Write for GulfOnline
We publish practical, first-hand writing about doing business and living in the UAE. Standards are high and we reject most of what we receive — read the guidelines, then send a pitch.
- Free to publish
- Reply within 5 working days
- Credited author byline
What we publish
One test decides everything: could a reader in the UAE act on this tomorrow? Explainers built on real experience, real numbers and real procedures — UAE specifics, fees in dirhams, the actual authority involved, the real timelines.
These are the topics we are actively commissioning. Pick one, and pitch a specific angle inside it rather than a general overview.
Home and property services
- AC Repair & Maintenance
- Builders And Developers
- Carpenters
- Carpet & Sofa Cleaning
- Cleaning Services
- Electrical Shop
- Handyman
- Housekeeping
- Interior Designers
- Landscaping
- Maid Services
- Movers & Packers
- Painting Services
- Pest Control
- Plumbers
- Real Estate
Health and wellness
- Counselling Services
- Dentists
- Dermatologists
- Doctors
- Fitness
- Health & Medical
- Personal Trainers
- Physiotherapy
Beauty and personal care
- Barber Shops
- Beauty & Wellness
- Dry Cleaning
- Hair Salons
- Laundry Services
- Salon And Spa
- Tailors
Business and professional
- Accounting
- Business
- Business Consultants
- Finance And Banking
- Insurance
- Legal Services
- PRO Services
- Printing And Publishing
- Recruitment Agency
- Typing Centres
Marketing and technology
- Advertising
- E-Commerce
- Information Technology
- Marketing Agency
- Photography
- Software Development
Automotive
- Auto Repair
- Automotive
- Car Rental
- Car Wash
Logistics and transport
- Courier Services
- Freight Forwarding
- Logistics & Cargo
Food and events
- Cake Shop
- Catering Services
Education and travel
- Education Services
- Travel Tourism
What we reject
Most submissions fail on one of these. None of them are negotiable.
- Anything written mainly to place a link. It is obvious, and it is an instant no.
- Content that could have been written about any country. If “UAE” can be swapped for “UK” without changing a sentence, it is not for us.
- Unedited AI output. Assisted research is fine and must be disclosed; generated filler is not.
- Anything published elsewhere, including on your own blog or LinkedIn.
- Casino, betting, adult, crypto trading, pharmaceuticals, essay writing and visa-fixing services.
- Press releases, company announcements and thinly disguised sales pages.
- Claims about law, tax or immigration with no source. Cite the authority.
Submission guidelines
- Length. 1,200 words minimum. Most published pieces land between 1,500 and 2,000.
- Structure. Descriptive subheadings every 200–300 words. Short paragraphs. Tables where numbers are being compared.
- Sources. Link claims about rules, fees or deadlines to the issuing authority — not to another blog.
- Images. Supply your own or name the licence. We will not publish images you found on Google.
- Author bio. Two to three sentences with one dofollow link to your site or portfolio.
- In-content links. Editorial only, added where they genuinely help the reader. We remove the rest.
- Editing. We edit for clarity, house style and accuracy, and may retitle for search. You see the final version before it goes live.
- Exclusivity. Original and unpublished. Do not republish for at least 60 days, and canonical to us if you do.
- Payment. None, in either direction. We do not pay for posts and we do not sell placements.
How it works
- Pitch first. Send the outline below. Do not send a finished draft — unsolicited drafts are not read.
- We reply within five working days if it is a fit, with any changes to the angle.
- You write it to the agreed outline, usually inside two weeks.
- We edit and schedule, and send you the final version and the live URL.
Send your pitch
Everything marked with an asterisk is required. The outline is the part we actually judge, so give it some thought.