Defined product trading
Suitable where the company focuses on one or more clearly identified goods or trading categories.
Meydan Free Zone · Dubai
Trading Licence in Meydan Free Zone
Set up a trading or general trading company in Meydan Free Zone with a licence structure that reflects what you actually plan to buy, sell, import, export or distribute.
- Product-specific and general trading routes
- 100% foreign ownership available
- Digital Meydan Free Zone setup
The short answer
What does a Meydan trading licence let you do?
A trading licence allows a Meydan Free Zone company to conduct the trading activities stated on its licence. The correct setup depends on the goods you intend to trade, whether you need one defined product category or broader general trading scope, how goods will enter the UAE and where your customers will be located.
General trading
Useful when the commercial model spans a broader range of product categories rather than one narrow line.
Import and export
The licence activity must align with the goods being traded, while customs and product rules are handled separately where applicable.
Online selling
E-commerce can be combined with suitable trading activities where the business will sell its products through digital channels.
Choose the right scope
Product-specific trading
General trading
Trading licence or general trading licence?
The wider licence is not automatically the better licence. Your activity should match the products, commercial model and markets the company genuinely intends to serve.
Best when the goods are clearly defined
Select the appropriate trading activities for the goods your business intends to buy and sell. This can produce a clearer licensed activity for counterparties, customs requirements and banking review.
- Clear product or commodity categories
- Focused wholesale or retail model
- Useful where regulated goods need specific approvals
- Can be combined with other relevant activity groups where permitted
Best for a wider multi-product model
General trading is intended for businesses that need broader trading scope across multiple product categories rather than operating around one narrow category.
- Multiple unrelated product lines
- Importers and re-exporters with changing inventory
- Multi-line wholesale or distribution models
- Broader sourcing and trading businesses
Trading activities
Match the licence to what you will actually trade
Meydan Free Zone provides trading activities across wholesale, retail and motor-vehicle related categories. The selected activity is what defines the company’s authorised commercial scope.
Product-specific regulation still applies. Food, healthcare products and other controlled or regulated categories may require additional registrations, approvals or operating steps beyond the company licence itself.
Wholesale trading
For businesses sourcing and supplying goods to retailers, distributors, commercial buyers or other businesses.
Retail trading
For relevant licensed activities involving the sale of products to end customers.
General trading
For a broader, non-specialised trading model spanning multiple product categories.
Motor vehicles
Meydan lists dedicated activity groups covering vehicle sales and related automotive trading activities.
Import and re-export
For trading models involving international suppliers, UAE entry points and onward sale or re-export.
E-commerce
Online-selling activity can be considered alongside suitable product trading activities when digital sales form part of the model.
Published Meydan pricing
How much is a Meydan Free Zone trading licence?
Meydan Free Zone currently publishes trading-company packages starting from AED 12,500. Visa allocation changes the published package price.
Authority pricing and optional charges can change. Confirm the current activity, visa, establishment, immigration and third-party costs for your exact setup before proceeding.
- LLC-FZ licence
- 0 visa allocation
- Up to 3 business activity groups
- Lease agreement
- Flexi-desk
- LLC-FZ licence
- 1 visa allocation
- Up to 3 business activity groups
- Lease agreement
- Flexi-desk
- LLC-FZ licence
- 3 visa allocation
- Up to 3 business activity groups
- Lease agreement
- Flexi-desk
Figures reflect pricing published by Meydan Free Zone when this page was prepared.
Check current Meydan trading pricing
Prepare the application
What do you need to start?
For a standard individual-shareholder Meydan Free Zone LLC, the initial documentation can be relatively light. The important part is making the activity and company-name choices correctly before submission.
- Valid passport copy Meydan identifies a valid passport copy for each shareholder as the key starting document for a standard LLC application.
- Business activity selection Choose the trading activities that reflect the goods and operating model you intend to use.
- Proposed company names Prepare suitable trade-name options that comply with the authority’s naming requirements.
- Shareholder and visa plan Confirm ownership and whether residence visas are needed so the package can be structured accordingly.
Corporate shareholders, regulated activities or unusual ownership structures may require additional evidence or approvals.
From activity to licence
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How the Meydan trading licence setup works
The application itself should follow the commercial structure of the business rather than forcing the business into whichever package happens to look simplest.
Define the trading model
Identify the products, suppliers, customer markets, import/export requirements, ownership and visa needs before selecting activities.
Select licence activities
Choose product-specific trading, general trading and any supporting activity groups that accurately describe the commercial model.
Confirm the company name
Prepare proposed names and make sure the selected name follows Meydan Free Zone naming rules.
Prepare and submit
Provide the required shareholder documentation, complete the application and settle the applicable authority charges.
Receive company documents
Following approval and registration, the company receives its licence and formation documents digitally.
Complete operational steps
Depending on the business, the next stage may include visas, Emirates ID, customs arrangements, product approvals, tax registrations and bank-account preparation.
Beyond the licence
Plan how the trading company will actually operate
The licence is the foundation, but a trading company also needs an operating route that works for its goods, suppliers, customers, customs movements, payments and compliance requirements.
Import and export
Import/export describes how goods move; it is not a substitute for selecting the correct licensed trading activity. Customs registration and commodity-specific requirements may also apply.
Explore Meydan import-export setup →Sales into the UAE market
Consider where goods enter the UAE, who acts as importer, how customers will receive them and whether the product needs separate registration or approval.
Corporate banking
Banks may review the licensed activity, ownership, source of funds, suppliers, customers, countries, expected transactions and supporting commercial evidence.
Prepare for corporate banking →Visas and immigration
Select a visa allocation based on actual residence and staffing needs rather than paying for capacity that the business does not currently require.
Corporate Tax
0%
9%
A free-zone licence does not automatically mean zero tax
UAE Corporate Tax treatment depends on whether the company satisfies the conditions for the Free Zone Corporate Tax regime and on the nature of its income.
Qualifying Income
A Qualifying Free Zone Person can be subject to a 0% Corporate Tax rate on income that meets the Qualifying Income rules.
Non-qualifying taxable income
Income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person that does not meet the Qualifying Income definition can be subject to the 9% Corporate Tax rate.
The appropriate treatment depends on the company’s activities, transactions, counterparties and compliance with the relevant Free Zone Person conditions. Tax advice should be based on the company’s actual facts.
First Elite Global support
Build the setup around the business, not just the licence
First Elite Global can help structure the company-setup journey around the trading activity, ownership, visa requirements and operational steps that follow formation.
Activity review
Clarify whether product-specific trading or a broader general trading activity better reflects your business.
Application preparation
Organise the formation information and documentation needed for the selected Meydan Free Zone route.
Licence coordination
Coordinate the agreed company-formation steps and clarify what remains subject to free-zone or external approval.
Visa support
Plan residence and immigration requirements where a shareholder or employee visa forms part of the setup.
Banking readiness
Prepare the business profile and documentation for a bank’s own KYC, compliance and account-opening review.
Post-licence planning
Identify relevant customs, tax, product, operational or government-document steps that may follow incorporation.
Existing review signals
First Elite Global customer reviews
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Common questions
Meydan Free Zone trading licence FAQs
What is a trading licence in Meydan Free Zone?
It is a Meydan Free Zone business licence that authorises the company to carry out the trading activities listed on the licence. The selected activity determines what the company is permitted to trade.
How much does a Meydan Free Zone trading licence cost?
Meydan Free Zone currently publishes a zero-visa trading package from AED 12,500. Published packages with one and three visa allocations are priced higher. Additional immigration, establishment, product, approval or optional service costs can apply.
What is the difference between trading and general trading?
Product-specific trading focuses the licensed scope on identified categories of goods. General trading is broader and can suit businesses dealing across multiple product categories. The right option depends on the actual commercial model.
Can I import and export with a Meydan trading company?
A Meydan company can be structured for trading activities that involve import and export. However, the goods must fall within the company's licensed activity, and customs, importer, product-registration or other regulatory requirements may apply separately.
What documents are needed to start a Meydan Free Zone company?
For a standard individual-shareholder LLC route, Meydan identifies a valid passport copy for each shareholder as the key starting document. You also need to select the business activities, prepare suitable company-name options and complete the authority application. Additional requirements can apply to corporate shareholders or regulated activities.
Does a Meydan Free Zone company pay Corporate Tax?
Free-zone status does not by itself create a blanket Corporate Tax exemption. A company that meets the conditions to be a Qualifying Free Zone Person can receive a 0% rate on Qualifying Income, while taxable income that does not meet the Qualifying Income definition can be subject to 9%.
Can First Elite Global guarantee licence or bank approval?
No. First Elite Global can support activity selection, documentation, company setup and banking readiness, but free-zone authorities, government bodies and banks retain their own eligibility, compliance and approval decisions.
Plan your setup
Start with the products you intend to trade
Tell First Elite Global what you plan to buy or sell, where your suppliers and customers are located, whether you need visas and how goods will move. The setup can then be matched to the right Meydan activities and post-licence requirements.
