How to Start Selling on Noon or Amazon.ae with Trading License?

How to Sell on Amazon or Noon?

The Middle East is currently one of the world's fastest-growing eCommerce markets. Bolstered by one of the youngest consumer populations and a high degree of internet penetration, eCommerce is booming in the Middle East, especially in the UAE.

Amazon.ae and Noon are some of the major players in this segment in the UAE. The immense market potential of this region has piqued the interest of various renowned companies and entrepreneurs who are looking to sell their products or services via these platforms.

The UAE's e-commerce market reached AED 32.3 billion (USD 8.8 billion) in 2024 and is projected to cross AED 50.6 billion (USD 13.8 billion) by 2029 - a compound annual growth rate of roughly 9.4% - according to the 2024 E-Commerce Report in the MENA Region, published by EZDubai in partnership with Euromonitor International. Amazon.ae ranks as the UAE's largest e-commerce marketplace by traffic, with Noon close behind as the second-largest and GMV estimated at around USD 1.9 billion in 2025, still growing at double digits into 2026, per e-commerce data provider ECDB.

Easier said than done, though! Wondering how to sell your products or services on eCommerce sites like Amazon.ae or Noon.com?

Read on to know more about how to sell on Amazon UAE or noon.com and how to get the trading license in Dubai.

Why you should sell on Amazon UAE or Noon.com?

There are numerous advantages to selling on Noon.com and Amazon.ae. Other than the most obvious reasons, such as avoiding the hassles and expenses of setting up a brick-and-mortar store, there are a few more such as

• You immediately increase your visibility.
• Your products/services are featured on one of the region's most popular websites, giving you access to millions of users.
• You gain immediate trust and an instant web presence.
• You don't always require your own infrastructure.
• You do not need to hire a large number of people.
• You can benefit from promotions.
• You can learn as you earn by taking advantage of the platforms' teaching centers.
• Setting up your company gives you eligibility for a UAE residence visa (typically 2 years, renewable) - tied to your trade licence, not the marketplace registration itself.

The major benefit of being a vendor on these platforms is that so much of the legwork has already been done for you. This is what draws so many retailers to Noon.com and Amazon.ae.

If you are still deciding whether marketplace selling is right for you, compare it with other online business ideas in Dubai before investing in licensing.

Amazon.ae vs Noon.com: Which Should You Start With?

Both platforms work — the right one depends on how you plan to sell.

If you're building for long-term, cross-border scale and are comfortable investing in advertising, Amazon.ae's tools and reach make it the stronger long play.

If you want a faster route into a GCC-first audience with a lighter onboarding lift, Noon is usually the smoother start.

Most sellers who scale eventually list on both - which is why it's worth setting up your trading licence and business activity to cover either platform from day one, rather than re-filing later.

Fulfilment Models: Who Stores, Packs, and Ships Your Orders?

Before you register as a seller, decide how orders will actually move — it affects your business activity code, whether you need warehouse space, and how many staff (and staff visas) you'll need.

On Amazon.ae:

• FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) — Amazon stores your inventory, packs it, ships it, and handles returns. You pay storage and fulfilment fees, but you don't need your own warehouse or delivery staff.
• FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) — You store, pack, and ship orders yourself (or through your own 3PL). Lower platform fees, but the logistics and customer service responsibility sits with you.

On Noon.com:

• FBN (Fulfilled by Noon) — Similar to FBA: Noon stores, packs, and delivers on your behalf.
• Fulfilled by Partner (FBP) — You manage your own storage and delivery while Noon handles the transaction and customer-facing side.

If you're starting out and want to avoid managing warehousing, FBA/FBN removes that overhead - but your trading licence activity should explicitly cover the storage/distribution model you choose.

If you already have, or plan to lease, warehouse space, a free-zone licence with warehousing access (e.g., DAFZA, JAFZA, Dubai South) may suit an FBM/FBP setup better than a pure e-commerce free zone.

How to become a seller on Amazon.ae and Noon.com in Dubai?

Let's have a look at the documents you'll need to get started. It is essential that you do all of this preliminary work before attempting to create an account on either of these websites.

Before we get into specifics, the most important thing you need to bear in mind is that your firm must be registered in the UAE and have a valid trading license. There are several important procedures in obtaining a trading license in Dubai.

How to get a trading company license in Dubai?

Incorporating a trading firm in Dubai is simple, but you cannot ignore the laws and regulations. The authorities in Dubai do not permit just anyone to open an eCommerce store and begin selling things across the country. If you wish to start an online business in Dubai, you must first obtain a Trading business license. Getting a trading company license in Dubai involves the following basic steps:

1. Decide if you want to start your company in a free zone or mainland.
2. Choose a company name that complies with the local naming conventions.
3. Prepare and submit your trading company license
4. Apply for a UAE residence visa for you and your employees
5. Open your corporate bank account.

One more thing to plan for at the licensing stage: certain product categories carry extra approval requirements on top of your trading licence.

Cosmetics and personal care items often need ESMA registration, food supplements and health products need additional health-authority clearance, and electronics may need conformity certification before they can be listed.

If you already know which category you'll sell in, flag it when choosing your business activity - that way the right approvals are built into your setup from day one, instead of surfacing after your first rejected listing.

Because the application process to get a trading company license in Dubai is so specific – and errors and omissions can lead to delays and rejection – it is good to work with a company registration expert like Avyanco at this stage.

We can handle all elements of your Dubai trading company license application for you, including liaising with relevant authorities on your behalf and advising on the optimal form of setup for your requirements.

How much will a trading company license in Dubai cost?

The actual cost of a trading company license in Dubai will be determined by a variety of factors.

These factors include the size of your company, the number of visas you apply for, whether you want office space as part of your package, and whether you want a free zone or a mainland location. To give you an idea of the cost, depending on your needs, you can expect to pay between AED 15,000 and AED 50,000. If you want to keep your startup costs low, establishing your trading company license in a free zone is generally the best option. That cost covers your trading licence only - it's separate from what Amazon and Noon charge once you're actually selling.

Always check the current published fee schedule on each platform before pricing your products — marketplace fee tables are reviewed periodically.

How to Sell on Amazon from UAE?

Once your UAE trading or e-commerce licence is issued, here's the sequence to get live on Amazon.ae:

1. Create your seller account at sell.amazon.ae and choose between the Individual plan (pay-as-you-go, good for testing) or the Professional plan (subscription-based, unlocks advertising and bulk tools — the better choice if you're planning to scale).
2. Submit your business documents, including:

• Company name, address, and contact information
• Trade licence (or Power of Attorney if someone else manages the account on your behalf)
• Emirates ID or other national ID
• VAT certificate or trading licence showing commercial registration

1. Add your bank details — a valid UAE corporate bank account and billing address, since this is where your payouts land.
2. Choose your fulfilment model — FBA or FBM (see the fulfilment section above).
3. List your products with clear titles, images, pricing, and inventory levels.
4. Go live — once your listing is approved, you're officially selling.

How to Sell on Noon.com?

The Noon process follows a similar sequence, with a few platform-specific steps:

1. Register on Noon Seller Lab at sell.noon.com.
2. Submit your documents, including:
3. Company name, address, and contact information
4. Trade licence or commercial registration showing e-commerce/trading activity
5. Passport or Emirates ID (both sides)
6. VAT certificate, or a VAT non-enrolment form if you're not yet VAT-registered
7. For health and beauty items: proof of purchase, a distribution authorisation letter, or a manufacturer permit
8. Add your banking details — IBAN, SWIFT code, and store currency (this can't be changed later, so confirm it upfront). Noon pays sellers weekly.
9. Choose your fulfilment model — FBN or Fulfilled by Partner (see the fulfilment section above).
10. List your products and wait for category/document verification.
11. Go live — once approved, your store is active.

At this stage, you will also need to provide the relevant bank information for payment transfers. You will be paid on a weekly basis. Include the standard IBAN and Swift codes, as well as the store currency.

How long will it take to start selling on noon.com and amazon.ae?

It's difficult to give an exact timeframe. Still, if your Dubai eCommerce license is in order and you have all of the necessary documentation, you should be able to start trading within two days to one week of opening your account on Noon.com or Amazon.ae.

How Avyanco can help?

We are a team of business setup experts in the UAE dedicated to making budding entrepreneurs' dreams a reality. In addition to managing your Dubai eCommerce or Trading license application, Avyanco can help you open corporate bank accounts, provide visa and immigration services and handle all government processes, approvals, work permits, and visa applications required to conduct business in the UAE. In brief, our professionals can help you get your eCommerce business in Dubai up and running, apply for licenses and visas, and handle all of the essential paperwork, freeing you up to focus on making your business profitable.