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How to Verify a Business in the UAE: Your Essential KYB Guide

By AiPrise
18, Sep 2024
5 min read

Have you ever thought you were doing business with a legitimate company in the UAE? As online scams and fraudulent activities rise, you must verify a company's authenticity before doing business with them. Company verification in the UAE is vital to ensure security and compliance with local regulations.

You may face many challenges while verifying a company, but by employing a comprehensive Know Your Business (KYB) solution, your businesses can streamline the verification process, stay up-to-date with regulations, and protect yourself from potential risks.  

Today, we will walk through the steps of verifying a business in the UAE and provide you with essential tips and resources to ensure your transactions are safe and secure. Let's dive in!

What Is KYB, And Why Is It Essential For Your Business In The UAE?

Know Your Business (KYB) helps you verify the legitimacy and integrity of a business entity. The process may be challenging as it starts with collecting and gathering information about a company to ensure it meets legal and regulatory standards. This includes checking the company's registration details, ownership structure, and financial health.

KYB is essential for various reasons. The first one is to follow the rules and ensure that you are in the legal business or not doing business with people associated with money laundering and other unlawful activities. Many jurisdictions, including the UAE, impose strict regulatory requirements for companies to follow these rules. Confirming that you are associated with legal entities builds trust with your partners and other stakeholders.

Who Needs To Conduct Business Verification?

Business Verification, or KYB(Know Your Business), is a crucial business process. KYB processes are essential for the following businesses:

  • Financial Institutions: Banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions must conduct UAE company verification to prevent money laundering, fraud, and other financial crimes.
  • Professional Services Firms: Several firms, such as law firms, accounting firms, and consulting companies, need to verify the legitimacy of their clients to ensure compliance with UAE rules and regulations.
  • Online Marketplaces: E-commerce platforms and online marketplaces must verify sellers' authenticity to protect their customers and maintain a trustworthy environment.
  • Real Estate Agents: If you are a real estate agent, you need to do this process to prevent fraudulent transactions.
  • Insurance Companies: Insurance companies verify the identity and credibility of policyholders to assess risk and prevent fraudulent claims.
  • International Businesses: Companies operating in multiple jurisdictions must conduct KYB checks to comply with legal requirements and mitigate risks associated with cross-border transactions.

AiPrise's global verification capabilities can benefit these industries, ensuring quick and reliable compliance checkups.

Now, let’s explore the steps of verifying business in the UAE.

Steps To Verify A Business In The UAE

Verifying the authenticity of a business in the UAE is crucial to protecting your interests and avoiding risks. By conducting thorough research, you can ensure that you deal with a legitimate and reliable entity. The following steps will help you with the trade license and its significance in the UAE.

Trade License And Its Significance In The UAE

A trade license is mandatory for any registered company operating in the UAE, but the requirement may vary in free zones. It is a legal document that authorizes a business to conduct specific activities within the country and shows that an organization complies with local laws and regulations.

If you need to verify the trade license in the UAE, check with the Department of Economic Development (DED), the government body responsible for regulating business activities in the country.

Have you just verified a company's trade license? Great! Now, let's discuss online verification tools to make this process smoother.

Online Verification of Trade Licenses in Dubai

Online is the best and easiest way to get the details of a business. Dubai Economic Department (DED) provides an online platform for verifying trade licenses. Here's how you can do that:

  • The DED Portal: Visit the DED's official website.
  • Locate The Verification Tool: Check the section where you can search for trade license verification.
  • Enter Required Information: To access the details, you must provide the trade license number, company name, or other relevant information.

What Do You Need To Check?

Once you provide the necessary information, the DED portal will process your request and display the verification results.

  • License Validity: Check whether the trade license is active, expired, or canceled.
  • License Type: The specific license type (e.g., commercial, industrial, professional).
  • Business Activities: Check the authorized activities listed on the trade license.
  • Company Details: Basic information about the company, such as its name, address, and registration date.

In-Person Verification:

You can also opt for the alternative option and visit the DED office, providing the company's name or trade license number. DED officials will verify the license's authenticity and provide additional details if necessary.

Verifying Free Zone Companies In The UAE

While the DED's online portal is a valuable tool for business registration checking in the UAE, it may not comprehensively cover free zone companies. These companies operate under different regulations and may have specific verification procedures. So, how do you check the details?

  • Separate Registries: Each free zone authority maintains its registry of companies within its jurisdiction.
  • Limited Online Access: Some free zone authorities may not provide as extensive online verification tools as the DED.

You need to contact the free zone authorities directly to verify the details of companies operating under their jurisdiction. This is how you can do that:

  • Email: Send an inquiry to the free zone authority's email address with the company name or registration number.
  • In-Person Visit: If you're in the UAE, verify your business in the UAE by visiting the free zone authority's office.

This process becomes easier when you partner with AiPrise, which accesses a wide database and offers fast and simple solutions for verifying companies.

Have you finished checking out the physical verification process? Now, let's explore how to take advantage of some additional online resources.

Other Online Resources For Business Verification

Other methods for UAE company verification exist. These resources may provide sufficient information about the presence of the organization you are looking for.

  

  • LinkedIn: Search for the company on LinkedIn to find its profile, employees, and company updates.
  • Social Media: Check other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for the company's official accounts.
  • Online Reviews: Search for reviews and testimonials on platforms like Google, Trustpilot, or Yelp.
  • Scam Alerts: Check reliable sources such as government websites, regulatory bodies, and reputed news outlets for any scam alerts or warnings related to the company.

Conclusion

Verifying a business in the UAE is the first step to protecting your interests and complying with the rules. With these steps, your business can conduct thorough due diligence, mitigate risks, and avoid falling into fraudulent activities.

AiPrise offers comprehensive verification services that can assist you in gaining accurate and reliable details for UAE company verification. We provide comprehensive verification and ensure that you have access to accurate and reliable information.

Are you ready to partner with AiPrise and mitigate risks? Let's verify businesses and individuals globally with our comprehensive KYC and KYB solutions. Request a demo now to learn more.