Short answerBefore a buyer replies to a free zone supplier, they check the website for three things: that the company is real (trade name, licence, the free zone that issued it, an address and a named contact), what it supplies (products or services with specifications, certificates and delivery areas), and how to reach the right person quickly. If you sell online, published summaries of Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 say a digital trader must show licence information, the address and contact numbers.
A purchasing manager in Riyadh has three quotations for the same valves, all from companies in Hamriyah. The prices are close. Before she replies, she opens the three websites. One shows the products with datasheets, the certificates and a named sales contact. One shows a stock photo of a handshake. One does not load. She answers the first.
Who issued your licence
Free zone companies are licensed by their free zone authority, not by the emirate's economic department. The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism lists the registrars, among them:
- Ajman: Ajman Free Zone and Ajman Media City.
- Sharjah: Sharjah International Airport Free Zone (SAIF Zone), Hamriyah Free Zone Authority, Sharjah Publishing City, Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park and Sharjah Media City (Shams).
- Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), KIZAD, Masdar, twofour54 and Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone.
Name the authority and your licence number on the website. A buyer who wants to check can, and one who does not still sees that you have nothing to hide.
What a buyer checks first
- That you exist. Trade name, licence, free zone, address and a person to contact, with a phone number that is answered.
- What exactly you supply. Products or services with specifications, sizes, standards and minimum quantities, not only categories.
- Proof. Certificates, test reports, client sectors or projects you may name.
- Where you deliver. The UAE, the Gulf, further, and how long it takes.
- How to ask. A form that asks for the details you need for a quotation, plus WhatsApp and e-mail.
The pages that takes
- Home: one sentence on what you supply and to whom, then the main product groups.
- Products or services: one page per group, with datasheets as files a buyer can forward.
- Certificates and quality: the documents, with their issuer and validity.
- Delivery and markets: where you ship, from where and how fast.
- About: the company, the licence, the free zone and the people a buyer will deal with.
- Contact and request a quotation: a form with the right questions, WhatsApp, e-mail and the address.
If you sell online
Published summaries of Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 on trading by modern technological means say a digital trader must publish licence information, the address, contact numbers and the website, and must offer a way to complain. Our guide to what your business website needs by law in the UAE collects what the official sources say.
English, and Arabic where your buyers read it
English is the working language of most free zone trade. If your buyers are in the UAE and the Gulf and read Arabic, a second language can be worth the cost. Our guide on Arabic and English websites explains how to set it up so search engines show the right version.
Check your website this week
- Is your licence number and free zone authority on the About or Contact page?
- Can a buyer download a datasheet for your main product in two clicks?
- Does the quotation form ask for quantity, delivery place and date?
- Is there a named person and a phone number that is answered?
- Does the website load on a phone in under three seconds?
Questions
Does a free zone company need a website?
There is no general rule that it must have one, but buyers check suppliers online before they reply. If you sell online, published summaries of the UAE e-commerce law say you must show licence information, address and contact numbers.
What should a free zone company show on its website?
Trade name, licence number and issuing free zone, address, a named contact, the products or services with specifications, certificates, delivery areas and a quotation form.
Which free zones are in Ajman, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi?
The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism lists Ajman Free Zone and Ajman Media City in Ajman; SAIF Zone, Hamriyah, Sharjah Publishing City, SRTI Park and Shams in Sharjah; and ADGM, KIZAD, Masdar, twofour54 and Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone in Abu Dhabi.
Should the website show the licence number?
Yes. It costs nothing and answers the first question a careful buyer has. If you sell online, published summaries of the e-commerce law say licence information must be shown.
Does MM² build websites for free zone companies?
Yes. MM² is registered in Ajman and builds custom websites for free zone companies across the UAE, from AED 4,900, quoted in writing.