Table of Contents
How to Start a Retail Sale of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Products Via Stalls Business with Meydan Free Zone
Introduction
The UAE is in the middle of one of the most ambitious food system transformations in the world, and market stall trading sits at the consumer-facing front end of that transformation. The UAE’s National Food Security Strategy 2051, a 38-initiative national plan, targets positioning the UAE as number one in the Global Food Security Index by 2051¹.
With 85% of the country’s food currently imported at a cost of approximately USD 13.2 billion annually, the government has set a clear ambition: produce 50% of food locally. The ‘Plant the Emirates’ programme, launched in November 2024, targets a 20% increase in productive farms and a 25% expansion of certified organic farming area by 2030, while Food Tech Valley — launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum — now yields over 300 locally produced food items through partnerships with Badia Farms, Spinneys, and other producers.
For food and beverage stall traders, this policy environment creates a structural tailwind. The UAE’s food market was valued at USD 40.07 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.89% to 2028, according to Middle East Briefing².
The UAE agriculture market reached USD 3.6 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 5.4 billion by 2033, according to IMARC Group³. The global packaged food market — the segment most directly relevant to stall-based food retail — was valued at USD 2.62 trillion in 2024 and is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 6.68% to 2033, according to IMARC Group⁴.
Consumer preferences are accelerating alongside policy commitments. According to Mordor Intelligence⁵, 75% of consumers globally indicated a willingness to pay premium prices for products without synthetic additives in 2024, a trend particularly pronounced in Dubai’s affluent, health-conscious, and internationally mobile consumer base.
This demand for clean-label, organic, and locally traceable food products converges precisely with what market stall retail can deliver: direct producer-to-consumer connection, fresh or artisan produce, and authentic food experience that supermarket channels cannot replicate.
Dubai’s thriving market calendar, from the weekly Ripe Market at Academy Park to the Deira Spice Souk and the food pavilions of Global Village, gives food and beverage stall traders access to an audience that includes both the UAE’s 9.55 million residents and its 18.72 million international visitors annually. For entrepreneurs looking to enter the UAE’s food retail economy at low capital cost with direct consumer access, the stall format offers a compelling and government-aligned market entry.
Market at a glance
4781 — Retail sale via stalls and markets of food, beverages and tobacco products
Activity code 4781.01 covers the retail sale of food, beverages, and tobacco products via stalls or markets. Businesses operating under this code are authorised to sell food products, packaged beverages, and tobacco products directly to consumers from a stall or fixed marketplace position.
The activity encompasses both new and the retail channel of a stall or marketplace rather than permanent retail premises.
What this activity does not cover
Licensing and compliance
Who is this for?
Activity Details
Local producers & growers
UAE farmers, hydroponic growers, and local artisan food producers who want to bring their produce directly to consumers through Dubai’s thriving weekend markets, farmers’ souks, and seasonal market events.
Food importers & distributorsBusinesses importing packaged food, specialty beverages, artisan products, and international food brands for direct retail through market stalls, connecting international producers with Dubai’s multicultural consumer base of 18.72 million annual visitors.
Specialty & gourmet food tradersEntrepreneurs curating and selling premium, organic, health-focused, or culturally specific food and beverage products from market stalls, serving Dubai’s growing appetite for clean-label, traceable, and specialty grocery products.
