Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need approval for a meat wholesale business?
Yes. You need Dubai Municipality Food Safety Department approval before your business license is issued, all imported product must be registered in the official food registration system, and Halal certification from an approved body is required.
How large is the UAE meat trade?
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 partner market, reflecting a substantial import and re-export base.
Who do meat wholesalers supply?
Retailers, butcher shops, hotels, restaurants, caterers, and other food businesses buying in bulk. Sale to final consumers falls under separate retail classifications.
Is meat wholesale subject to AML rules?
No. This activity is exempt from AML compliance requirements, though Dubai Municipality approval, import registration, and Halal certification are mandatory.
Can I import meat under this licence?
Yes. Importing and distributing meat in bulk is within scope, provided consignments are registered in the official system and carry valid Halal certification from an approved body.
Can I slaughter or process the meat?
No. Slaughtering animals and manufacturing processed meat are separate regulated activities. This licence covers bulk trade and distribution of supplied product.
Topic Summary
Understand What the Activity Actually Covers
Activity 4630.05 covers buying meat, poultry, and processed meat items in bulk and distributing them to retailers, restaurants, hotels, and caterers. It does not extend to slaughtering animals, manufacturing processed meat, or selling directly to consumers.
Know the Market Scale Before You Enter
The UAE exported roughly USD 6.07 billion of meat and edible offal in 2024, with wholesalers playing a significant re-export role across the region. Meat also consistently ranks as the highest-value fresh food category in UAE retail, sustaining strong downstream demand.
Build Your Cold Chain Infrastructure First
Wholesale meat is a volume trade that depends entirely on reliable cold chain logistics from sourcing through to delivery. Without proper refrigerated storage and transport, compliance and product quality cannot be maintained.
Secure Dubai Municipality Food Safety Approval
Dubai Municipality Food Safety Department approval is required before a wholesale meat licence is issued. This is a non-negotiable step that must be completed as part of the licensing process.
Register All Imported Products in the Official System
Every imported meat and poultry product must be registered in the UAE's official food registration system before it can move through the supply chain. This registration is what allows product to be accepted by buyers across the region.
Obtain Halal Certification from an Approved Body
Every meat and poultry line must carry Halal certification from an approved certifying body. This requirement is central to the wholesale model and is what makes UAE-traded meat commercially acceptable to regional buyers.
Explore Related Licences for Broader Operations
Beyond wholesale, Meydan Free Zone supports related activities including Fresh Meat Products Trading, Meat Shop and Butcher Business, and Food and Beverages Trading. Businesses with wider operational ambitions can structure multiple licences accordingly.
How to Start a Wholesale of Meat and Meat Products Business in Dubai with Meydan Free Zone
Wholesale of meat and meat products covers the buying, storing, and distribution of meat in bulk to retailers, restaurants, hotels, caterers, and other businesses.
It is a volume trade built on cold chain infrastructure, sourcing relationships with producers and slaughterhouses, and the compliance discipline that lets meat move across borders and through the supply chain.
The wholesaler sits between producer and end seller, breaking bulk and managing storage and distribution.
The scale is significant. The UAE exported roughly USD 6.07 billion of meat and edible offal in 2024, including USD 385.8 million of frozen bovine meat and USD 58.7 million of poultry to a single partner market, an indication of the re-export role wholesalers play.[1] Meat also remains the highest-value fresh food category in UAE retail, which sustains steady downstream demand.[2]
Regulation is central to the wholesale model. Dubai Municipality Food Safety Department approval is required before the licence is issued, all imported product must be registered in the official food registration system, and every meat and poultry line must carry Halal certification from an approved body.[3] These controls are what make UAE-traded meat acceptable to buyers across the region.
Dubai Trade License from AED 12,500
Get Your LicenseA 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?
4630.05 - Wholesale of Meat and Meat Products
Activity 4630.05 sits within the broader class covering the wholesale of food, beverages, and tobacco, which includes the wholesale of meat and meat products.
Within that class, this activity is the wholesale trade of meat and meat products. It covers buying meat, poultry, and processed meat items in bulk from producers, slaughterhouses, and authorised suppliers, and storing, packaging, and distributing them to retailers, restaurants, hotels, and caterers.
The activity concerns bulk business-to-business supply. It does not extend to slaughtering animals, manufacturing processed meat, or retail sale to final consumers.
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 wholesale range covers:
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bulk red meat & poultry | Beef, lamb, mutton, and poultry in volume |
| Processed meat products | Sausages, bacon, and ham |
| Cold chain storage & distribution | Chilled and frozen storage and transport |
| Import & registration | Importing and registering meat consignments |
| Halal certification & documentation | Certification handling from approved bodies |
| Food service supply | Supply to retailers, hotels, restaurants, and caterers |
| Re-export distribution | Distribution into regional markets |
Bulk Red Meat & Poultry
Beef, lamb, mutton, and poultry supplied in volume to retailers and food service operators under managed cold chain conditions.
Processed Meat Distribution
Sausages, bacon, ham, and deli products distributed in bulk to retail and hospitality buyers.
Import & Cold Chain Logistics
Importing meat, registering consignments in the official system, and managing chilled and frozen storage and transport.
Food Service Supply
Supplying hotels, restaurants, and caterers with consistent volume and specification, where reliability is the core requirement.
Halal-Certified Wholesale Supply
Meat and poultry carrying Halal certification from approved bodies, a mandatory condition for wholesale trade in the UAE.
WHAT THIS ACTIVITY EXCLUDES
It is important to note what activity 4630.05 does not cover. Slaughtering animals and abattoir operation is a separate regulated activity, as is the manufacture of processed meat products. Retail sale of meat to final consumers, whether from a specialised store or a market stall, falls under retail classifications. Providing cold storage or refrigerated transport as a standalone service to third parties is separately classified, as is the wholesale of live animals.
| Excluded activity | Classification |
|---|---|
| Slaughtering animals / abattoir operation | Separate regulated activity |
| Manufacture of processed meat products | Separate regulated activity |
| Retail sale of meat to final consumers | Retail classification |
| Cold storage or refrigerated transport as a standalone service | Separately classified |
| Wholesale of live animals | Separately classified |
In short: if you are buying meat in bulk and supplying retailers and food service businesses, you are in. If you are slaughtering animals, manufacturing processed meat, selling to consumers, or providing logistics as a standalone service, you are not.
Business Activities List
Explore Over 2,500+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.
[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
