Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How large is the UAE retail market in 2024?
The UAE retail market is valued at USD 145.3 billion in 2024, per IMARC Group, and is forecast to reach USD 227.1 billion by 2033, growing at 5.1 percent CAGR.
2. What share of UAE grocery spending goes through supermarkets?
Hypermarkets and supermarkets absorb approximately 85 percent of UAE grocery spending, per GourmetPro, making them the dominant retail channel across the seven emirates.
3. Which supermarket chains operate the most UAE outlets?
Carrefour operates 320-plus UAE stores with around 32.8 percent category share, LuLu runs 260-plus outlets generating USD 6.7 billion in 2024 revenue, followed by Nesto, Viva and Spinneys.
4. Do I need Dubai Municipality approval to open a supermarket?
Yes. Dubai Municipality food safety approval is required before your trade license is issued. DM approval must be secured first, and once obtained, the license is granted before commercial operations begin.
5. What formats does activity 4711.92 cover?
Activity 4711.92 covers hypermarkets, community supermarkets and premium or specialty supermarkets selling general goods with food or beverages, alongside household, personal care and general merchandise categories.
Topic Summary
UAE Grocery Market Is Massive and Growing
UAE grocery retail sales reached USD 18.2 billion in 2024, a 3.86% increase from 2023. The broader UAE retail market is forecast to grow from USD 145.3 billion to USD 227.1 billion by 2033 at a 5.1% CAGR.
Supermarkets Dominate How UAE Residents Shop
Hypermarkets and supermarkets account for approximately 85% of all grocery spending in the UAE. This channel serves 11.3 million residents and over 18 million annual tourists, making it the most critical retail format in the country.
Major Players Set a High but Beatable Bar
Carrefour, LuLu, Nesto, Viva and Spinneys collectively operate hundreds of stores across the UAE. LuLu alone generated USD 6.7 billion in 2024 revenue, showing the enormous scale this market can support.
Three Distinct Supermarket Formats to Consider
Entrepreneurs can enter as large-format hypermarket operators, mid-format community supermarkets, or premium and specialty grocers. Each format targets a different customer base, from mall shoppers to high-income expatriates seeking organic and imported goods.
Community Supermarkets Offer Stable Repeat Business
Mid-format supermarkets in residential areas like Karama, Al Barsha, JVC and Deira benefit from loyal, repeat customer bases focused on daily essentials. Fresh produce, dairy, cold cuts and imported goods are the core revenue drivers in this format.
Premium Grocers Tap a High-Value Niche
Gourmet grocers, organic supermarkets and ethnic-community specialty stores cater to Emirati families and high-income expatriates who prioritize quality and provenance. This segment is less price-sensitive and more resilient to competition from large-format chains.
Meydan Free Zone Enables a Streamlined Market Entry
Setting up under the supermarket business activity through Meydan Free Zone covers the retail sale of general goods including food and beverages. The activity code 4711.92 allows operators to run any supermarket format, from hypermarkets to specialty stores, under a single license structure.
How to Start a Supermarket Business in Dubai with Meydan Free Zone
Carrefour runs 320-plus stores across the UAE, LuLu operates 260-plus, Nesto around 100, Viva close to 100 and Spinneys around 72. Together with Union Cooperative, Al Maya, Choithrams, West Zone and Grandiose, UAE hypermarkets and supermarkets absorb roughly 85% of all grocery spending in the country. It is the retail channel that shapes how 11.3 million residents and 18 million-plus annual tourists buy food, from a weekend Carrefour haul at Mall of the Emirates to a Spinneys grocery run in Al Wasl.
IMARC Group1 values the UAE retail market at USD 145.3 billion in 2024, forecast to reach USD 227.1 billion by 2033 at 5.1% CAGR, with hypermarkets and supermarkets remaining the leading distribution channel by value across all product categories. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service2 reports UAE grocery retail sales reached USD 18.2 billion in 2024, a 3.86% increase from 2023, with continued expansion projected at around 3.15% in 2025 as population and tourism growth sustain demand. GourmetPro3 reports hypermarkets and supermarkets account for approximately 85% of UAE grocery spending, with Carrefour holding around 32.8% category market share alongside LuLu, Spinneys, Viva and Choithrams. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service4 reports LuLu Hypermarkets generated USD 6.7 billion in 2024 revenue across its 260-plus UAE stores, while Carrefour serves 750,000-plus daily customers across the region.
Sources: Verified Market Reports (2026), Credence Research (2025), Credence Research (2025), Desert Chill (2026)
Whether you are running a full-scale hypermarket in a major mall, a mid-format neighbourhood supermarket in Karama or Al Barsha, a premium supermarket in Jumeirah or a discount value supermarket in Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, this activity covers the retail sale of general goods with food or beverages.
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Who is this activity for?
- HYPERMARKET & LARGE-FORMAT OPERATORS: You run a large-format supermarket or hypermarket exceeding 2,000 sq ft with a full range of food, beverages, household goods, apparel, appliances and non-food categories. You work with mall lease terms, multi-shift staffing, cold-chain logistics and daily customer volumes in the thousands.
- COMMUNITY & MID-FORMAT SUPERMARKET OPERATORS: You run a mid-format supermarket serving residential neighbourhoods across Karama, Al Barsha, Deira, Bur Dubai, JVC or Sharjah. You focus on daily and weekly grocery trade, fresh produce, dairy, cold cuts and imported goods with a stable, repeat-customer base.
- PREMIUM & SPECIALTY SUPERMARKET OPERATORS: You run a premium or specialty supermarket like a gourmet grocery, organic supermarket, imported-goods focused outlet or ethnic-community supermarket. You cater to Emirati families, high-income expatriates and lifestyle-driven shoppers seeking quality, provenance and international product ranges.
4711.92 – Supermarket
Under this activity, you can run a supermarket or hypermarket selling general goods with food & beverages. Product range covers fresh produce, dairy, meat and seafood, packaged foods, beverages, household goods, personal care, apparel, appliances and other general merchandise as complementary categories to the core food and beverage offering.
This activity covers retail sale of general goods with food or beverages. 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 supermarket or hypermarket with food and beverages as the primary category, this is your activity.
Third-party approval
Dubai Municipality (DM) approval is required before the license is issued. DM approval must be secured first, and once obtained, the license is granted as part of the pre-licensing setup process before commercial operations begin.
Anti-money laundering compliance
This business activity is exempt from AML compliance requirements.
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Footnotes
¹ IMARC Group, "UAE Retail Market Size, Share & Trends Forecast 2033", 2025.
² USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, "United Arab Emirates Retail Foods Annual Report 2025", 2025.
³ GourmetPro, "Top 12 Supermarkets in Dubai and UAE Retail Market Landscape in 2025", 2025.
⁴ USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, "UAE Retail Foods Annual 2025 - LuLu and Carrefour Retail Profile", 2025.
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