Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
How large are UAE flower imports?
UAE flower imports exceeded USD 70 million in 2023, per Floral Daily, with the Dubai Flower Centre processing over 150,000 tons of floral cargo annually and expanding capacity toward 300,000 metric tonnes.
How fast is the UAE cut flower market growing?
The UAE cut flower market is projected to grow at 13.7 percent CAGR from 2022 to 2028, per 6Wresearch, driven by hospitality expansion, government-supported events sector growth and rising luxury floral arrangement demand.
Which countries supply UAE flower wholesalers?
Kenya supplies over 35 percent of UAE cut flower imports, per Freshdi, followed by Ecuador, Colombia, Netherlands, Japan, China, Sri Lanka and South Africa, with the Dubai Flower Centre managing tax-free handling of imports.
Do I need Dubai Municipality approval to open a flower wholesale business?
Yes. Dubai Municipality approval is required after your trade license is issued. The license is granted first, and DM approval follows as part of the post-licensing setup process before commercial operations begin.
Who buys from flower and plant wholesalers in the UAE?
Wholesalers under 4620.03 supply hotels, event planners, wedding florists, retail flower shops, landscaping contractors, hospitality projects, nurseries, boutique florists, spa and hospitality decor buyers and re-export partners across the GCC.
Topic Summary
Dubai's Flower Market Is Growing Fast
The UAE cut flower market is projected to grow at 13.7% CAGR from 2022 to 2028, driven by hospitality expansion and rising luxury floral demand. Dubai Flower Centre already processes over 150,000 tons of floral cargo annually with tax-free handling.
Kenya and Ecuador Dominate Your Supply Chain
Kenya alone supplies over 35% of UAE cut flower imports, with Colombia, Ecuador, and the Netherlands also serving as major source markets. Building reliable supplier relationships in these countries is foundational to running a competitive wholesale operation.
Three Distinct Wholesale Business Models Exist
You can enter the market as a cut flower distributor, an ornamental plant and nursery wholesaler, or a dried and preserved flower specialist. Each model targets different commercial buyers, from hotels and event planners to landscaping contractors and boutique retailers.
Your Buyers Are Hotels, Weddings, and Corporates
Major demand comes from hospitality venues like Atlantis The Palm, corporate events at locations like Emirates Towers, and the UAE's active wedding and Ramadan gifting seasons. Securing B2B supply contracts with these buyers provides stable, recurring revenue.
Dubai Is the Gulf's Floral Logistics Hub
The Dubai Flower Centre is expanding to 300,000 metric tonnes of capacity, cementing the emirate's role as the region's primary floral import and re-export gateway. UAE wholesalers also export cut flowers to Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen, valued at USD 4.03 million annually.
Register Under Activity Code 4620.03
The correct UAE business activity for this operation is Wholesale of Flowers and Plants, coded 4620.03. This license covers fresh cut flowers, ornamental plants, potted plants, dried flowers, and preserved botanical materials sold to commercial buyers.
B2B Trade Events Are Opening New Doors
MyPlant and Garden Middle East launched its debut Middle East edition at Expo City Dubai in November 2025, following a Milan show that attracted 810-plus exhibitors and 27,000 trade visitors from 40 countries. Attending such events is a direct route to international supplier and buyer relationships.
Start a Wholesale of Flowers and Plants Business in Dubai
Every Emirati wedding runs on flowers imported through the Dubai Flower Centre. Every Atlantis The Palm lobby arrangement, every corporate event at Emirates Towers, every Ramadan gifting rotation and every Valentine's Day rose bouquet across Dubai traces back to a wholesale distributor moving product from Kenya, Ecuador, Colombia, Netherlands and beyond.
The Dubai Flower Centre processes over 150,000 tons of floral cargo annually with tax-free handling, and Kenya alone supplies more than 35% of UAE cut flower imports. Wholesale of flowers and plants sits at the top of that supply chain.
6Wresearch1 reports the UAE cut flower market is projected to grow at 13.7% CAGR from 2022 to 2028, driven by hospitality expansion, government-supported events sector growth and rising luxury floral arrangement demand, with rose dominating flower type revenue share.
Floral Daily2 reports UAE flower imports exceeded USD 70 million in 2023, with the Dubai Flower Centre processing over 150,000 tons of floral cargo annually and infrastructure expanding to 300,000 metric tonnes capacity, cementing Dubai as the Gulf's floral logistics hub.
Freshdi3 reports Kenya supplies over 35% of UAE cut flower imports, with 76 dried flower shipments received from 22 international exporters in 2023 (a 19% year-on-year increase), while UAE exports USD 4.03 million of cut flowers annually mainly to Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
MyPlant and Garden Middle East4 launched its debut Middle East edition at Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai in November 2025, following its Milan success attracting 810+ exhibitors and 27,000 trade visitors from 40 countries, cementing Dubai as the Middle East B2B floral and horticulture event capital.
A Flower Market Growing at 13.7% Through 2028A Dubai-licensed flower and plant wholesaler operates in a UAE cut flower market projected to grow at 13.7 percent a year through 2028, alongside USD 70-plus million in annual flower imports and Dubai Flower Centre processing over 150,000 tons of floral cargo annually with tax-free handling.
Sources: 6Wresearch (2025), Floral Daily (2025), Freshdi (2025), MyPlant and Garden Middle East (2025)
Whether you are running a wholesale cut flower business supplying hotels, event planners and wedding florists, distributing ornamental plants to landscaping contractors and residential nurseries, importing floral raw materials from Kenya, Ecuador and Netherlands through Dubai Flower Centre, or supplying dried flowers and preserved arrangements to boutique retailers, this activity covers wholesale sale of flowers and plants to commercial buyers across the UAE and re-export markets.
Who is this activity for?
- CUT FLOWER WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS: You run a B2B cut flower distribution business importing roses, tulips, orchids, hydrangeas, lilies, chrysanthemums and gerberas from Kenya, Ecuador, Colombia and Netherlands. You supply hotels, event planners, wedding florists, retail flower shops and corporate clients across UAE and GCC markets.
- ORNAMENTAL PLANT & NURSERY WHOLESALERS: You run a wholesale ornamental plants business supplying landscaping contractors, hospitality projects, residential nursery retailers and municipal projects. You import indoor plants, outdoor plants, potted arrangements and specimen plants from regional and international growers.
- DRIED & PRESERVED FLOWER WHOLESALERS: You run a specialty wholesale business supplying dried flowers, preserved arrangements, lavender, rose petals and decorative botanical materials to boutique florists, spa and hospitality decor buyers, event stylists and gift retail across UAE luxury and specialty markets.
4620.03 - Wholesale Of Flowers And Plants
Under this activity, you can run a wholesale distribution business supplying flowers and plants to commercial buyers. Product range covers fresh cut flowers (roses, tulips, orchids, hydrangeas, lilies, chrysanthemums, gerberas), ornamental plants for indoor and outdoor use, potted plants, seasonal plants, dried and preserved flowers, floral raw materials, foliage and botanical decorative products sold in B2B volume rather than direct-to-consumer retail.
This activity covers wholesale of flowers and plants. It does not cover wholesale of textile fibres, which falls under separate activity classification 4669.
In short: if you are running a B2B wholesale distribution business for fresh cut flowers, ornamental plants or dried floral products, this is your activity.
Third-party approval: Dubai Municipality (DM) approval is required after the license is issued. The license is granted first, and DM approval follows as part of the post-licensing setup process before commercial operations begin.
Anti-money laundering compliance: This business activity is exempt from AML compliance requirements.
Footnotes
¹ 6Wresearch, "UAE Cut Flower Market (2022-2028) Size, Industry, Growth", 2025.
² Floral Daily, "The UAE's flower market is entering a powerful growth phase", August 2025.
³ Freshdi, "Top 5 Dried Flowers Suppliers in United Arab Emirates Q3 2025", August 2025.
⁴ MyPlant and Garden Middle East via Gulf Agriculture, "UAE's Flower Market to Surge 13.7% by 2028", September 2025.
