Looking for ways to add a little extra cash to your bank account? Here’s a guide on how to earn money online in Dubai giving you 10 ways you can take advantage of the country’s business opportunities.
Is it Legal to Earn Money Online in Dubai?
As long as you follow the UAE’s business regulations, you can earn money online in Dubai without any legal repercussions. You cannot start a business without a valid trade license, or become a freelancer without a valid freelance permit.
10 Ways to Earn Extra Money in UAE
The easiest way to earn money online in Dubai or anywhere else in the UAE is to use your existing skillset to offer a service or start a small business. Make sure to do enough research into your niche and try to offer something unique to your customers. These are 10 ideas for boosting your income.
1. Become a Virtual Assistant
If you have good organization skills and have previous experience with administrative tasks, you can earn money online in Dubai by working as a virtual assistant. You can do this completely remotely and can find part-time or freelance assistant gigs on LinkedIn, GulfTalent, and Indeed. You can also promote your services on social media and reach out to potential clients.
Remember that you will need to apply for a legal permit if this becomes your main career to maintain compliance with the UAE’s regulations.
2. Start an E-Commerce Business
If you’re interested in becoming an entrepreneur, you can take advantage of UAE’s large base of online shoppers and start an e-commerce business. You will need to get an e-commerce license to legally run your business and decide whether you’re going to set up in a free zone or on the mainland. A business setup consultant will be able to help you with your setup process.
E-commerce businesses don’t need physical stores, making them a cost-effective business model. You can sell handmade or locally sourced products, or offer services like counselling, consulting, or marketing.
3. Get into Dropshipping
If you ever Google “how to earn extra money online”, dropshipping’s sure to be on almost every list. This is because it’s a low stakes side hustle that doesn’t involve a lot of upfront costs. All you have to do is identify a product niche with potential, find a supplier, and set up your website. Essentially, you’re the middle man between the customer and the vendor.
You will also need an e-commerce license to become a dropshipper. Momentum’s expert consultants can handle all your business setup in Dubai needs from applying for a license to opening a corporate account with a bank.
4. Offer Virtual Fitness Classes
Fitness and nutrition enthusiasts can get certified to become personal trainers and offer online classes. You must have the proper certification to legally work as a fitness instructor. You can completely control the number of clients you work with, making it an easy way to increase your online earning in UAE.
5. Start Online Tutoring
You don’t have to limit yourself to academic subjects if you’re thinking about becoming an online tutor. You can teach any kind of skill like drawing, musical instruments, creative writing, or even coding. If you’re just tutoring on the side, you don’t need any legal permits to work.
However, if you’re thinking of expanding and starting an online tutoring company, you will need to get a license. Free zone businesses are generally easier and cheaper to set up than mainland companies, and is a good option if you have no plans to scale up your operations any time soon.
6. Offer Consulting Services
Taking on consulting gigs is an easy way to use your expertise to earn money online in Dubai. As a part-time or freelance consultant, you can pick your own hours and set your rate. You can even offer a free first meeting to generate more interest in your service offering. Popular consulting fields include:
- Legal
- Business
- Marketing
- Data analytics
- Finance & Banking
- Taxes
- Artificial Intelligence & Technology
7. Take on Part-Time Data Entry Projects
Data entry is a popular way to earn money online in the UAE because it can be done completely remotely and requires no special skillset. You can find data entry jobs on almost every job site, making it accessible to most people with a computer.
8. Offer Closed Captioning Services
Adding closed captions to videos is becoming the new normal, and with it comes the rise in demand for closed captioning services. This type of job only requires a good understanding of the language you’re dealing with and a computer. You can offer captioning services for:
- YouTube
- TikTok
- Meta
9. Become a Translator
If you’re fluent in a language other than English, you can offer translation services to earn money online in UAE. Arabic translators are always in demand in the country, along with Chinese, French, Hindi, and Urdu. You will need to register with the Ministry of Justice to start working as a translator.
10. Offer Marketing Services
Another way to earn extra money online is by offering digital marketing services. As UAE is a highly competitive market, businesses may find it difficult to stand out. You can offer services like:
- Branding & strategy
- Social media marketing
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Running ad campaigns
If you’re a beginner, you can start with small brands who are new to the country and expand your offerings once you gain some work experience.
Start an E-Commerce Business With Momentum
Momentum’s expert business setup consultants can help you start your e-commerce business by providing an end-to-end solution that starts with helping you choose a business location and ends with opening a bank account and starting your own business operations. Our consultants provide total support throughout the process and are always available to answer your questions.
