What you'll get
- 4 copy-ready blocks
- Spreadsheet-ready
- 5 min read
- UAE and Saudi market entry checklist (must-pass items marked ★)
- For an adviser in each country
- Named account sheet (tab-separated)
- 90-day plan
How to use it
- Step 1: Copy Part 1 into a shared sheet. Give each line an owner and a date.
- Step 2: Choose the UAE, Saudi Arabia or both, and mark items that apply to one country only.
- Step 3: Fix every must-pass item (★) before the first outreach.
- Step 4: Take Part 2 to a local adviser in each country. This page is not legal or tax advice.
- Step 5: Build the account sheet in Part 3 and review it monthly.
To get software projects from Dubai or Riyadh, you need more than a Gulf contact list. Buyers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia check proof, presence and how you handle their data before they reply. This checklist covers 30 things to have ready and a 90-day plan for your first named accounts.
Part 1: The 30-point checklist
UAE and Saudi market entry checklist (must-pass items marked ★)
PROOF AND NICHE
1 ★ One niche: one buyer type, one problem you have solved at least twice
2 ★ Two case studies a Gulf buyer will recognise, with results the client agreed to share
3 ★ One reference a Gulf buyer can phone, with the client's permission
4 A one-page capability note naming the people who deliver
5 A small paid first step: a discovery sprint, workshop or pilot
PRESENCE AND PEOPLE
6 ★ Presence decided per country: sell from home, partner or set up locally
7 A named account owner who will travel, with dates for two visits
8 A local number that reaches a person in Gulf working hours
9 Someone to write or check Arabic material when a buyer prefers it
10 Website and profiles say who you serve in the Gulf
WORKING WEEK AND CALENDAR
11 ★ Each account's working week noted (many UAE firms work Monday to Friday,
Saudi firms usually Sunday to Thursday)
12 Time difference planned: India is 1.5 hours ahead of the UAE, 2.5 of Saudi Arabia
13 Ramadan, Eid and summer holidays marked in the outreach calendar
14 A weekly status format: done, next, risks, decisions
CONTRACTS, TAX AND REGISTRATION
15 ★ Contract and NDA reviewed by a lawyer who works in that country
16 Contracting entity decided per country
17 VAT and invoicing rules checked with your adviser
18 Vendor registration steps known for your target accounts
19 Payment terms stated; first-invoice approval time asked
DATA AND SECURITY
20 ★ Answers ready for a security questionnaire
21 ★ Where client data is stored, and whether it may leave the country
22 How you follow the UAE's data law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021; DIFC
and ADGM have their own) and Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law
23 Certifications held or planned, with dates
OUTREACH RULES AND SET-UP
24 ★ How you follow each country's rules on marketing calls and messages
25 Separate sending domain warmed up; main domain protected
26 CRM with accounts as the main record, not contacts
NAMED ACCOUNTS
27 ★ 40 to 100 named Gulf accounts that look like clients you have served
28 Each account in Tier 1, 2 or 3 on fit and timing
29 Three or four roles mapped per Tier 1 account, including the supplier owner
30 One dated trigger and one reason to talk per Tier 1 accountAll 10 ★ items done: start Tier 1 outreach. Seven to nine: Tier 3 accounts only. Fewer than seven: not ready.
Part 2: Questions for a local adviser
For an adviser in each country
1. Can we sell and invoice from our home company, or do we need a local entity?
2. What do VAT and e-invoicing require of a foreign supplier?
3. Which rules apply to marketing calls, emails and messages to business contacts?
4. What does the data law require if we store or process client data?
5. Do large or government-linked buyers need us registered as a vendor?Part 3: Named account sheet and 90-day plan
Named account sheet (tab-separated)
Account Country City Working week Lookalike of Tier Trigger and date Business owner Technical evaluator Supplier owner Warm path Status90-day plan
Days 1 to 14 Close the ★ gaps. Choose the niche and the first country.
Days 15 to 30 Build and tier the list. Map Tier 1 committees and triggers.
Days 31 to 60 Tier 1 outreach in Gulf hours, several people per account.
Days 61 to 90 Visit where there are replies. Offer the paid first step.The US market entry checklist covers the USA. The buying committee map helps with item 29.
Five mistakes to avoid
- Treating the Gulf as one market. The UAE and Saudi Arabia differ in week, rules and buyers.
- Exporting every company in Dubai. The real buyer list is short, and its people talk.
- Never visiting. Gulf buyers often want to meet the people they will work with.
- Ignoring the calendar. A message that lands on the weekend or in Eid reads as careless.
- Setting up an entity before the first client. Ask an adviser first.
Why this works on named accounts
Common questions
How do IT companies get software projects from Dubai?
They choose a niche with proof a Gulf buyer will recognise, settle presence, contracts and data answers, then approach a named list of companies in the buyer's working hours, several people per account. A visit usually follows the first replies.
Do I need a company in the UAE or Saudi Arabia to sell software services there?
Not always. Some firms start from their home company or through a partner and set up locally when clients require it. Rules differ by country and buyer, so ask a local adviser first.
Should I start with the UAE or Saudi Arabia?
Start where your proof is strongest and you can name the accounts. Plan each country separately.
Read next
Related articleB2B Sales in UAE and the GCC: How to Sell Software and IT Services into the GulfRead →More from the Academy
US Market Entry Checklist for Indian IT Firms
For founders and sales heads of Indian software and IT services firms preparing to sell into the USA.
You leave with a 40-point readiness checklist, a list of questions for your CA and lawyer, a named account sheet and a 90-day plan.
Buying Committee Map
For sellers working a large account through a single contact.
You leave with nine roles to look for, a map you can paste into a spreadsheet, a brief for each person and a coverage check that shows where the account is exposed.
The Trigger-Event List: When to Approach an Account
For sellers with a good account list and no idea which account to work this week.
You leave with 12 trigger events, where to spot them and who to approach when one lands.
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