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How to Start an Other Food Products Retail Business with Meydan Free Zone
Beyond bakery, dairy, seafood, and confectionery, UAE specialised food retail covers a wider universe: dates and dried fruits, nuts and seeds, organic and health foods, gluten-free and free-from ranges, oils and condiments, honey and pure sweeteners, spices and herbs, ready-to-eat meals, ethnic specialty foods, and gourmet imports. These other food product specialty retailers fill the focused-category retail layer that doesn't fit cleanly into bakery, dairy, fish, or confectionery codes.
According to IMARC Group1, the UAE retail market is expected to reach USD 227.1 billion by 2033 at 5.1% CAGR, with specialty food stores capturing a meaningful share of distribution alongside hypermarkets and supermarkets. UAE FMCG per capita spend at USD 1,600 to USD 1,800 in 2026 per Bagason2 supports premium and specialty food retail growth.
A retailer in this activity is the firm that operates specialised food retail focused on food categories not classified under specific bakery, dairy, seafood, or confectionery codes.
For an other food products retailer setting up in this activity, three dynamics define the UAE opportunity. First, broad market scale supports specialty positioning: IMARC Group1 projects UAE retail at USD 227.1 billion by 2033 at 5.1% CAGR, with specialty stores capturing meaningful share alongside hypermarkets and supermarkets.
Second, per capita FMCG spend supports specialty growth: Bagason2 estimates UAE FMCG per capita spend at USD 1,600 to USD 1,800 in 2026, comparing favourably with regional averages and supporting premium and specialty food positioning. Third, demographic and lifestyle dynamics favour specialty retail: UAE health and wellness focus drives demand for organic, gluten-free, and free-from ranges; multicultural population brings demand for ethnic specialty foods (Arabic, South Asian, East Asian, African, Western); date palm tradition and gifting culture support dates specialty retail (Bateel, Al Foah, traditional date sellers); and tourism inflows drive gourmet and gift food demand.
Operators typically combine focused-category positioning, premium or curated product sourcing, customer expertise (counter service, sampling, education), gift presentation infrastructure, and increasingly digital integration with subscription delivery and quick-commerce.
Whether you are operating a dates and dried fruits specialty retail, running a health foods and organic specialty store, or managing a gourmet and ethnic specialty food retail format, this activity covers the other food products retail layer serving UAE focused-category demand outside bakery, dairy, fish, and confectionery codes.
Meydan Free Zone offers 100% foreign ownership, zero corporate tax on qualifying income, and a fully digital licensing process, positioning other food products retailers at the centre of a market where UAE health and wellness demand, multicultural culinary traditions, premium consumer spending, and gifting and seasonal occasions are generating sustained specialty retail activity across dates, nuts, organic foods, oils, condiments, and gourmet specialty categories.
4721.07: Other Food Products
Under this activity, you are licensed to operate retail sale of other food products in specialised stores not classified under specific bakery, dairy, fish, or confectionery codes (say, operating a dates and dried fruits specialty, running an organic and health foods specialty, or managing a gourmet specialty food retail format).
However, this activity has defined boundaries. It excludes manufacturing of bakery products (i.e., baking on premises), which is classified under manufacture of bakery products.
It also excludes retail sale of food in non-specialised stores where multiple product lines are sold under one roof (which falls under retail sale in non-specialised stores), and wholesale trading to other businesses.
Simply put: if you operate a specialised food retail focused on food categories not covered by specific codes, you are in.
Licensing & Compliance
Who is this for?
| Audience Segment | Profile |
|---|---|
| Dates, nuts and dried fruits specialty retailers | |
| Organic, health and free-from food specialty retailers | |
| Gourmet, ethnic and specialty imports retailers | |
| Firms operating UAE dates specialty retail (Bateel, Al Foah-style positioning), nuts and dried fruits specialty stores, and traditional date and dry goods retail serving cultural, gifting, and premium consumer demand. | |
| Firms running organic food specialty retail, health foods stores, gluten-free and free-from specialty formats, and wellness-focused food retail serving UAE health-conscious consumer demand. | |
| Firms managing gourmet specialty food retail, ethnic specialty imports (Arabic, South Asian, East Asian, African, Western), and curated specialty food formats serving UAE multicultural and tourist demand. |
Activity Details
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| Dates, nuts and dried fruits specialty | Operation of dates specialty retail, nuts and dried fruits specialty stores, and traditional date and dry goods retail. Operate a UAE dates specialty retail with curated date varieties (Khalas, Medjool, Sukkari), run a nuts and dried fruits specialty store, or manage a multi-emirate dates and dried fruits specialty chain. RETAILER DYNAMICS Other food products specialty retail runs on focused-category positioning, premium or curated product sourcing, customer expertise (counter service, sampling, education), gift presentation infrastructure, and digital integration with subscription delivery and quick-commerce platforms. |
| Organic, health and free-from food specialty | Operation of organic food specialty retail, health foods stores, gluten-free and free-from specialty formats, and wellness-focused food retail. Run a UAE organic foods specialty retail, operate a gluten-free and free-from specialty store, or manage a wellness-focused multi-format food retail serving UAE health-conscious consumers. MARKET TRENDS IMARC Group¹ projects UAE retail at USD 227.1 billion by 2033 at 5.1% CAGR, while Bagason² estimates UAE FMCG per capita spend at USD 1,600 to USD 1,800 in 2026, supporting specialty food positioning across organic, health-focused, and premium-curated retail formats. |
| Gourmet, ethnic and specialty imports | Operation of gourmet specialty food retail, ethnic specialty imports, and curated specialty food formats. Manage a gourmet specialty food retail with international curated ranges, operate an Arabic or South Asian ethnic specialty foods store, or run a multi-cultural specialty imports retail serving UAE multicultural and tourist demand. UAE CONTEXT UAE date palm tradition (one of world's largest date producers), gifting culture, multicultural population, health and wellness focus, and tourism inflows all support specialty food retail across dates, nuts, organic foods, oils, condiments, and gourmet imports. |
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 IMARC Group. UAE Retail Market Size, Share & Trends Forecast 2033. imarcgroup.com
- ² Bagason. (2026). UAE FMCG Market Size 2026 | Key Statistics. bagason.com
