UAE Supplier Due-Diligence Checklist

How to use this checklist

Work through the sections in order and record what you verified, what the supplier provided, and what remains open. A check you could not complete is itself a finding — treat unanswered items as risk to be resolved before commitment, not as details to skip.

The depth of checking should match the size and risk of the purchase. A recurring low-value consumable order needs less investigation than a capital equipment purchase or a project-scale supply agreement.

Business identity and registration

• Trade licence: ask for a copy of the current UAE trade licence (mainland or free zone) and check it is in date and in the supplier's exact trading name.
• Licensed activity: confirm the licensed business activities cover what the supplier is actually selling you. A licence for general trading does not automatically mean competence in a specialised category.
• Company details: cross-check the legal name, licence number and address against the quotation, invoices and any contracts. Inconsistencies between documents are a red flag.
• Contact verification: check for a working landline or business mobile, a company-domain email address, and a verifiable physical address — a free email account and no address warrant caution.
• Establishment history: how long the company has operated is relevant context, particularly where you are being asked for large advance payments.

Capability, channel status and track record

Establish what kind of supplier you are dealing with, because it determines what you should verify next:

• Manufacturer: makes the product. Verify production facility, capacity and quality processes.
• Authorised distributor or agent: appointed by the manufacturer. Ask for an authorisation or agency letter and confirm it with the principal where the brand and warranty matter.
• Reseller or trader: buys and resells without manufacturer backing. Verify stock reality, source of goods and how warranty claims would actually be handled.
• Confirm whether quoted items are physically in UAE stock or indent (ordered to order) — this drives lead-time reliability.
• Ask for references from comparable UAE or GCC customers and check them. A supplier unable or unwilling to provide any reference for a significant order is a risk signal.
• For consequential purchases, request a sample, demonstration or site/line visit before committing to volume.

Specifications, standards and certifications

• Confirm the offered product matches your written specification exactly — model, grade, size, capacity and standards referenced.
• Request certificates only where genuinely relevant to the category: for example food-contact compliance for packaging and disposables, flame-retardancy standards for contract furniture, electrical safety for equipment, or health-authority registration for regulated medical items.
• Treat certificates as verifiable documents: check they are current, issued to the supplier or its principal, and apply to the actual product offered — not a similar one.
• Where an alternative or equivalent brand is offered, require the full technical comparison against the specified item rather than accepting a brand name alone.

Commercial and delivery checks

• Quotation completeness: unit price, quantity basis, delivery, installation, commissioning and exclusions should all be visible. An incomplete quote is not a cheap quote.
• Payment terms: note the advance percentage and what it is secured against. Advance-heavy terms to a counterparty you have not verified carry real risk.
• Lead time: get it in writing with a delivery basis (ex-stock, ex-works, delivered-to-site) and ask what happens if it slips.
• Warranty: duration, what it covers, and who honours it locally — supplier, principal, or nobody.
• After-sales support: for equipment, confirm local service capability, spare-parts availability and response expectations.
• Logistics and import: clarify who handles customs, duties and delivery to your site, and what documentation (certificate of origin, packing lists, test certificates) comes with the goods.

Compliance and sanctions considerations

At a general level, buyers should ensure they deal with legitimate counterparties: screen significant suppliers against applicable sanctions lists, be alert to requests for payment to unrelated third-party or personal accounts, and keep records of the documents you verified. Regulated categories (medical, food, fire and life safety) carry additional authority requirements — confirm which apply to your purchase.

Red flags and inconsistencies to investigate

• Pricing far below every other offer with no clear explanation.
• Pressure to pay quickly, or payment requested to a personal or unrelated third-party account.
• Refusal to share a trade licence copy, references or product documentation.
• Documents that do not match: different company names, addresses or licence numbers across quotation, licence and bank details.
• “Authorised” claims that the manufacturer will not confirm.
• A very recently formed company requesting a large advance for a long-lead order.
• Vague answers on stock, lead time or warranty that stay vague in writing.

The checklist

Use this table as a working checklist: mark each item verified, provided by the supplier, or open before you commit.

What ProcClinic supplier review does — and does not — mean

Before ProcClinic introduces a supplier to a buyer, we review basic company identity and business documentation — such as trade licence and company details — and assess relevance to the buyer's stated requirement. Suppliers are reviewed, not certified or guaranteed.

ProcClinic's review does not verify technical capability, financial standing, product quality or regulatory compliance, and it does not warrant a supplier's performance, pricing or delivery. Final due diligence — using a checklist like this one — always remains with the buyer.

A note on scope

This checklist is general procurement guidance for buyers in the UAE. It is not legal, tax, financial or regulatory compliance advice. For regulated categories or significant contracts, involve your own legal, finance and compliance advisers.

Frequently asked questions

Does ProcClinic carry out this due diligence for me?

ProcClinic reviews basic company identity and business documentation before introducing a supplier — suppliers are reviewed, not certified or guaranteed. The deeper checks in this checklist (capability, financial, technical, regulatory) remain with you as the buyer. Where you need structured support, managed sourcing is a separately agreed paid service.

Is this checklist legal or compliance advice?

No. It is general procurement guidance for UAE buyers. It does not replace legal, tax or regulatory advice, and regulated categories carry requirements beyond what is listed here.

How deep should due diligence go for a small order?

Scale the effort to the risk: for low-value repeat purchases, identity verification, a reference or two and quotation completeness are usually proportionate. For capital equipment, long-lead or high-value orders, work through every section including channel status, payment security and after-sales arrangements.

What is the single most common due-diligence failure?

Accepting documents and claims at face value without cross-checking them — licences that do not match the quotation name, authorisation claims the manufacturer will not confirm, or “in stock” that turns out to be order-based. Independent verification is the point of the exercise.

More procurement resources

• How to Write an Effective RFQ in the UAE
• How to Compare Supplier Quotations Like-for-Like

Related category sourcing guides

• Healthcare Suppliers in the UAE
• Construction Suppliers in the UAE
• Food & Beverage Suppliers in the UAE