How to Start a Food Packaging Business and Grow Your Brand with Meydan Free Zone

Every product tells its story long before it’s consumed, and packaging is the first chapter. It’s more than just wrapping, it’s protection, aesthetics, presentation, and trust all rolled into one. From sealing snacks and bottling organic juices to labelling ready-to-eat meals, packaging activities turn everyday goods into retail-ready products.

In the UAE, the appetite for food packaging is strong. With the food and beverage packaging market projected to reach USD 1.08 billion by 2030, food imports crossing AED 100 billion annually, and e-commerce grocery sales on the rise, businesses need packaging partners who can keep up with speed and compliance.

That’s why Dubai is the perfect launchpad for a packaging business. Imagine setting up a service that helps cloud kitchens box gourmet meals in tamper-proof, branded containers ready for delivery. Or repackaging imported bulk snacks into convenient packs for supermarkets across the city. Or even introducing sustainable packaging for organic branding led companies.

For entrepreneurs exploring how to start a food packaging business in Dubai, this business activity gives you the ability to be the behind-the-scenes partner, helping products reach customers safely and make a mark.

Packaging Activities on a Fee or Contract Basis - 8292.01

This business activity is the backbone of how food and beverages move from production lines to supermarket shelves and delivery apps.

Think - a gourmet coffee roaster that needs its beans portioned and packed into vacuum-sealed bags, a health- food startup looking for blister packaging to launch its line of vitamins, or an e-commerce store outsourcing the labelling and barcoding of its best-selling snacks. With this business activity, you’re the partner that these businesses and individuals rely on to leave the warehouses shelf-ready and safe.

You can provide bottling of liquids, including beverages, sauces, oils, and other consumables. That makes it ideal for juice bars, artisanal drink brands, or food producers who want to scale into packaged retail.

Want to turn bulk food shipments into the neat little packs you see on supermarket shelves? You can handle foil- sealed confectionery, portioning dry goods like rice, pulses, or nuts into retail packs, and even creating snack-sized servings for on-the-go consumers.

You can also provide labelling, stamping, and imprinting services, giving packaged foods their final branded identity. From nutrition labels and expiry dates to barcodes and QR codes, these details will ensure products meet compliance standards and build consumer trust.

In addition, you can extend into parcel-packing services for food e-commerce brands. Think subscription snack boxes, gourmet gift hampers, or ready-to-cook meal kits, all packed and delivered in a way that’s both secure and professionally presented.

This is perfect for food and beverage startups, food packaging companies, importers, cloud kitchens, eco- conscious entrepreneurs, and those who want to professionally package, repackage, or deliver products. But there are limits. You can’t manufacture beverages, packaging materials, or carry out logistics-related packaging.

Think of yourself as the final touch in the food supply chain, the partner that makes every product safe, attractive, and ready for the customer.

Third party Approval: No third-party approval needed for this business activity.

Anti-Money Laundering Compliance: Business activity 8292.01 is exempted from this requirement.