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How to Start a Restaurants and Mobile Food Service Activities Business in Dubai with Meydan Free Zone
Dubai is one of the world’s most competitive and commercially vibrant restaurant markets. The UAE food service market was valued at USD 16.58 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 50.21 billion by 2033 at a CAGR of 12.20%, according to IMARC Group¹. More than 15,500 food establishments were registered in the UAE as of 2023, spanning fine dining, casual restaurants, quick-service and fast-food chains, cafes and cafeterias, delivery kitchens, food trucks, and mobile carts. JLL’s foodservice consulting team describes the UAE’s food and beverage landscape as “a global powerhouse”, from the rapid expansion of fast food to the flourishing fine dining scene and the rise of specialty coffee.
Activity code 5610.00 covers the full spectrum of restaurant and mobile food service activities: restaurants, cafeterias, fast-food restaurants, pizza delivery, takeaway eating places, ice cream trucks, mobile food carts, food preparation at market stalls, and bar and restaurant activities connected to transportation. It is the broadest ISIC food service code and encompasses every format in which prepared food is provided to customers for immediate consumption, whether on-premises, taken away, or delivered.
The compliance structure for this code is distinct from all previous articles in the series. Dubai Municipality (DM) approval is required, but it operates as a post-licence approval: the Meydan Free Zone licence can be issued first, but the DM Food Safety Department approval must be obtained before any food service operations commence. The DM approval involves registering on the FoodWatch platform, submitting a food safety plan and kitchen layout, passing a physical inspection, and receiving a food safety certificate. The process takes up to six weeks. Operating a food establishment without DM approval is unlawful in Dubai.
Who is this for?
| Audience Segment | Profile |
|---|---|
| Restaurant and dining establishment operators | Operators of restaurants, cafes, bistros, and dining establishments serving food and beverages to customers seated on the premises, whether full-service with table service, casual counter-service cafeterias, or fast-food quick-service formats, including dine-in and take-out operations. |
| Food delivery and takeaway operators | Operators of takeaway food services, pizza and food delivery businesses, cloud kitchens, and digital-first food service operations providing prepared meals for consumption off-premises, including dedicated delivery kitchens serving aggregator platforms such as Talabat, Deliveroo, and Noon Food. |
| Mobile food service and market stall operators | Operators of food trucks, mobile food carts, ice cream vendors, and market stall food preparation operations providing prepared food for immediate consumption from mobile or temporary locations, including motorised food vehicles and non-motorised carts at markets, events, and public spaces. |
5610.00 - Restaurants and Mobile Food Service Activities
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| Restaurants and dining establishments | Restaurant and dining establishment food service operations Provision of food services to customers in a restaurant, cafe, bistro, cafeteria, or dining establishment, whether through table service, counter service, or self-service, where customers eat prepared meals on the premises, take them out, or have them delivered. |
| Food delivery, takeaway and cloud kitchens | Takeaway, food delivery and cloud kitchen operations Provision of prepared meals for consumption off-premises through takeaway counters, pizza delivery, food delivery services, dedicated delivery kitchens (cloud kitchens), and digital-first food service operations serving customers via aggregator platforms and direct ordering channels. |
| Mobile food carts, food trucks and market stalls | Mobile food cart, food truck and market stall operations Provision of prepared food for immediate consumption from motorised food trucks, non-motorised mobile carts, ice cream vendors, and market stall food preparation facilities, including mobile food service at events, public spaces, and permanent or rotating market locations. |
Code 5610.00 covers the preparation and serving of food to customers for immediate consumption across all restaurant and mobile food service formats. It expressly excludes the concession operation of eating facilities within third-party venues (which falls under a separate ISIC code). It also does not cover the retail sale of food for home preparation (ISIC division 47); food manufacturing and wholesale (ISIC divisions 10–11); catering and event food services (ISIC 5621); or bars and drinking establishments operating without a food service component (ISIC 5630). All food service operators must obtain Dubai Municipality Food Safety Department approval through the FoodWatch platform before commencing operations, and must maintain a valid food inspection grade of A, B, or C to retain their operating permits.
In short: if you prepare and serve food to customers for immediate consumption in any format, from a fine dining restaurant to a food truck, you are in. If you operate a food concession inside a third-party facility under a separate concession agreement, sell uncooked groceries, or manufacture food for wholesale, you are not under this parent code.
Third-Party Approval
Restaurants and Mobile Food Service Activities requires Dubai Municipality Food Safety Department approval after the Meydan Free Zone licence is issued, but before any food service operations commence; operators must register on the DM FoodWatch platform, submit a detailed food safety plan and kitchen layout, pass a DM inspection, and obtain a food safety certificate before opening.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
Restaurants and Mobile Food Service Activities is not classified as a Designated Non-Financial Business or Profession (DNFBP) under UAE anti-money laundering legislation, and businesses operating under this activity code are not subject to AML registration or reporting obligations specific to this licence category.
References
- ¹ IMARC Group, UAE Food Service Market Size, Share, Growth and Forecast 2033 - https://www.imarcgroup.com/uae-food-service-market
- ² Restroworks, Dubai Restaurants Statistics, Key Market Trends and Data Insights - https://www.restroworks.com/blog/dubai-restaurants-statistics/
- ³ Ken Research, UAE Foodservice Market 2024–2030 - https://www.kenresearch.com/uae-foodservice-market
- ⁴ Fast Company Middle East, UAE F&B Sector Set for $19.98 Billion Growth in 2024 - https://fastcompanyme.com/news/uae-fb-sector-set-for-19-98-billion-growth-in-2024/
- ⁵ Dubai Municipality, Food / Food Related Permits and Approvals Services - https://www.dm.gov.ae/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Food-Related-Permits-and-Approvals-Services.pdf
