.jpeg)
Table of Contents
Topic Summary
UAE Imports 85% of Its Food
The UAE relies on imports for around 85 percent of its food needs, valued at approximately USD 23 billion in 2023. This heavy import dependence places food and beverage wholesalers at the core of the national supply chain.
Re-Export Hub Drives Massive Trade Growth
UAE food and beverage exports were forecast to reach AED 141 billion in 2024, a near 20 percent increase. The country's strategic location makes it a key distribution point for food flowing across the wider region.
Meydan Free Zone Needs No Third-Party Approval
Obtaining a food and beverage wholesale license through Meydan Free Zone does not require third-party regulatory approval. This streamlines the setup process for importers and distributors looking to enter the market quickly.
One License Covers Many Food Categories
Activity 4630.00 allows bulk wholesale of a wide range of products, including fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, fish, beverages, bakery goods, and coffee and spices. Businesses can supply hotels, restaurants, and retailers all under a single license.
Hospitality Sector Creates Steady Bulk Demand
Hotels and restaurants consistently purchase food and beverages in large quantities, providing wholesalers with reliable, ongoing demand. Dubai's thriving tourism and hospitality industry strengthens this opportunity further.
Know What the License Does Not Cover
The wholesale license excludes retail sales directly to consumers, food manufacturing or processing, and certain specific streams like meat or edible oils that have their own dedicated activities. Understanding these boundaries helps businesses choose the right license from the start.
How to Start a Food and Beverages Business in Dubai with Meydan Free Zone?
This activity is the business of supplying food and drink in bulk. You buy food and beverages from makers or import firms and sell them on to shops, hotels and other buyers. In the UAE, which imports most of its food, this trade sits at the heart of the supply chain.
The scale is huge. The UAE imports around 85 per cent of the food it needs, worth about USD 23 billion in 2023. 1 It is also a major re-export hub, with food and beverage exports forecast to reach about AED 141 billion in 2024, up nearly 20 per cent. 2 A diverse, growing population keeps demand high across many food types.
For wholesalers, this means broad and steady demand. A Meydan Free Zone business license lets you supply food and beverages in bulk. It needs no third-party approval, as shown below.
Why Food Wholesale Stays Strong
- Import reliance: Most UAE food is brought in from abroad.
- Re-export hub: Goods flow through the UAE to the region.
- Diverse demand: Many cultures drive varied food needs.
- Hospitality: Hotels and restaurants buy food in bulk.
- Steady staple: Food and drink are everyday essentials.
The UAE Food Trade at a Glance
The UAE imports most of its food and re-exports across the region. Here are the key numbers.
Sources: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service; AGBI
[blockCTABizActivityList]
Who Is This Activity For?
| FOOD WHOLESALERS Food and Beverage Wholesalers |
Firms that supply food and drink in bulk. The license lets them sell to shops, hotels and food businesses. |
| IMPORT & DISTRIBUTION Food Importers and Distributors |
Firms that import food and beverages and supply them across the market. It lets them trade in bulk under one license. |
4630.00 – Wholesale of Food and Beverages
Activity 4630.00 is the broad wholesale of food and beverages. This class covers the bulk sale of many food and drink types, including fruit and vegetables, dairy and eggs, meat, fish, oils, sugar, bakery goods, beverages, and coffee, tea and spices. It means supplying these goods to businesses, not to the public.
The license covers the broad food and beverage wholesale trade. Some specific streams, such as meat or edible oils, have their own activities. It also does not cover retail sale to shoppers, or making the food. Those limits are shown in the exclusions below.
| Fresh Produce Supply | Supplying fruit, vegetables, dairy and eggs in bulk. |
| Packaged Food Supply | Supplying bakery goods, sugar, confectionery and packaged foods. |
| Beverage Wholesale | Supplying soft drinks, water, juices and other beverages in bulk. |
| Coffee, Tea and Spices | Supplying coffee, tea, cocoa and spices to buyers. |
| Supply to Hotels and Shops | Providing hotels, restaurants and shops with the food they need. |
It helps to be clear on what this license does not cover. It does not cover retail sale of food to shoppers, which is a separate activity. It also does not cover making or processing the food, which is a factory activity. Some specific food streams, such as meat and edible oils, are traded under their own dedicated activities.
In short: if you are supplying food and beverages in bulk to businesses, you are in. If you are selling at retail, making the food, or trading a stream that has its own activity, those are separate activities.
Compliance
THIRD-PARTY APPROVAL
This activity does not require third-party approval to obtain a business license from Meydan Free Zone.
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING COMPLIANCE
This business activity is not subject to AML compliance requirements.
[blockCTAContact]
References
1 >USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. The UAE imports around 80 to 85 per cent of the food it needs, making it heavily reliant on wholesale importers and distributors.
2 AGBI. UAE food imports reached about USD 23 billion in 2023, and food and beverage exports were forecast to reach about AED 141 billion in 2024, up nearly 20 per cent.
