22 May
Are you a Nigerian or an aspiring entrepreneur in Nigeria and various parts of Africa interested in learning about how to import goods or products such as mini importation or dropshipping? Dubai, with its wide selection of high-quality goods, can be your ticket to success.
Why should I import from Dubai?
It is one of the thriving economic centres of the Middle East and has established itself as a key location for global trade and business prospects.
It has become highly sought-after for business owners and entrepreneurs wishing to import goods because of its advantageous location, cutting-edge infrastructure, and extensive selection of high-quality products.
We will lead you through every stage of how to import goods from Dubai in this in-depth guide, with helpful insights and advice to assist you in making wise choices. Prepare to seize profitable possibilities and develop your reputation as a prosperous importer!
What kind of Goods can I Import from Dubai?
Dubai is a city, emirate, capital and the most populous of the United Arab Emirates which are seven in number (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman)
The city, which began as a modest fishing community in the 18th century, expanded quickly in the early 21st century with a concentration on tourism and luxury. It now has the second-most five-star hotels worldwide and the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, which is 828 meters (2,717 feet) tall.
Today, Importing goods from Dubai can be considered one of the most lucrative online businesses for Africans (especially Nigerians) because of the elegance, high quality and durability of its products
Some of the best product ideas you can import from Dubai are
- Original Gold and Diamond Jewellery such as earrings, necklaces, sets, handcrafted jewellery, pearl necklaces, and elegant beads.
- Men & Women’s Fashion and Accessories: Quality Shoes, Sandals, bags, suits, wristwatches etc.
- Textiles such as Voile Lace.
- Electronic gadgets and accessories: mixers and grinders, washing machines, laptops, phones, television, lights and lighting equipment
- Islamic fashion wares such as abayas, kaftans, jalamias etc.
- Home decorative items such as rugs, carpets, home ornaments, decorative candles, and leather for chairs.
- Cosmetics and health care products such as perfume oil, perfume, fragrance, and processed petroleum jelly
- Antiques
These products are among several others, but when the emphasis is placed on utmost quality. Imported goods from Dubai are rated top with USA & UK, Let’s delve into How to get started.
How to import from Dubai to Nigeria in 8 steps
- Research and Identify Lucrative Products
The identification of profitable products is the first and most important step in importing goods from Dubai, and this can only be done effectively by rigorous market research which helps to identify products that are in line with your business objectives and target market.
Dubai is a country known for luxury goods, so what you can expect is high-quality products which require an appropriate analysis of factors including demand, competitiveness, profitability, and legal limitations.
Look for distinctive items that could succeed in Nigeria’s market, meet the needs of your target audience, and stand out from the competition.
2. Find Reliable Suppliers
Once you’ve identified the products you want to import, it’s essential to find reliable suppliers in Dubai. There are several ways to find reliable suppliers
Offline: you can get suppliers when you attend trade shows hosted in your country, exhibitions and networking events
Online: you can get suppliers leveraging various ecommerce websites, social media platforms and global B2B marketplace
Whatever medium you choose, it’s important you perform due diligence by checking their reputation, reviews, and certifications to ensure reliability and quality.
3. Manage Payments and Currency Exchange:
When importing from Dubai, you will need to manage international payments and navigate currency exchange. Since there are 2 countries involved, there is a disparity of currencies between the supplier and customer.
In Dubai, they spend dirhams whereas the globally accepted means of payment is US dollars($), the question you need to ask your supplier or alternatively check is which currency can you make payment.
Most of the time, you can make payment in dollars or dirhams
As a Nigerian spending naira or wherever you may belong, it’s important you convert your currency to USD or dirhams with the respective bureau de change( individuals/organizations tasked with the responsibility to change money)
In Nigeria, there are 2 rates. The official and black market rates (as of now in 2023, the naira mastercard cant be used to make payment) so the rate which you can use is the black market rate which fluctuates from time to time
Always Establish a secure and reliable payment system that safeguards your transactions, monitors currency exchange rates to optimize your costs and protects against currency fluctuations.
4. Arrange Shipping and Logistics with a Reputable Organization
Shipping and logistics play a pivotal role in a successful import venture. It’s important you partner with a reputable freight forwarder or shipping agent with experience in handling shipments from Dubai
There are always two different modes of shipping cost, such as the cost of shipping from the seller to the shipping company and from the shipping company to the respective country
There are 2 ways by which goods leave one country to another, either as air cargo or sea cargo. The first is best for small and lightweight goods while the other is for large and bulky goods, each having a different freight cost
There is quite a list of shipping companies you can use, select one that will assist you with essential tasks like documentation, customs clearance, insurance, and delivery to your desired location.
Air freights from Dubai to Nigeria are within 7-10 days (although they have a specific day for shipping)
5. Consider Quality Control and Inspection
Maintaining quality control is paramount when importing. Consider hiring a quality control agency or conducting inspections yourself to ensure that the products meet your specifications and quality standards.
This step can be conducted by the shipping company which helps prevent potential issues, such as receiving damaged or substandard goods, saving you from future complications.
6. Understand Customs and Import Procedures
Navigating the customs and import procedures is critical to a smooth importing process.
Ensure that you have a thorough understanding of customs regulations and import restrictions (evaluate and access what can be exported from Dubai and imported into your own country)
Another is the customs duties and taxes which can significantly impact the profitability of your import business. Properly calculate and include these costs in your pricing strategy to avoid surprises and ensure a healthy profit margin
7. Build Strong Business Relationships
Last but not least key to understanding how to import from Dubai is maintaining and building business relationships, It is one of the essential keys to a successful and profitable import business.
To do this, you need to maintain open lines of communication with your suppliers, freight forwarders, and other stakeholders involved in the process.
Nurture these relationships by being reliable, responsive, and fair, Give reviews about the relationship
8. Optimize Product listing and online presence
Creating a strong online presence is vital for marketing and selling products imported, this is quite a headache to quite a number of people.
To do this is relatively easy in 5 steps
Find a social media platform where your potential customers are always present
Create content around this product such as the unboxing video, testimonials, how to use it, what to use it for, statistics for the problem your product is solving, reviews
Find a listing ecommerce platform where you can sell the products such as Amazon, eBay, jumia, and jiji or leverage groups and communities such as Facebook Marketplace, Instagram Shop, google shopping etc
You can alternatively build an online store for your business
List and Optimize your store with eye-captivating images, well-descriptive illustrations, relevant keywords, compelling descriptions
Other forms of marketing to explore are Search Engine Optimization, Email marketing, content marketing and Social media marketing to drive traffic and build a reputation
9. Scale and Expanding your Business
Having followed through and engaging meticulously with the subsequent ways by which you can start importation from Dubai, Its time to scale and expand your business
And one way to do this is continuously analyzed market trends, diversify your product range, explore new marketing channels
Seek feedback from customers via surveys and questionnaires, networking and collaborating with complementary businesses in order to forge new partnerships and explore growth opportunities
For business owners desiring to import items from Dubai, it remains a substantial prospect. You can successfully handle the importation process and take advantage of the Dubai market’s potential by adhering to our thorough instructions.
But would you need help when importing goods, we are here to guide and mentor you through.
Always keep in mind to do extensive research, establish trustworthy supplier relationships, and stay current on legislation.
With this guide and confidence in you, start your importing journey in 2023 and open up new doors for success.
Kindly comment on what you have learnt so far, we are so keen to hear your feedback
