How to Start a Retail Sale of Meat and Meat Products (Including Poultry) Business with Meydan Free Zone

Retail sale of meat and meat products covers the sale of meat, poultry, and processed meat items to consumers from a specialised store.

Unlike a market stall, this is a fixed retail format, typically a butcher shop or meat section built around chilled display, cold storage, and a broader product range that can include processed and deli lines alongside fresh cuts. It is a staple category with steady, non-cyclical demand.

The commercial base is strong. Meat has consistently ranked as the highest-value fresh food category in UAE retail, ahead of every other fresh food segment.^[2]

The country's meat trade infrastructure is extensive, reflected in roughly USD 6.07 billion of meat and edible offal exports in 2024, including USD 385.8 million of frozen bovine meat to a single partner market.^[1]

Food safety regulation underpins the category. A specialised meat retailer must obtain Dubai Municipality Food Safety Department approval before the licence is issued, and all meat and poultry must be Halal certified by an approved body.^[3]

These requirements give consumers confidence and set a consistent standard across the market.

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.

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

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