Gold Trading Licence Dubai: Activities, Requirements and Setup

Gold has been part of Dubai's trading identity for decades, but setting up a gold business today involves much more than getting a standard commercial licence.

According to DMCC, Dubai handles around 15% of global gold trade and its precious metals ecosystem includes more than 1,500 companies involved in trading, refining, assaying, logistics, financing and jewellery.

That scale creates opportunities for bullion traders, jewellery wholesalers, retailers and international commodity businesses. It also brings tighter compliance.

If you plan to get a gold trading licence Dubai, authorities will expect the business activity, premises, security arrangements, AML controls and source of funds to make sense together. Your requirements also change depending on whether you trade physical bullion, sell jewellery to the public or operate a wholesale trading desk.

Here is how the setup works in 2026.

What Is a Gold Trading Licence in Dubai?

A gold trading licence is a commercial licence that permits a company to carry out approved activities involving gold or other precious metals.

There is no single licence that automatically covers every part of the gold industry. You need to select the activity that matches what the business will actually do.

Depending on your business model, activities may include:

• Gold and precious metals trading

• Unmanufactured or non-manufactured precious metals trading

• Gold bullion trading

• Gold and silver jewellery trading

• Fine jewellery trading

• Metal alloy trading

• Import, export and re-export of approved precious metals

• Gold refining or foundry activities

• Jewellery manufacturing

• Jewellery repair

Manufacturing, refining and retail operations can have requirements that do not apply to a business that simply buys and sells bullion through a trading office.

SIRA's current preventive systems rules specifically cover gold trading, jewellery, precious-metal alloys, foundries, manufacturing and related activities.

Where Can You Set Up a Gold Trading Company in Dubai?

For most investors, the main decision is between Dubai mainland and a free zone such as DMCC.

Dubai Mainland

A mainland company is licensed through Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, or DET.

This route usually makes sense when you intend to:

• Operate a physical gold or jewellery shop

• Sell directly to consumers in Dubai

• Trade extensively with UAE-based customers

• Open a showroom or retail outlet

• Maintain physical inventory at your premises

Your premises must also comply with the security requirements that apply to precious-metal businesses.

You can read Nexture's broader Dubai company setup guide before deciding on the legal structure.

DMCC Free Zone

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre is a major option for international bullion, commodities and precious-metals businesses.

DMCC provides dedicated precious-metals infrastructure including secure vaulting, DMCC Tradeflow and access to the wider Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange ecosystem. DMCC also states clearly that federal regulation of the gold sector remains with the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism.

DMCC tends to suit businesses focused on wholesale trading, international transactions, commodities and import-export operations.

See Nexture's DMCC company setup guide for a wider explanation of the free zone's licensing and incorporation process.

Mainland vs DMCC for Gold Trading

Do not choose solely based on the licence price. Think about where the gold will be stored, who will buy it, how you will receive payments and whether you need direct retail access.

Requirements for a Gold Trading Licence Dubai

The exact document list changes with the jurisdiction and shareholders, but you should normally prepare:

• Passport copies of shareholders and managers

• UAE visa and Emirates ID copies where applicable

• Passport-size photographs where requested

• Proposed trade names

• Selected business activities

• Shareholding and beneficial-owner details

• Business plan or description of the trading model

• Proof of residential address where requested

• Memorandum and incorporation documents

• Office, shop or warehouse tenancy documents

• Ejari for applicable mainland premises

• Existing corporate documents if a company will be a shareholder

• Source-of-funds information where requested

Gold trading businesses should expect stronger questions around funding than an ordinary consultancy or service company.

Banks and compliance teams may want to understand who your suppliers are, where the gold comes from, expected monthly turnover, customer countries and how transactions will be settled.

Nexture's UAE business bank account guide explains the documentation banks commonly review.

SIRA Requirements for Gold Shops and Trading Offices

Security is one part of the setup that can easily be underestimated.

Dubai's Security Industry Regulatory Agency has dedicated requirements for businesses involved in manufacturing and selling precious metals and gemstones.

For commercial stores, current requirements cover areas such as CCTV coverage of entrances, internal areas, display and inspection tables, cashiers and safes. Other security measures can also apply depending on the premises and risk assessment. There is an important difference between an office and a shop.

A flexible or virtual office may be used for certain setups, but SIRA's current manual states that precious metals and gemstones cannot be stored or displayed in flexible or virtual offices. If you keep or display the metals at the premises, stronger shop security requirements can apply.

Work out your storage model before signing a lease. Changing premises after discovering that they cannot meet the security requirements can become expensive.

AML Rules for Gold Trading Businesses

Gold and precious-metal businesses receive close AML scrutiny in the UAE. The current federal framework includes Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 and Cabinet Resolution No. 134 of 2025, which became effective on 14 December 2025.

Under Article 3 of Cabinet Resolution No. 134 of 2025, dealers in valuable metals and precious stones fall within the DNFBP framework when carrying out a single cash transaction, or apparently linked cash transactions, worth AED 55,000 or more.

Depending on your activities, compliance can include:

• Customer due diligence

• Beneficial-owner identification

• Source-of-funds checks

• Risk assessments

• Sanctions screening

• Appointment of a compliance officer

• Transaction monitoring

• Suspicious transaction reporting

• goAML registration and reporting where applicable

• AML policies and internal controls

The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism maintains dedicated guidance and goAML instructions for dealers in precious metals and stones.

Gold refiners face additional responsible-sourcing requirements. The Ministry's framework follows a five-step model covering management systems, supply-chain risk assessment, risk response, independent review and periodic reporting.

How to Get a Gold Trading Licence in Dubai

1. Define Exactly What You Will Trade

   Start with the commercial model. Are you trading investment-grade bullion? Jewellery? Unworked gold? Precious-metal alloys? Will you sell wholesale or retail?

   The answer decides the activity code and can affect external approvals.

2. Choose Mainland or Free Zone

   Choose based on customers, storage, premises and transaction flow rather than the cheapest advertised package.

   A retail jewellery store in Deira and an international bullion desk in DMCC have very different operational needs.

3. Reserve Your Trade Name

   Submit the proposed business name to DET or your selected free-zone authority. The name must comply with UAE naming rules.

4. Obtain Initial Approval

   The authority reviews the proposed owners, legal form and activity. Additional approval requirements may be identified at this stage.

5. Arrange Suitable Premises

   Secure a shop, office or other approved commercial location.

   If physical gold will be stored or displayed, check SIRA requirements before committing to the property.

6. Complete External Approvals

   This can include security-related approval depending on your activity and premises.

   Retail, storage, refining and manufacturing setups generally require more preparation than a simple trading office.

7. Obtain the Trade Licence

   Submit the final incorporation documents, tenancy details and approvals and pay the required government fees.

8. Register With Dubai Customs if Required

   If your business will import or export gold through Dubai, you need the appropriate customs registration and business code.

   Dubai Customs confirms that businesses using its customs services must register. Commercial shipments also require proper declarations and supporting documents.

   Nexture's UAE import-export licence guide covers the wider customs setup process.

9. Complete AML and Tax Registrations

   Put your AML framework in place and complete the relevant regulatory registrations before commencing regulated transactions.

   Then assess VAT and corporate tax obligations.

10. Open the Corporate Bank Account

    Prepare a strong banking file with supplier details, expected volumes, invoices or contracts where available, source-of-funds evidence and a clear explanation of how the trading model works.

Gold Trading Licence Dubai Cost

There is no reliable single price for every gold business.

DMCC's published 2026 guidance states that its business licences start at approximately AED 20,285 annually. That is the licence component rather than the entire cost of running a gold trading operation.

Your actual budget can include:

A shop holding substantial physical stock will normally cost considerably more to establish than an office-based wholesale company using approved third-party vaulting.

Ask for an itemised quotation rather than comparing businesses based on the licence fee alone.

VAT on Gold Trading in the UAE

VAT treatment depends on the product and transaction.

The FTA states that investment precious metals can be zero-rated when the metal is gold, silver or platinum with at least 99% purity and is in a form tradable in global bullion markets. This does not mean every gold product is automatically zero-rated.

The UAE also expanded the B2B reverse-charge mechanism through Cabinet Decision No. 127 of 2024. It now covers specified precious metals including gold, silver, palladium and platinum as well as certain precious stones and qualifying jewellery between VAT-registered businesses when the applicable conditions are met.

VAT registration is generally mandatory for a UAE-resident business once taxable supplies and imports exceed AED 375,000 under the applicable test. Voluntary registration starts at AED 187,500 when the conditions are met.

Corporate Tax for Gold Trading Companies

A mainland gold company falls within the UAE corporate tax framework. The standard regime generally applies 0% to taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above that threshold.

Free-zone businesses are also within the corporate tax system. A Qualifying Free Zone Person can potentially access 0% corporate tax on qualifying income when all statutory conditions are satisfied.

The rules are particularly relevant to commodity businesses because Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 includes the trading of Qualifying Commodities as a qualifying activity. The updated definition covers certain metals and other commodities where the required quoted-price conditions are met.

Do not assume that a DMCC gold company automatically receives 0% corporate tax. The transaction type, commodity, counterparty, substance and other free-zone conditions still need to be tested.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most expensive mistakes usually happen before the licence is issued.

Do not select a broad trading activity and assume it covers bullion, jewellery, refining and retail. Avoid signing a shop lease before checking SIRA specifications. Do not leave AML procedures until the bank asks for them.

Another common problem is weak sourcing documentation. Banks and regulators need to understand where high-value commodities and funds are coming from.

The business licence, supply chain, banking profile and AML records should all tell the same story.

Conclusion

Getting a gold trading licence in Dubai is straightforward when the structure matches the actual business.

First decide what type of gold you will trade and whether customers are mainly in the UAE or overseas. Then choose the jurisdiction, secure compliant premises, complete the required security arrangements and put AML procedures in place before you start processing transactions.

DMCC can be a strong choice for wholesale and international commodity trading. Mainland Dubai can make more sense for direct retail sales and local market access.

If you plan to import bullion, maintain physical inventory or handle high-value transactions, build customs, banking, security and AML requirements into the setup budget from day one.

Nexture can help you compare mainland and free-zone options, confirm the required activity and approvals and organise the company formation process based on your actual gold trading model.

Frequently Asked Questions