Import Export Business in the Middle East Countries | How to Find Global Buyers | Tendata Database

The Middle East is rich in oil and natural gas resources, with oil reserves accounting for more than half of the world's proven reserves. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries rely on oil exports have become "rich" countries.

According to the World Bank data, in 2022, Qatar's GDP per capita is as high as $88,000, Israel's is $54,600, and the UAE's is $53,700, with a GDP per capita of more than $20,000, according to the World Bank. In addition, the Middle East has an internet penetration rate of over 90 percent, with a young population and a strong willingness to pay. Religion and language are relatively uniform, which provides a wide range of market opportunities for global import and export enterprises.

The six high-income countries of the "Gulf Six" - Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman - are strategically and geographically important as they are located in the transport hubs of the eastern and western hemispheres. These countries are bordered by Iraq and Jordan to the north, Yemen and the Arabian Sea to the south, the Arabian Gulf to the east and the Red Sea to the west. Dubai in the UAE is an important centre for cross-border trade in the Middle East and one of the largest distribution centres for goods. According to statistics, 80 per cent of goods to and from the Middle East transit through Dubai and extend to Eastern Europe, India and African countries, radiating a consumer market of 1.5 billion people.

How to export to Middle Eastern countries?

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I. Import and export trade of Middle Eastern countries

Saudi Arabia: As one of the richest countries in the world, Saudi Arabia relies on its rich oil resources to achieve rapid economic development and possesses advanced weapons in the military field, which gives it a certain degree of influence on Middle East affairs.

Israel: as the only developed country in the Middle East, Israel has a high level of industrialization and a strong economy, and is a leader in the Middle East in terms of commercial freedom and freedom of the press.

Iran: with its rich coastline and mountainous terrain, Iran is one of the important countries in the Middle East.

Iraq: is located in the heart of the Middle East region and is rich in oil resources.

Kuwait: a country whose main source of income is oil and one of the important oil producers in the Middle East.

Turkey: a country spanning Eurasia and Europe, with a very important geographic location and geopolitical and strategic position, a strong industrial base, and one of the fastest growing countries in the world.

United Arab Emirates: a desert country in West Asia with oil as its main economic pillar, enjoying the reputation of "flower in the desert".

Syria: a country in the Middle East with a rich history and culture.

Bahrain: an island country located in the Persian Gulf, is one of the smallest countries in the Middle East.

II. the Middle East hot import and export products

Electronics: one of the best-selling e-commerce commodities in the Middle East, with increasing consumer demand for small, multi-functional electronic devices, automated home appliances, and entertainment and security equipment.

Fast fashion products: the second largest category in the Middle East in terms of sales volume, including apparel, shoes and boots, bags and watches, with apparel being the main consumer product.

Mother and baby products: The Middle East market for mother and baby products is huge and is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, including toys, strollers, and nappies.

Beauty and Personal Care: The beauty and personal care market in the Middle East is huge, and women spend a high level of money on beauty and skincare products, which has great market potential.

III. the Middle East import and export market characteristics

The unity of the Middle East market is one of its distinguishing features, with regional users having relatively uniform preferences for commodity browsing, and religious and cultural traditions, constituting a large unified market. In addition, the Middle East has a high Internet penetration rate, strong consumer demand, a youthful demographic structure, rapid development of online payment, and an open policy environment, providing superior conditions for cross-border trade.

Internet Penetration Rate: Internet penetration rate in the Middle East is quite high, especially in the GCC countries, where the penetration rate is over 90%.

Strong consumer demand: The Middle East has a monolithic industrial structure and relies mainly on imports, with strong consumer demand for commodities such as daily necessities, electronic products and clothing.

Young population: About 70% of the population in the Middle East is under the age of 30. The younger generation is more open to online shopping and has a high demand for cross-border trade. Rapid development of online payment: With the impact of the epidemic, cashless payment methods are becoming increasingly popular in the Middle East, and it is expected that about 69% of transactions will shift to online payment.

Open policy environment: major countries in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, have an open foreign trade policy with few taxes or trade barriers, offering a free exchange regime and an economic environment free of foreign exchange controls.

IV. Middle East market culture and business etiquette

Language taboos: most Middle Eastern buyers use Arabic, part of the use of their native language, so business with them need to be familiar with Arabic and other local languages.

Cultural taboos: the Middle East is mainly a Muslim country that attaches great importance to religious and cultural traditions, so you need to pay attention to the selection and packaging to avoid products that violate religious regulations.

Important Festivals: E-commerce promotional seasons in the Middle East include White Friday, Ramadan and Double Eleven, and merchants should prepare for these promotions in advance.

Business interactions: Middle Eastern customers are sociable and value interpersonal relationships and etiquette, so building good relationships with customers is crucial to business success. At the same time, pay attention to delivery deadlines and product quality, Middle Eastern customers are very sensitive to this.

Price Negotiation: Middle Eastern customers are usually very shrewd and will not easily compromise in price negotiation, suppliers need to provide reasonable prices and services to convince them.

Overall, understanding the culture and business etiquette of the Middle East market, establishing good relationships with customers and providing quality products and services will help to carry out successful cross-border trade in the region.

V. How to find the Middle East buyers

1、Dubai Exhibition Dubai is the transport hub of the Middle East and the largest distribution centre of goods, more than 80% of the goods in the Middle East have to go through Dubai for transit, radiating to Africa, South America, India and other countries. Participating in the Dubai exhibition can have the opportunity to get the attention of a large number of Middle East customers.

2, B2B platform can try to use tradekey platform, which is a well-known B2B platform in the Middle East, similar to China's Alibaba. You can also use Google trend and Google adwords and other tools to analyse and select some of the search volume of keywords, publish more product information on the platform, and write a detailed description, such as the customer's active inquiry.

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3、Establish an Arabic website to choose appropriate keywords and search engine optimization to attract Middle East customers to find us. Creating an independent website is very helpful for finding customers and promoting your brand. When customers search on Google, they will be able to find the company's website easily.

4、Middle East Business Directory is divided into four parts: Arab Countries Business Directory, Arab Business Directory, Arab Portal and Hot Business Directory.

5、Google search

www.google.ae

www.google.com.sa

www.google.com.tr

www.google.com.eg

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