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How to Start a Horns, Hooves & Animal Bones Trading Business with Meydan Free Zone
Most people see a slaughterhouse and think the value ends at the meat counter. It does not.
The bones become gelatin for pharmaceuticals and food manufacturing. The horns become slow-release nitrogen fertiliser for horticulture.
The hooves become keratin hydrolysate for fire extinguisher foam, hair care formulations, and industrial adhesives. What looks like waste to the uninformed is, to the wholesale trader, a commodity chain worth billions.
The global animal by-products market was valued at USD 28.05 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 45.43 billion by 2033, growing at a 5.5 percent CAGR, according to Business Research Insights¹. Within that, the bone meal segment alone stands at USD 6.49 billion, according to Valuates Reports².
The gelatin market, which depends heavily on animal bones as a primary input, was valued at USD 8.41 billion in 2024 and is projected to surge to USD 57.16 billion by 2034 at a 21.2 percent CAGR, per Polaris Market Research³. The UAE's position as a re-export hub amplifies the opportunity: Jebel Ali Port alone facilitated AED 15.9 billion in food and beverage trade in 2024 according to Mordor Intelligence⁵, and and ESMA's halal certification is recognised across all 57 OIC member countries, giving UAE-traded animal by-products access to global halal supply chains.
For wholesale traders sourcing, importing, and distributing animal bones, horns, and hooves, the UAE offers a logistics hub where raw material flows from markets in Africa, South Asia, and South America into manufacturing supply chains in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food, and industrial chemicals.
Through Meydan Free Zone, you get 100% foreign ownership, zero corporate tax on qualifying income, full profit repatriation, and a fully digital licensing process, an efficient base for trading in raw materials that feed some of the world's largest manufacturing supply chains.
Who is this for?
| Audience Segment | Profile |
|---|---|
| Animal by-product importers | Traders sourcing raw bones, horns, and hooves from slaughterhouses and rendering plants in international markets for wholesale distribution to industrial buyers in the UAE, GCC, and beyond. |
| Gelatin and bone meal wholesalers | Businesses supplying crushed bones, ossein, and processed bone meal to gelatin manufacturers, pharmaceutical producers, animal feed mills, and fertiliser companies. |
| Industrial raw material distributors | Operators trading in horn and hoof meal, keratin derivatives, and bone-based inputs for fire safety products, adhesive manufacturing, cosmetics, and agricultural applications. |
4620.95 - Horns, Hooves & Animal Bones Trading
Under this activity, you are in the business of wholesaling animal-derived raw materials classified as agricultural by-products. This sub-activity specifically covers the wholesale trade of horns, hooves, and animal bones, materials that originate as by-products of the meat and livestock industry and are traded as inputs for downstream industrial, agricultural, pharmaceutical, and food manufacturing processes.
These are not processed end products. They are raw or semi-processed commodities traded in bulk: whole bones, crushed bones, defatted bone stock, raw horns, cleaned hooves, horn and hoof meal, and similar materials sourced from cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and other livestock.
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| Animal Bones and bone stock | Wholesale of raw, defatted, and crushed animal bones for supply to gelatin manufacturers, bone meal producers, bone broth processors, pharmaceutical companies, and fertiliser manufacturers. Bones are the primary input for the USD 8.41 billion global gelatin industry. DOWNSTREAM INDUSTRIES Gelatin (pharmaceuticals, food, photography), bone meal (animal feed, fertiliser), bone broth (food and beverage), collagen (cosmetics, nutraceuticals). |
| Horns and horn derivatives | Trading in raw cattle, buffalo, and goat horns sourced from slaughterhouses and rendering facilities. Horns are processed into slow-release fertiliser, decorative products, and industrial keratin extracts used in hair care and agricultural applications. INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS Horn meal is a favoured slow-release fertiliser in horticulture and fruit growing, with disintegration periods of two to three years; keratin from horns is used in liquid plant nutrients and shampoo formulations. |
| Hooves and hoof meal | Wholesale of cleaned hooves and steamed hoof meal. Hooves are hydrolysed to produce high-nitrogen liquid concentrates used in fire extinguisher foam manufacturing, organic fertiliser production, and industrial adhesive formulations. INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS Steamed hoof meal is a critical input for fire-fighting foam production; hydrolysed hoof protein is used in pharmaceutical capsules and industrial adhesives. |
| Semi-processed by-product inputs | Trading in semi-processed materials such as ossein (demineralised bone), bone char (used in sugar refining and water filtration), bone ash (used in ceramics), and steamed horn and hoof meal ready for industrial use. UAE TRADE CONTEXT Jebel Ali Port facilitated AED 15.9 billion in food and beverage trade in 2024; ESMA's halal certification is recognised across 57 OIC countries, giving UAE-traded animal by-products access to global halal supply chains. |
There are some exceptions that sit outside this activity. Manufacturing gelatin, bone meal, adhesives, or fertiliser from these materials is a production activity and falls under manufacturing classifications.
Wholesale of hides and skins, while related, fall into a different category. Wholesale of live animals is a distinct sub-activity.
Retail sale of decorative horn or bone products to individual consumers is a retail trade activity. This also excludes the wholesale of textile fibres.
Think of it as a supply chain position test. If you are buying bones, horns, and hooves in bulk and selling onward as industrial inputs, this is your activity.
If you are the factory, the tanner, or the retailer, you belong elsewhere.
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.
References
- ¹ Business Research Insights — Animal By-Product Market Trends, Growth, Forecast by 2033 — https://www.businessresearchinsights.com/market-reports/animal-by-product-market-105579
- ² Valuates Reports — Bone Meal Market, Report Size, Worth, Revenue, Growth (2025–2031) — https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-20Q9275/global-bone-meal
- ³ Polaris Market Research — Gelatin Market Size, Share, Trends, Industry Analysis Report (2025–2034) — https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/global-gelatin-market
- ⁴ Strategic Revenue Insights — Bovine Bone Gelatin Market Size, Future Growth and Forecast 2033 — https://www.strategicrevenueinsights.com/industry/bovine-bone-gelatin-market
- ⁵ Mordor Intelligence — UAE Edible Meat Market Size & Share Analysis (2026–2031) — https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/edible-meat-market-in-the-united-arab-emirates-industry
