The United Arab Emirates is an important partner of Italy in all areas: from the political (through constant dialogue on bilateral issues and regional security dossiers), to the cultural (the first Italian Cultural Institute in the Gulf area was recently inaugurated in Abu Dhabi), to the economic.
In fact, in recent years, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have represented For many Italian companies, a large outlet market, soprattutto per i settori del lusso, dell’arredamento, e delle costruzioni, tanto che nel 2022 gli Emirati Arabi sono diventati il primo mercato di sbocco dell’Area MENA per le esportazioni italiane. E secondo i dati più recenti, in this country there are now more than 600 Italian companies, both large-scale and small and medium-sized enterprises.
If you are reading this article, it is probably because anche tu hai individuato negli Emirati Arabi Uniti la nuova frontiera per l’export italiano, capable of generating good turnovers and profits, but you may have wondered where to start and how to go about selling in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In this article, therefore, we will look together at the gry opportunities offered by this country, and then study in detail which sectors are the most promising, to end our analysis with the latest entry arrangements and requirements imposed by the Emirati government.
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As mentioned in the opening of the article, the UAE is a very important destination for Made in Italy, especially in the fashion, luxury, furniture and construction sectors. And thanks to recent reforms regarding foreign investment, opportunities for Italian SMEs have multiplied.
Nonostante la crisi pandemica l’Italia riuscì a mantenere la sua quota di mercato negli UAE, registrando una quota export complessiva di oltre €3,8 miliardi, rimanendo di poco alle spalle della Germania, ma superando Francia e Spagna. Tale dato è poi sensibilmente cresciuto nel post pandemia, a dimostrazione dell’importanza di questo Paese per l’export italiano: nel 2021 it came down to 4.8 billion, in the 2022 that figure came to 6.2 billion, superando i valori dell’anno precedente. Infine, Comparing the period from January 2023 to August 2023, the export quota has already exceeded that achieved in the same period at 2022 (€4,18 miliardi contro €3,8 dell’anno precedente).
Oltre ai numeri appena visti, che proiettano l’Italia come uno dei principali partner commerciali di Dubai, gli Emirati stanno attuando important economic reforms to attract more and more innovative companies, including Italy's own.
In detail, the emirate government's new program sets as the country's goal to become a major global investment center for new technology and services activities. For this reason, To encourage precisely foreign investment, the UAE enacted in 2021 a new reform, which abolishes the previous mandatory requirement of an Emirati shareholding of at least 51% in a foreign company on the country's soil, leaving at most 49% of control to the foreign company.
Inoltre, viene anche eliminato il vincolo per le SpA di avere un presidente e la maggioranza del Consiglio di Amministrazione di nazionalità emiratina. Da questa riforma rimangono comunque escluse le società ad impatto strategico sull’economia degli Emirati, come ad esempio quelle che operano nel settore dell’Oil & Gas.
Last but not least, the UAE presents. A taxation system that is extremely attractive to foreign companies, as well as having Free Trade Zones, which are still lower-taxed.
Infatti, il governo degli UAE ha introdotto un’imposta federale sugli utili delle imprese che sarà effettiva per gli esercizi finanziari a far data dal 1° giugno 2023. Nel dettaglio, vengono tassati gli utili delle imprese oltre i 375.000 Dirham (90.800 euro circa) al 9%, pertanto, con un’aliquota che è la più bassa al mondo nelle imposte sulle società. Al contrario, l’aliquota rimane lo 0% per il reddito imponibile fino a AED 375.000; mentre è entrata in essere un’aliquota fiscale differente per le grandi multinazionali che rispondono a specifici criteri stabiliti con riferimento al “Pillar TWO” del Progetto dell’OCSE.
E per quanto riguarda l’IVA? The value-added tax was introduced starting in 2018 along with Saudi Arabia. The percentage to date is still very low:
– 5% per i beni standard;
– 0% per le forniture principali, come per il settore dell’assistenza sanitaria o per i trasporti pubblici.
VAT returns require registration with the VAT tax authority. However, registration can be compulsory or voluntary. The minimum requirement to apply for voluntary VAT registration are a minimum annual turnover of at least 187,500 dirhams (about €43,600); compulsory VAT registration, on the other hand, is triggered upon reaching an annual turnover of 375,000 dirhams (just over €87,000).
Data that therefore leave room for few interpretations: Made in Italy in the United Arab Emirates is increasingly appreciated, and Exporting to this country is the strategy adopted by many Italian companies to increase their turnovers and profits.
But what products to sell in Dubai and the UAE? Analyzing the data published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we can make a real ranking of the most promising sectors for Italian exporting companies.
At first place place themselves i jewelry, the costume jewelry e related articles, with 729 million euros in exports between January and August 2023, representing the leading sector of total Made in Italy exports, with nearly the 20% Of the total.
At second place we find general purpose machinery and equipment, which with 262 million euros accounted for the 6.3% Of total Italian exports. Closing the podium is the fashion (clothing items, excluding fur clothing), with 230 million euros in value (5.5% of the total and a +0.7% over 2022), but excellent prospects are also offered by the’soap and detergent industry, of cleaning products, perfumes and cosmetics (175 million euros in total). The NEW 2023 bears the name of the footwear, who are awarded a good 4% Of Made in Italy exports to the United Arab Emirates.
As seen, selling Made in Italy products in Dubai and the Emirates has enormous advantages for Italian companies interested in expanding their horizons and accelerating their growth process. But, in fact, How to export to this country?
The options available to businesses are many, between digital channels and traditional offline sales channels. Let us therefore see the main ones:
a) disporre di una licenza commerciale negli Emirati con verifica dell’ID per scopi legali;
(b) products must be stored in the UAE , to ensure that Amazon Can pick up the goods within three days;
(c) a account registered in the UAE must be tied to the company holding the business license or the company's legal entities. Alternatively, an account can be opened with a local agent authorized by Amazon.
Made in Italy continues to be highly valued in the United Arab Emirates. Italian products are attributed positive characteristics such as versatility, high quality, and unique design, inimitable in the rest of the world, and harnessing this traction is a necessary condition for creating a competitive advantage for your business.
Internationalizing in the Emirates may therefore be the winning choice in 2024 as well to reinvigorate the future of your business-an almost obligatory path for the chance to consolidate your growth path both in terms of profits and brand recognition.
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