Table of Contents
How to Start a Snack Food Trading Business with Meydan Free Zone
Snack food trading is a large and growing category in the UAE, driven by the country's young and active population, busy urban lifestyles, strong on-the-go consumption culture, and high tourist traffic. The UAE snacks market is projected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 3.6% from 2024 to 2029.[1] Chocolate confectionery holds the largest share within snacks, followed by savoury snacks, ice cream, and sweet biscuits.[2] Major international brands including Lay's, Pringles, Kinder, and Snickers are all active in the market alongside local UAE snack producers.
Hunter Foods introduced mushroom chips and okra chips at Gulfood 2024, reflecting the UAE market's appetite for innovative and health-oriented snack formats. The UAE's strong retail infrastructure, high convenience store density, and active vending and impulse purchase culture create ideal commercial conditions for snack food traders.
Who is this for?
| Audience Segment | Profile |
|---|---|
| RETAIL AND IMPULSE | Snack Food Retailers and Importers Importers and distributors supplying crisps, popcorn, nuts, pretzels, and all savoury and sweet snack products to UAE supermarkets, convenience stores, petrol station forecourts, and vending operators. |
| HEALTH AND SPECIALTY | Health and Specialty Snack Traders Traders importing and distributing health-focused snacks, protein bars, rice cakes, vegetable crisps, and specialty snack formats responding to the UAE's growing health-conscious consumer segment. |
4721.90 - Snack Food Trading
Activity 4721.90 covers the trading of snack food. This encompasses potato crisps and tortilla chips, popcorn, pretzels, rice crackers, extruded snacks, sweet biscuits, snack bars and energy bars, trail mix, and all snack food products sold individually or in multipack formats for impulse and at-home consumption.
Activity 4721.90 covers snack food trading. Chocolate confectionery falls under 4721.77.
Nuts fall under 4721.92.
In short: if you are trading snack food products, you are in. Nuts fall under 4721.92.
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| Crisps and savoury snacksPotato crisps, tortilla chips, corn snacks, extruded snacks, and all savoury snack products in all formats and flavours. | Snack bars and protein bars Cereal bars, energy bars, protein bars, and health-positioned snack bar products for UAE's active sports and wellness market. |
| Popcorn and puffed snacksFlavoured and plain popcorn, rice cakes, puffed corn snacks, and lighter-format grain-based snack products. | Specialty and health snacks Vegetable crisps, seaweed snacks, dried fruit snacks, and health-positioned snack alternatives for the UAE's premium snack market. |
| Sweet biscuits and cookies | Sweet biscuits, cookies, wafer products, and cream-filled biscuits for retail impulse and at-home snacking. |
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 MarkNtel Advisors. (2025). UAE Snacks Market Size. marknteladvisors.com
- ² MarkNtel Advisors. (2025). UAE Snacks Market Size. marknteladvisors.com
