Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this activity cover?
It covers buying footwear in bulk and selling it on to other businesses. Shoes, boots, sandals and trainers are all included.
Can I sell leather bags and belts too?
No. Leather goods sit under class 4649 and need their own activity. Leather shoes are still covered here.
Can I sell shoes direct to the public?
No. Footwear retail sits under class 4771 and needs a retail activity.
Can I sell clothing under the same class?
Yes. The class also covers clothing, clothing accessories, yarn, fabrics and household linen.
Do I need third-party approval?
No. This activity does not require third-party approval to obtain a business license from Meydan Free Zone.
How To Start A Footwear Wholesale Business In Dubai With Meydan Free Zone
Wholesale of footwear covers the bulk supply of shoes to other businesses. Traders buy by the carton or by the container and sell on to firms that retail them. Their buyers include shoe shops, department stores, online sellers and uniform firms. The trade sits between the factory and the shop floor, and volume is what makes it work.
The market underneath it is a busy one. UAE footwear reached AED 14.1 billion in retail value during 2025.1 That came on volume of roughly 54 million pairs sold across the year.1 Footwear is forecast to grow faster than any other clothing category in the years ahead.
Almost all of that stock arrives from abroad. The UAE imports USD 7.08 billion of textiles and apparel each year.2 Apparel as a whole was worth AED 50.3 billion back in 2023.3 Dubai's ports and free zones make it a natural place to hold, sort and move that stock.
How many pairs of shoes the UAE moves
Whether you supply shoe shops, department stores or online sellers, this activity covers bulk footwear trade. The figures below show how much stock moves.
Who is this activity for?
| Category | Business Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| IMPORTER | Footwear Importers and Distributors | You bring shoes in by the container from makers abroad. You then hold stock and sell it on to trade buyers. |
| BRAND SUPPLIER | Brand and Stock Traders | You carry one or more shoe brands for the region. Range and availability decide who buys from you. |
What this activity covers
This code covers wholesale trade in footwear, sold in bulk to other businesses. The class guidelines set a wider scope across textiles and clothing.
- Bulk buying of shoes, boots, sandals and trainers
- Import and re-export of footwear through UAE ports
- Warehousing, breaking bulk and delivery to trade buyers
- Supply to shoe shops, department stores and online sellers
- Wider textile and clothing wholesale allowed under the same class
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Product scope
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What falls outside this activity
This activity does not cover leather goods such as bags, belts and travel accessories, which the class guidelines place under class 4649. Raw textile fibres sit under class 4669. Selling shoes direct to the public is retail trade and needs a retail activity instead. Making the footwear is manufacturing under its own code.
In short, you can import and sell shoes in bulk, but not leather bags, and not direct to shoppers.
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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.
footnotes
1. Euromonitor International, Apparel and Footwear in the United Arab Emirates, 2026.
2. Kohan Textile Journal, UAE Textile Market Overview, 2025.
3. GlobalData, UAE Apparel Market Size, Consumer Insights and Forecast to 2028, 2024.
