How Companies in the UAE and GCC Obtain a DUNS Number Before FDA Registration

Manufacturers in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman who export food or other regulated products to the United States face the same DUNS number requirement as manufacturers in any other country. A DUNS number — issued by Dun & Bradstreet — is a required field in FDA's food facility registration system (FURLS). Without it, the registration cannot be submitted. This guide explains how the DUNS application process works for companies located in the UAE and broader GCC region.

Who issues DUNS numbers in the UAE and GCC

Dun & Bradstreet Middle East, headquartered in Dubai, serves the GCC region. DUNS numbers for UAE entities are issued through D&B's global portal (dnb.com) or through D&B Middle East's regional office. The process is the same regardless of whether you apply through the global portal or the regional office — you submit your business information, D&B verifies it against local commercial registries (such as the UAE trade license database), and a nine-digit DUNS number is assigned. In many cases, your company may already have a DUNS number without knowing it — D&B sources data from public registries and creates records for businesses even if they have not actively applied. You can check whether your company already has a DUNS number by searching dnb.com using your legal business name and country.

What information UAE and GCC companies need to provide

The D&B application requires: the legal business name in English (or transliterated from Arabic if your registration documents are in Arabic), the physical street address in English including emirate, city, and country, the UAE trade license number or commercial registration number, the telephone number, the primary business activity (manufacturing, processing, trading), the year the business was established, and the number of employees. UAE companies registered in free zones (JAFZA, DAFZA, KIZAD, Sharjah Airport Free Zone, and others) should use the free zone address as their physical address. P.O. boxes are not acceptable as a street address — if your trade license only shows a P.O. box, you will need to provide the physical location of your facility.

Timeline for GCC applicants

D&B's standard DUNS number issuance takes 5 to 30 business days for most countries. For UAE and GCC applicants, the timeline is typically on the shorter end of that range — 7 to 14 business days — because D&B Middle East has an established data infrastructure for the region. If you need a DUNS number sooner, D&B's commercial products include an expedited option (typically 1 to 2 business days for a fee). Given that FDA food facility registration requires DUNS number entry and FDA processing itself takes several weeks, UAE manufacturers should begin the DUNS application at least four to six weeks before their intended first export to the United States.

Using your UAE DUNS number in FDA's FURLS system

Once you have your nine-digit DUNS number, you enter it in the facility identification section of the FURLS registration form along with your facility's legal name and address. The address you enter in FURLS must match exactly what D&B has on file — including building name, floor or suite number, street name, emirate, and country. A mismatch between the FURLS entry and the D&B record is one of the most common causes of FDA registration processing delays for GCC applicants. Before submitting the FURLS form, verify that your D&B record address is exactly the same as what you will enter in FURLS. You can view and update your D&B record through D&B's iUpdate portal.

Special considerations for Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait

The same process applies to manufacturers in Saudi Arabia (use the CRSD commercial registration number), Qatar (use the Ministry of Commerce registration), Kuwait (use the Commercial Registry number), and other GCC states. D&B has established relationships with commercial registries in each of these countries and can verify entity data through those channels. Arabic company names should be transliterated consistently — the name on the D&B record should match the transliteration used in FDA's FURLS system, because FDA cross-references both.

FDABridge support for UAE and GCC exporters

FDABridge has assisted UAE, Saudi, and Emirati manufacturers with FDA food facility registration, including the DUNS number acquisition step. We verify the D&B record before submission and serve as US Agent for foreign registrants throughout the registration and renewal lifecycle. Visit fdabridge.com/fda-registration-uae for GCC-specific information or fdabridge.com/duns-number for DUNS number service details.