Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does this activity cover?
It covers the retail sale of textiles, clothing, and footwear via stalls and markets, selling fabrics, garments, and shoes directly to the public from a pitch.
2. What goods can be sold?
Textiles and fabrics, clothing and garments, and footwear can all be sold to the public via stalls and markets under this activity.
3. Who are the typical customers?
Bargain-hunters after value, shoppers browsing for variety, and regulars who know the stall, across markets and souks in the UAE.
4. How is this different from a shop?
This activity sells via stalls and markets rather than from a fixed specialised store. Retail of these goods from a store falls under a separate activity.
5. Does this include wholesale?
No. Wholesale of textiles, clothing, and footwear in bulk is a separate activity. This activity sells these goods to the public via stalls and markets.
Start a Retail Sale Via Stalls and Markets of Textiles, Clothing and Footwear Business with Meydan Free Zone
Markets and stalls are one of the oldest forms of retail, and they still move serious volumes of clothing and shoes. A market trader sets out fabrics, garments, and footwear on a pitch and sells straight to the crowd, with low overheads and a range that can change by the day.
Markets and stalls remain a lively part of how the region shops for clothing and shoes. The UAE apparel market was worth USD 28.85 billion in 2025, according to Fortune Business Insights1. The retail end of it is substantial in its own right: the UAE apparel retail industry was worth USD 9.5 billion in 2022 and has been growing at about 2.9 percent a year, according to Research and Markets2. For a market trader, that is a steady stream of shoppers looking for value, variety, and a quick find.
Stalls and markets sell clothing and footwear of every kind, with low overheads and a range that can change by the day, and they remain a vibrant part of how the region buys. The figures below show the UAE apparel market and the retail end a general stall trader sells into.
Sources: Fortune Business Insights (2025); Research and Markets (2025).
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Picture a busy market on a weekend. A trader lays out folded shirts and rolls of fabric while shoppers move from stall to stall. A customer haggles over a pair of shoes and walks away happy. The trader restocks the fast-movers from a van and rearranges the display to catch the eye. Takings are counted at the close of the day. The stall earns on volume and quick turnover, so the work is a steady rhythm of stocking, displaying, and selling. In markets where footfall is everything, the traders that win are the ones with the right stock at the right price in the right spot.
Whether it is a roll of fabric, a rack of shirts, or a table of shoes, a market trader brings textiles, clothing, and footwear straight to the shopper at the stall.
Who is this for?
- Market and stall traders: Businesses selling textiles, clothing, and footwear from stalls and markets in the UAE.
- Souk and pop-up retailers: Operators trading garments, fabrics, and shoes direct to shoppers.
- Mobile and non-store clothing sellers: Firms retailing apparel and footwear without a fixed shop.
Meydan Free Zone offers 100% foreign ownership, zero percent corporate tax on qualifying income, full profit repatriation, and a fully digital licensing process, providing a regulated and cost-efficient base from which to operate a retail business selling textiles, clothing, and footwear via stalls and markets, a low-overhead route to a steady stream of shoppers.
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4782.00 - Retail Sale Via Stalls and Markets of Textiles, Clothing and Footwear
Under this activity, your business is licensed to retail textiles, clothing, and footwear via stalls and markets, selling these goods directly to the public from a market pitch.
A market trader sells textiles, clothing, and footwear to the public from a stall or market pitch. The range typically spans fabrics, garments, and shoes, displayed on a stall and sold directly to passing shoppers rather than from a fixed shop.
The customers are mixed: bargain-hunters after value, shoppers browsing for variety, and regulars who know the stall. It is a direct-retail business with low overheads: the trader is paid to carry an appealing range, price it keenly, and sell to the crowd that passes the pitch.
The activity is specifically for the retail sale of textiles, clothing, and footwear via stalls and markets. Retail sale of these goods from a fixed specialised store falls under a separate activity, as does the wholesale of textiles, clothing, and footwear (4641).
The line is precise. If your business sells textiles, clothing, and footwear to the public from stalls and markets, you are in. If you sell from a fixed specialised store, or wholesale these goods in bulk, a different activity applies.
Third-Party Approval
No third-party approval is required for this business activity.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
This business activity is exempt from AML compliance requirements.
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Citations
1 Fortune Business Insights. Apparel Market Report. Fortune Business Insights, 2025.
2 Research and Markets. Apparel Retail in the United Arab Emirates. Research and Markets, 2025.
