Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need approval to trade dried fruit and vegetables?
No. Activity 4721.83 requires no third-party approval, so Meydan Free Zone can issue the business license directly. The activity is also not subject to AML compliance requirements.
2. Why is dried produce attractive as a trading category?
Dried produce has a long shelf life and needs no cold chain, so it ships cheaply, stores for months, and moves easily through import and re-export corridors without the spoilage risk of fresh goods.
3. How large is regional date supply?
Global table date production is rising around 3% season on season, with total supplies reaching 1.67 million tonnes, up 6% on the previous season. The UAE is among the leading producing countries.
4. Can I dry or dehydrate produce under this licence?
No. Drying and dehydration are food manufacturing activities. Activity 4721.83 covers trading dried produce in its existing form, not producing it.
5. Does this licence cover fresh produce as well?
No. Trade in fresh or chilled fruit and vegetables falls under separate fresh produce classifications. This activity is limited to dried and dehydrated goods.
6. Can I trade nuts, coffee, or spices under this activity?
No. Nuts, coffee, tea, and spices each sit within their own separate scopes and would need to be added as distinct activities on the licence.
How to Start a Dried Vegetables & Fruit Trading Business with Meydan Free Zone
Dried vegetables and fruit trading covers the buying and selling of dehydrated produce, from dates, raisins, apricots, and figs through to dried tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and pulses. Drying is one of the oldest forms of food preservation and it remains commercially significant because it removes the cold chain from the equation. Dried produce ships cheaply, stores for months, and moves through the same import and re-export corridors that have made the UAE a regional food trading centre.
The category sits on strong regional foundations. Dates are the anchor product, and the UAE is among the leading producing countries globally, with production rising alongside Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Tunisia in the current season.[1] Consumer demand across the wider region is well established, with dried grapes alone accounting for around 35% of Middle Eastern dried fruit consumption.[2]
Infrastructure is expanding to match. Dubai Municipality and DP World are redeveloping the emirate's central produce market into the Dubai Food District, a 29 million square foot hub covering fresh, gourmet, and staple foods, with added processing capacity and connections to more than 20 global markets.[3] For traders, dried produce offers long shelf life, year-round availability, and margins built on sourcing relationships rather than on speed of delivery.
A Trading Category Built on Shelf Life and Regional Supply
A Dubai-licensed dried produce trader operates in a market where dates anchor regional supply and global table date production is rising 3 percent season on season to 1.67 million tonnes, supported by a Dubai food hub redevelopment covering 29 million square feet with expanded processing and storage capacity from 2027.
Sources: International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (2026), Dubai Municipality / DP World (2026), Nuts & Dried Fruits Yearbook
Who Is This Activity For?
4721.83 - Dried Vegetables & Fruit Trading
Activity 4721.83 sits within the broader class covering the retail sale of food in specialised stores, which includes shops and traders focused on particular food categories. Within that class, this activity is the trade in dried vegetables and fruit. It covers buying and selling dehydrated produce such as dates, raisins, apricots, figs, prunes, dried tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and dried pulses, whether sold loose, graded, or in packaged retail formats. The activity concerns trading the dried product in its existing form. It does not extend to growing the crop, or to operating the drying and dehydration process as a manufacturing operation.
The trading range covers:
- Whole dates across premium and standard varieties
- Dried fruit including raisins, apricots, figs, and prunes
- Sun-dried and dehydrated vegetables
- Dried pulses and legumes in bulk or retail packs
- Graded and packaged retail formats
- Gift-boxed and seasonal Ramadan assortments
- Import and re-export of dried produce consignments
Service Scope
Dates & Date Products
Trade in whole dates across premium and standard varieties, including graded, pitted, and gift-packaged formats for retail and wholesale buyers.
Dried Fruit Ranges
Raisins, sultanas, apricots, figs, prunes, cranberries, and mango, sourced from producing regions and supplied loose or pre-packed.
Dried Vegetables
Sun-dried and dehydrated tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, garlic, and peppers, supplied to retailers, caterers, and food manufacturers.
Dried Pulses & Legumes
Lentils, chickpeas, and dried beans traded in bulk sacks or retail packs, forming a staple line alongside dried fruit and vegetables.
Packaged Snacking & Gift Ranges
Branded and gift-boxed assortments of dried fruit and dates aimed at retail shelves, corporate gifting, and the seasonal Ramadan trade.
WHAT THIS ACTIVITY EXCLUDES
It is important to note what activity 4721.83 does not cover. Trade in fresh or chilled fruit and vegetables falls under separate classifications for fresh produce retail and wholesale. The dehydration, drying, or other processing of produce into dried form is a food manufacturing activity rather than a trading one. Trade in nuts, coffee, tea, and spices each sits within its own scope, as does the trade in canned or bottled preserved produce. Growing the underlying crop is an agricultural activity in its own right.
In short: if you are buying and selling dried fruit, vegetables, or pulses, you are in. If you are drying the produce yourself, trading it fresh, or growing it, you are not.
Licensing & Compliance
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] Mundus Agri / International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Congress. (2026). Dates: comfortable supply situation.
[2] Expert Market Research (citing Nuts & Dried Fruits Yearbook). Middle East Freeze-Dried Fruit Products Market.
[3] Dubai Trade / DP World. Dubai Food District announcement.
