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How to Start a Wholesale Fruit & Vegetables Business with Meydan Free Zone
Dubai is building the largest fresh food logistics hub on earth. A city that already handles USD 9.26 billion in food imports and USD 9.18 billion in food exports a year has announced it is doubling its fresh produce infrastructure.
According to Fruitnet, in July 2024, Dubai launched plans for the world's largest foodstuffs, fruit and vegetable market, developed by DP World and linked directly to global cold-chain corridors¹.
Mordor Intelligence values the UAE's fruit and vegetable market at USD 6.81 billion in 2025, growing at a 7.6 percent CAGR.². Over 10 million residents, 88 percent of them expatriates from more than 200 nationalities, create a wholesale produce demand that no single origin market can satisfy and no single cuisine defines.
According to BlueWeave Consulting³, the UAE imports the vast majority of its fresh fruit and vegetables. Apples, bananas, mangoes, oranges, tomatoes, and leafy greens arrive year-round from India, Egypt, South Africa, the Netherlands, Spain, Australia, and over 60 other countries of origin.
The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service⁴ notes that transshipment and re-export volumes are growing across all food categories. Domestically, the National Farms initiative requires 70 percent local sourcing by 2025 and 100 percent by 2030⁵, but local production alone cannot fill the gap, and wholesale importers remain the backbone of supply.
For wholesale traders importing, distributing, and re-exporting fresh fruit and vegetables, the UAE is the region's primary sorting floor as the supply chain of food moves onward to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and East Africa.
Meydan Free Zone provides 100% foreign ownership, zero corporate tax on qualifying income, full profit repatriation, and a fully digital licensing process, offering wholesale produce traders a compliant base in one of the world's most active fresh food trade corridors.
Who is this for?
| Audience Segment | Profile |
|---|---|
| Fresh produce importers | Traders sourcing fruit and vegetables from international growers and packers in India, Egypt, South Africa, South America, Europe, and Australasia for wholesale distribution to supermarkets, HORECA operators, and food processors across the UAE and GCC. |
| Re-export and transit traders | Businesses using the UAE's cold-chain infrastructure and port connectivity to import fresh produce in bulk and re-export to neighbouring markets including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and East Africa. |
| Specialty and organic produce wholesalers | Operators trading in premium, organic, or niche fruit and vegetable lines for supply to high-end hotels, restaurants, health food retailers, and e-grocery platforms in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. |
4630.01 - Wholesale Of Fruit And Vegetables
This activity covers the wholesale trade of finished and semi-finished food products ready for consumption or further retail distribution. Under this activity, you are in the business of wholesaling fresh, chilled, and minimally processed fruit and vegetables.
The scope covers fresh fruit (tropical, citrus, stone fruit, berries, melons, apples, pears, bananas, and exotic varieties), fresh vegetables (leafy greens, root vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, herbs, and mushrooms), and minimally processed produce (pre-washed, pre-cut, or pre-packaged fruit and vegetable products sold in wholesale quantities). These are traded as food products, not agricultural raw materials, and the buyers are supermarkets, grocery retailers, HORECA operators, food processors, catering companies, and institutional buyers.
There are clear boundaries. This activity covers wholesale trade only.
Growing or farming produce is agricultural production. Canning, freezing, drying, or preserving it is manufacturing.
Selling it directly to individual consumers is retail. Hence, these activities sit outside this activity.
This business activity also excludes the blending of wine or distilled spirits.
If you are buying fresh fruit and vegetables in wholesale quantities and selling them to retailers, restaurants, processors, or other traders, you are in. If you are growing, canning, freezing, or retailing them, you are not.
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| Fresh fruit | Tropical, citrus and imported fruit Wholesale of fresh fruit including mangoes, bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, berries, melons, dates, and exotic varieties sourced from global origin markets. The UAE's top fruit imports by value include apples (USD 149 million), oranges (USD 108 million), bananas (USD 101 million), and mangoes (USD 69 million). UAE IMPORT LANDSCAPE The UAE imports the majority of its fresh fruit from over 60 countries; India, Egypt, South Africa, Spain, and the Netherlands are among the largest suppliers. |
| Fresh vegetables | Leafy greens, root vegetables and herbs Wholesale of fresh vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, onions, potatoes, carrots, herbs, and mushrooms. Vegetables are the fastest-growing segment of the UAE produce market at 7.8 percent CAGR, driven by vertical farming investment and rising demand for locally grown produce. UAE PRODUCTION CONTEXT The number of hydroponic farms in the UAE grew from 50 in 2009 to over 1,000; Bustanica (Emirates Flight Catering) operates one of the world's largest vertical farms in Dubai. |
| Re-export and transit | Re-export and GCC distribution Importing fresh fruit and vegetables in bulk through Jebel Ali Port or Dubai's new food hub and re-exporting to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and East Africa. The UAE's position as a cold-chain-equipped transit hub makes it the region's primary redistribution point for perishable goods. UAE AS TRADE HUB Dubai's new Foodstuffs, Fruit and Vegetable Market, developed by DP World, will be the world's largest fresh food logistics hub when completed. |
| Specialty and organic | Organic, premium and niche produce Trading in certified organic, premium-grade, and specialty produce lines including high-end berries, micro-greens, heirloom tomatoes, and imported exotic fruit for supply to luxury hotels, fine dining restaurants, health-focused retailers, and e-grocery platforms. CONSUMER TREND The UAE's 88 percent expatriate population creates demand for produce from South Asian, East Asian, European, Arab, and African culinary traditions, making it one of the most diverse fresh produce markets globally. |
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 Fruitnet / DP World — Dubai to Develop Largest Fresh Food Hub (July 2024) — https://www.fruitnet.com/eurofruit/dubai-to-develop-largest-fresh-food-hub/261317.article
- ² Mordor Intelligence — UAE Fruits and Vegetables Market Report, Industry Analysis, Size & Growth Trends (2025–2030) — https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/united-arab-emirates-fruits-and-vegetables-market
- ³ BlueWeave Consulting — UAE Fruits and Vegetables Processing Market Size, Share & Analysis (2023–2029) — https://www.blueweaveconsulting.com/report/uae-fruits-and-vegetables-processing-market
- ⁴ USDA Foreign Agricultural Service — United Arab Emirates: Poultry and Products Annual (trade and re-export context) — https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/united-arab-emirates-poultry-and-products-annual-4
