Table of Contents
Topic Summary
Nuts Are Central to UAE Food Culture
Nuts are served as hospitality snacks, gifted during Eid and Ramadan, and used widely in Arabic sweets and confectionery. The UAE confectionery market was valued at USD 991 million in 2024, reflecting how deeply nut-inclusive products are embedded in premium food culture.
Two Clear Audiences for This Business
The nuts trading sector in Dubai serves two main groups: specialist retailers and gifting traders selling roasted and flavoured nuts to consumers, and bulk importers supplying raw or processed nuts to manufacturers, bakeries, and regional re-exporters. Understanding which segment you occupy shapes your entire business model.
Activity Code 4721.92 Covers All Nut Types
Meydan Free Zone licenses nuts trading under activity code 4721.92, which covers almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, macadamia, hazelnuts, and more in raw, roasted, salted, blanched, and flavoured forms. Mixed nut products, trail mixes, and nut-based snack formats are all included under this single activity.
Dried Fruits Can Be Added to Your License
Traders who want to sell dried fruits alongside nuts can do so under activity 4721.92 or the related activity 4721.07. This flexibility makes it straightforward to operate as a combined nuts and dried fruit business from a single license.
No Third-Party Approval Required
Starting a nuts trading business through Meydan Free Zone does not require third-party regulatory approval to obtain your business license. This removes a common administrative hurdle and allows entrepreneurs to move from application to licensed operation more quickly.
AML Compliance Does Not Apply Here
Nuts trading under activity 4721.92 is not subject to Anti-Money Laundering compliance requirements at the free zone level. This simplifies ongoing regulatory obligations for traders focused purely on food commodity trading.
UAE Plays an Active Global Role in Nut Trade
Abu Dhabi is a recognised member of the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, confirming the UAE's established position in global nut trading networks. The 2024 Abu Dhabi Nutri-Mark labelling initiative also signals growing regulatory attention to nut product standards, making compliance awareness important for new entrants.
How to Start a Nuts Trading Business in Dubai with Meydan Free Zone
Nuts are a deeply embedded part of UAE food culture, served as a hospitality snack, gifted during Eid and Ramadan, consumed as a health food, and used extensively in Arabic sweets, confectionery, and cooking. The UAE confectionery market, valued at USD 991 million in 2024 and driven partly by nut-inclusive sweets and chocolates, reflects the cultural prominence of nuts in premium food gifting.[1] The global nuts and dried fruit market, governed by the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, has Abu Dhabi as one of its key Middle East members, confirming the UAE's active trading role in this category.
Premium pistachio, cashew, almond, and walnut trading is a significant commercial activity, and the 2024 Abu Dhabi Nutri-Mark labelling initiative specifically covers nut-based products, signalling regulatory attention to this active category.
Who is this for?
| Audience Segment | Profile |
|---|---|
| RETAIL AND GIFTING | Nut and Dried Fruit Retailers Specialist nut shops, premium food retailers, and gifting traders supplying roasted, salted, and flavoured nuts alongside dried fruit in consumer retail and luxury gifting formats. |
| WHOLESALE AND FOOD MANUFACTURING | Bulk Nut Importers and Distributors Importers and distributors supplying raw, blanched, and processed nuts in bulk to UAE confectionery manufacturers, food processors, bakeries, and the regional re-export trade. |
4721.92 - Nuts Trading
Activity 4721.92 covers the trading of nuts. This encompasses almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, macadamia, hazelnuts, peanuts, pine nuts, and all edible tree nuts and peanuts in raw, roasted, salted, blanched, and flavoured forms, as well as mixed nut products and nut-based snack formats.
Activity 4721.92 covers nuts trading. Dried fruits may also fall under this category or under 4721.07.
In short: if you are trading nuts in any form for consumer, gifting, or food manufacturing use, you are in.
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| Premium tree nutsPistachios, almonds, cashews, walnuts, and macadamia nuts in retail packs and bulk formats for consumer and food service. | Mixed nut products Mixed nut assortments, trail mixes, nut and dried fruit blends, and mixed snack nut products. |
| Roasted and seasoned nutsRoasted, salted, flavoured, and spiced nut products in snack formats for impulse retail and gifting. | Peanuts and groundnuts Raw, roasted, and salted peanuts, groundnut products, and peanut-based snack items. |
| Raw and unprocessed nuts | Raw whole, halved, and sliced almonds, cashews, and other tree nuts for food manufacturing and baking use. |
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 IMARC Group. (2025). UAE Confectionery Market. imarcgroup.com
