Dubai has always benefited from its strategic location at the crossroads of trade & commerce between East & West.

Still the legendary “City of Merchants”, in recent years Dubai has outgrown its traditional role as commercial hub for the region & made tremendous inroads into the World of International business & commerce. Today, Dubai vibrant trade sector has firmly concreted Dubai Leadership in the region & contributed to making Dubai a prime contender in the global economy.

Dubai is the gateway to untapped market that spans the Middle East, North & South Africa, the Indian Subcontinent & the CIS. The market consists of 31 countries, 53 languages, 1.8 billion people, and $ 1.5 trillion of combined GDP.

Dubai has one of the most open trade policies in the region with import restrictions confined to a very small number of products largely on health & safety or public policy ground. Trade today constitutes 16 % of Dubai GDP., compared with 14.5% for Singapore & non-oil trade represents over 1.5 times Dubai’s non-oil GDP. The non-oil trade sector grew by an average of 9.2% between 1989 & 1999 & with the non-oil sector contributing 90% of the GDP, trade continues to be one of the most important contributors to the economy. Dubai encourages a free & fair business environment with no red tape, no bureaucracy, the freedom to over capital, tax exemptions & a thriving economy.

State-of-the-art Dubai is the infrastructure & Dubai’s strategic location in the Gulf make it the 3 rd most important export center in the world after Hong Kong & Singapore. 23 % of Dubai’s $18 billion of imports were re-exported in 1999 with major re-exporting countries being Iran, India, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait & the USA.

The UAE transport infrastructure is unrivalled in the region in terms of size, facilities and efficiency. Its ports are served by more than 100 shipping lines and the airport by nearly 100 airlines. Also, overseas businessmen will find that their counterparts combine local and regional expertise with a full understanding of international business practices. English ranks on a par with Arabic as the main business language.

Multinationals are increasingly recognizing that Dubai offers access to many of the world’s leading emerging markets & are choosing Dubai as their favored base for conducting international trade in the immediate region & beyond. Liberal policies, a pro-business environment & a progressive, enlightened Government with a clear vision & strategy for Dubai’s growth have contributed to Dubai’s attraction. Critical masses of multinational companies are operating out of Dubai today with significant representation of the Global 500, including all the top 10.

Multinationals are able to enjoy in Dubai:

  • No taxation of profits & income.
  • A stable, freely convertible currency.
  • 100% repatriation of capital & profits.
  • No foreign exchange or trade barriers.
  • Low 4% tariffs.
  • 100% ownership in free zones.
  • Fast track business setup.