Do you need a trade licence to sell online in the UAE?

Yes. Selling from within the UAE requires a licence — mainland or free zone — and the e-commerce activity has to be on it.

What decides it

The cost is real and predictable, and it buys things worth having: a corporate bank account, a payment gateway that accepts local cards, and the ability to be a supplier to businesses. Trading without one is a risk to the business rather than a saving.

The part that gets skipped

Cash on delivery is still expected in parts of the region, and it changes the economics: a refused delivery costs the shipping both ways and the stock is back with you.

Arabic is not a translation job. A right-to-left screen reads in a different order, so the layout changes and not only the words.

Phone-first is not a trend here, it is the default. A store that works badly on a phone works badly.

Where an app fits

Both of TicApp’s most-used builds are bilingual and priced in AED, with the layout rebuilt for right-to-left rather than mirrored.