How to Start a Fresh, Chilled & Frozen Meat Trading Business with Meydan Free Zone

Fresh, chilled and frozen meat trading covers the resale of meat that has not been converted into other products, across all three temperature states.

The distinguishing feature is preservation without transformation: the trader may mince, chop, and prepare meat for cooking, but the product remains meat rather than becoming a manufactured item.

It is a flexible activity that spans organic and non-organic beef and mutton and supports both retail and supply relationships.

The category sits on a deep trade base. The UAE exported roughly USD 6.07 billion of meat and edible offal in 2024, with frozen bovine meat alone accounting for USD 385.8 million to a single partner market.^[1]

Domestically, meat remains the highest-value fresh food category in UAE retail, giving traders reliable downstream demand across temperature formats.^[2]

Cold chain and compliance define the trade. Dubai Municipality Food Safety Department approval is required before licensing, imported product must be registered in the official system, and Halal certification from an approved body is mandatory across fresh, chilled, and frozen lines.^[3]

Frozen product carries a recommended shelf life framework, which makes documentation and rotation part of the daily operation.

[blockCTATradeLicense]

A Meat Trade Exporting Billions and Anchoring Fresh Food Retail

A Dubai-licensed meat business operates in a market where the UAE exported roughly USD 6.07 billion of meat and edible offal in 2024, including USD 385.8 million of frozen bovine meat to a single trading partner, and where meat has consistently ranked as the highest-value fresh food category in UAE retail.
‍

Sources: UN COMTRADE / Trading Economics (2024), Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Meydan Free Zone, Fresh Meat Products Trading

Who Is This Activity For?

4721.70 - Fresh, Chilled & Frozen Meat Trading

Activity 4721.70 sits within the broader class covering the retail sale of food in specialised stores. Within that class, this activity is the trading of fresh, chilled, and frozen meat. It covers the resale of beef and mutton, organic and non-organic, in fresh, chilled, or frozen form, provided no converting or manufacturing process has been carried out.

Permitted preparation includes mincing, chopping, and preparing meat for cooking. The activity concerns trading meat in its unconverted state. It does not extend to slaughtering, processing meat into manufactured products, or wholesale bulk distribution.

Beyond this activity, Meydan Free Zone also supports related licences such as Fresh Meat Products Trading, Meat Shop & Butcher Business, and Food and Beverages Trading.

The trading range covers:

• Fresh and chilled beef and mutton
• Frozen beef and mutton across formats
• Organic and non-organic meat varieties
• Mincing, chopping, and preparation for cooking
• Cold chain storage and temperature-controlled handling
• Halal-certified fresh, chilled, and frozen lines
• Registration and documentation for imported product

Service Scope

Fresh & Chilled Beef and Mutton

Unconverted fresh and chilled meat resold to retail and trade buyers, prepared for cooking without any manufacturing process.

Frozen Meat Lines

Frozen beef and mutton offering extended shelf life and wider sourcing, handled under managed cold chain conditions.

Organic & Non-Organic Ranges

Both organic and conventional meat varieties traded across temperature states to serve different buyer preferences.

Prepared & Portioned Cuts

Meat minced, chopped, and portioned for cooking, the limit of permitted preparation before an activity becomes manufacturing.

Halal-Certified Cold Chain Supply

Fresh, chilled, and frozen meat certified Halal by approved bodies and supported by import registration where required.

WHAT THIS ACTIVITY EXCLUDES

It is important to note what activity 4721.70 does not cover. Any converting or manufacturing process that transforms the meat into another product, such as sausage or cured meat production, falls outside this scope.

Slaughtering animals is a separate regulated activity. Wholesale bulk distribution of meat to businesses sits within its own wholesale classification, and preparing cooked meat for immediate consumption is a food service activity. Trading fish and seafood is separately classified under its own codes.

In short: if you are trading fresh, chilled, and frozen beef and mutton without transforming it, you are in. If you are processing meat into products, slaughtering animals, distributing wholesale in bulk, or cooking meat to serve, you are not.

[blockCTABizActivityList]

Licensing & Compliance

Third-Party Approval:

You need approval from the Dubai Municipality Food Safety Department before your business license is issued. All meat and poultry products must also carry Halal certification from a certification body approved by Dubai Municipality.

Anti-Money Laundering Compliance:

This business activity is exempt from AML compliance requirement.

References

[1] UN COMTRADE database, cited in Trading Economics. UAE meat and edible meat offal export data, 2024. tradingeconomics.com

[2] Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, cited in Statista. Retail sales value of fresh food in the UAE by category. statista.com

[3] Meydan Free Zone. Fresh Meat Products Trading activity guidance. meydanfz.ae