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How to Start a Canned & Preserved Food Trading Business with Meydan Free Zone
Canned and preserved food is a high-volume, consistently demanded trading category in the UAE, forming part of the staple pantry across all consumer demographics. The UAE imports approximately 85% of its food requirements, and canned and preserved foods represent a major component of the country's food import and distribution infrastructure, given their long shelf life, logistical efficiency, and year-round availability.[1] The UAE food products market, valued at USD 16.3 billion in 2026, includes canned goods as a structural distribution category, while the country's role as a GCC re-export hub amplifies trading volumes beyond domestic consumption.[2] Gulfood annually features hundreds of canned and preserved food exhibitors, confirming the trading depth of this category.
Who is this for?
| Audience Segment | Profile |
|---|---|
| IMPORT AND WHOLESALE | Canned Food Importers and Distributors Importers and distributors trading canned vegetables, canned fish, tinned tomatoes, canned pulses, and preserved food products, supplying UAE supermarkets, hypermarkets, and the active food service sector. |
| RE-EXPORT AND TRADING | GCC Re-export Canned Food Traders Traders using the UAE's free zone and logistics infrastructure to import, consolidate, and re-export canned and preserved food products to GCC and MENA regional markets. |
4721.87 - Canned & Preserved Food Trading
Activity 4721.87 covers the trading of canned and preserved food. This encompasses canned vegetables, canned pulses and legumes, tinned tomatoes and tomato products, canned fish and seafood, canned fruit, canned meat products, pickled vegetables, preserved olives, jarred pasta sauces, preserved condiments, and all food products preserved through canning, bottling, pickling, or other preservation methods for ambient storage.
Activity 4721.87 covers canned and preserved food broadly. Canned and tinned fish falls under 4721.73.
Preserved condiments and sauces may also fall under 4721.07.
In short: if you are trading canned and preserved food products, you are in.
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| Canned vegetables and pulsesCanned chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, canned corn, peas, and all tinned vegetables and legumes. | Canned fruit and coconut products Canned fruit in juice and syrup, coconut milk, coconut cream, and preserved fruit products. |
| Tinned tomatoes and saucesWhole, chopped, and crushed tinned tomatoes, passata, tomato paste, and canned pasta sauces. | Canned meat and ready meals Canned corned beef, canned chicken, canned ready meals, and preserved meat products for ambient distribution. |
| Pickled and preserved vegetables | Pickled cucumbers, olives, preserved peppers, mixed pickles, and jarred preserved vegetable products. |
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.
References
- ¹ USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. (2025). UAE Retail Foods Annual 2024. fas.usda.gov
- ² Mordor Intelligence. (2025). UAE Food Products Market. mordorintelligence.com
