What it means for a Dubai business
Perplexity is popular with people who research before they buy, which includes many professionals moving to Dubai. Because it shows sources so clearly, it is also the easiest assistant for a business to learn from. You can see exactly which pages it trusted for a question about your field.
Ask it your buyers’ questions and read the sources. They tell you which directories, articles and competitor pages shape answers in your market.
Example
A setup firm asks Perplexity “free zone or mainland if my customers are in Dubai”. The sources include two government pages and one consultancy’s explainer. The consultancy’s page is short and dated, with the rule first. That is the shape to copy.
Common mistake
Ignoring it because it is smaller than ChatGPT. Its users are often the most deliberate buyers. Its source lists are free research for you.