How to Start a Grocery Store Business in Dubai with Meydan Free Zone

Between the sprawling Carrefour hypermarket at Mall of the Emirates and the corner baqala on a Karama backstreet sits the UAE grocery store. It is the neighbourhood-anchored retailer running 800 to 2,000 sq ft, stocking fresh produce, dairy, cold cuts, packaged staples, imported goods and household essentials for the weekly shop.

The UAE hosts over 8,000 grocery retail outlets across the seven emirates, and community-focused grocery stores form the backbone of daily food retail in residential Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates.

USDA Foreign Agricultural Service¹ reports UAE grocery retail sales reached USD 18.2 billion in 2024, a 3.86% increase from 2023, projected to continue expanding at around 3.15% in 2025 as population growth, tourism and urban development sustain demand.

Mordor Intelligence² values the UAE food products market at USD 14.38 billion in 2025, rising to USD 19.81 billion by 2031 at 4.37% CAGR, with meat and seafood commanding 22.48% share and organic products growing at 4.82% CAGR through 2031.

Globoprime³ reports the UAE hosts over 8,000 grocery retail outlets across supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores and community grocery formats, with the food and grocery retail market projected to exceed USD 40 billion by 2025.

IMARC Group⁴ reports the UAE online grocery market reached USD 3,426.4 million in 2024, forecast to reach USD 18,353.4 million by 2033 at 20.50% CAGR, driven by tech-savvy consumers and quick-commerce operators like Talabat Mart, InstaShop and Noon Minutes.

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A Grocery Retail Sector Powered by 8,000-Plus UAE OutletsA Dubai-licensed grocery store operates in a UAE grocery retail market valued at USD 18.2 billion in 2024 and expanding at around 3.15 percent in 2025, alongside a UAE food products market projected to grow from USD 14.38 billion in 2025 to USD 19.81 billion by 2031.

Sources: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (2025), Mordor Intelligence (2026), Globoprime (2025), IMARC Group (2025)

Whether you are running a community-focused grocery store in Al Nahda, a fresh produce grocery in Al Quoz, an ethnic-community grocery serving Indian, Filipino or Arab expatriate populations, or a mid-format grocery store in a residential compound, this activity covers the retail sale of grocery goods with food and beverages predominant.

Who is this activity for?

• COMMUNITY GROCERY STORE OPERATORS: You run a neighbourhood grocery store between 800 and 2,000 sq ft serving residential blocks in Al Nahda, Al Barsha, Karama, Deira or Sharjah. You stock fresh produce, dairy, cold cuts, packaged staples and household essentials for weekly grocery trade with repeat customers.
• FRESH PRODUCE & SPECIALITY GROCERY OPERATORS: You run a grocery store focused on fresh produce, meats, seafood, organic goods or imported specialty items. You work with wholesale markets, direct farm sourcing and cold-chain logistics to serve health-conscious consumers, chefs and quality-driven residential shoppers.
• ETHNIC-COMMUNITY GROCERY OPERATORS: You run a grocery store focused on Indian, Filipino, Arab, African or European ethnic communities across Karama, Al Rigga, Al Quoz or Muhaisnah. You stock cuisine-specific ingredients, imported staples and cultural food items serving loyal expatriate customer bases.

4711.93 - Grocery Store

Under this activity, you can run a grocery store selling general goods with food and beverages predominant. Product range covers fresh produce, dairy, meat and seafood, packaged staples, beverages, household essentials, personal care items and other complementary general merchandise, with food and grocery items as the primary category. 

This activity covers retail sale of grocery goods with food and beverages predominant. It does not cover the retail sale of fuel in combination with food and beverages where fuel sales dominate, which falls under separate activity classification 4730.

In short: if you are running a grocery store with food and beverages as the primary category, this is your activity.

Third-party approval: No third-party approval is required.

Anti-money laundering compliance: This business activity is exempt from AML compliance requirements.

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Citations

¹ USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, "United Arab Emirates Retail Foods Annual Report 2025", 2025.

² Mordor Intelligence, "UAE Food Products Market Size, Share, Trends & Industry Outlook, 2031", January 2026.

³ Globoprime, "Supermarket & Grocery Store Business Setup in UAE", June 2025.