Sourcing gold from Uganda into the UAE
We are a Uganda-based sourcing company. We work with buyers, refineries, bullion traders, jewellery manufacturers and importers who want to buy closer to origin and who expect to run proper checks before any money moves.
We are not based in Dubai, and we do not claim to be. What we offer a UAE buyer is presence at the Uganda end of the transaction: sourcing, supplier verification, assay coordination, export documentation and logistics support.
The documentation chain, and why it matters to you
Gold leaving Uganda legally passes through a defined sequence. If a seller cannot evidence these steps, that is the single most useful warning sign available to you as a buyer.
On the Uganda side
- A mineral dealer licence. Section 140 of Uganda’s Mining and Minerals Act 2022 prohibits buying or selling minerals without a valid licence. Licences are issued by the Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines (DGSM), under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, and run to 31 December each year.
- An assay report from a laboratory licensed and approved by DGSM, establishing purity and weight.
- Proof of royalty payment and tax clearance from the Uganda Revenue Authority.
- A certificate of origin, issued by the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
- An export permit from DGSM, issued per consignment. DGSM confirms the assay, royalty and clearance evidence before issuing it.
- ICGLR certification where applicable. Uganda integrated the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region certification scheme into the Mining and Minerals Act 2022 and formally launched certification in November 2023. It matters particularly where material has any Great Lakes transit history.
On the UAE side
- The UAE Ministry of Economy Due Diligence Regulations for Responsible Sourcing of Gold, issued in 2022 and extended by Ministerial Decree No. 68 of 2024, place OECD-aligned supply chain obligations on gold refiners in the UAE.
- DMCC Rules for Risk-Based Due Diligence for Responsible Sourcing of Gold apply to DMCC member businesses and align with the same OECD framework.
- Dubai Customs expects import documentation to evidence the source country export permit, royalty payment, assay certification and certificate of origin.
The practical consequence is straightforward. Your own compliance obligations in the UAE are downstream of the documentation produced in Uganda. A shipment that cannot evidence the Uganda chain creates a problem at your end, not only at ours.
How verification works before you pay
You should never take a supplier word for purity, weight or provenance, ours included. A legitimate transaction is structured so that you can confirm what you are buying before funds move.
- Independent assay. Purity and weight confirmed by a licensed laboratory, with the report issued in a form you can check.
- Pre-shipment inspection. Your own agent, or a third-party inspection company you appoint, examines the consignment before it leaves.
- Document review. The permit, certificate of origin, assay report and royalty evidence reviewed against the consignment they describe.
- Staged payment. Payment structured against verification milestones rather than released in advance.
If a seller resists any of this, that tells you something useful.
What we do not claim on this page
Most pages in this sector assert purity figures, delivery terms and licence status without evidence. We would rather be checked than believed, so:
- We do not state a purity or carat figure here, because the figure that matters is the one on the assay report for your specific consignment.
- We do not state quantities or prices.
- We do not claim a Dubai office, a refinery relationship, or any DMCC membership.
- We do not publish guarantees.
Ask us these questions directly and we will answer them for your transaction, including where the answer is that we cannot meet a requirement.
Making an enquiry
Enquiries move faster when the first message is specific. Useful detail includes:
- The form you want to buy and the approximate purity you work to
- Quantity per shipment, and whether this is one-off or recurring
- Destination, whether Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or elsewhere, and the receiving facility if relevant
- Your delivery terms, if you already know them
- Your company and its role in the chain
- The verification, inspection and documentation your side requires
You can reach the trade team on [+256 771 528 350]+256771528350 by phone or WhatsApp, or email sales@eastafricaminerals.com. Time zones are close, Uganda being UTC+3 and the UAE UTC+4, so same-day replies are usually possible.
Common questions from UAE buyers
Are you based in Dubai?
No. We are based in Uganda, at the sourcing end. That is deliberate: our value to a UAE buyer is presence where the gold and the paperwork originate.
Can you supply documentation my compliance team will accept?
The Uganda-side chain above is what a legal export produces. Tell us what your compliance function requires and we will tell you plainly whether it can be met before you commit to anything.
How do I verify purity before paying?
Through independent assay at a DGSM-licensed laboratory and, if you want it, pre-shipment inspection by an agent you appoint. We would encourage both.
Do you work with buyers outside the UAE?
Yes. We work with buyers internationally. The UAE is simply where a large share of Uganda gold trade is directed.