
What this activity covers
This code covers wholesale trade in ferrous and non-ferrous metal ores. The class guidelines place ore at the first stage of the metal chain.
- Bulk trade in iron ore and other ferrous ores
- Bulk trade in bauxite and other non-ferrous ores
- Import and transhipment of ore through UAE ports
- Supply of ore to smelters and refineries
- 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 import and sell ore in bulk, but not scrap, and you cannot refine or smelt 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. International Aluminium Journal, Aluminium Smelters in the Gulf Region, October 2025.
2. Aluminium International Today, Emirates Global Aluminium Achieves Production Milestone, November 2025.
