What You Need to Know About Cloud Kitchen Setup in Meydan Free Zone
May 17, 2024
June 12, 2025
September 9, 2024
June 12, 2025
Ever dreamt of running a restaurant empire — without the restaurant?
In Dubai, that dream is already cooking. Cloud kitchens (delivery-only kitchens with no dine-in space), are redefining what it means to launch and grow a food business. With the global market already nearing $82 billion in 2025 and forecast to more than double over the next decade, this isn’t just a trend, it’s the future of F&B. And in Dubai, that future is arriving faster than anywhere else.
Locally, the UAE’s cloud kitchen industry is rising just as quickly, expected to grow from $275 million in 2023 to over $1 billion by 2030. Why? Because this city is wired for speed, scale, and convenience. Pivot menus, test ideas, reach new audiences, fast.
This is food entrepreneurship with fewer barriers and more upside.
How Dubai’s Cloud Kitchen Scene Started and How It’s Going
Dubai didn’t just join the cloud kitchen revolution, it helped lead it.
It all began back in 2017, when Deliveroo launched one of the region’s first delivery-only kitchen hubs: Deliveroo Editions.
Since then, Dubai has become a global hotspot for cloud kitchens. From just a handful of dark kitchens to hundreds of ating citywide, the model has gone from fringe to mainstream, fast.
So how does it work?
Cloud kitchens operate from centralised, delivery-only kitchens — no dining room, just prep stations. Orders come in through platforms like Talabat, Deliveroo, and Zomato, and go out within minutes. One kitchen might power 10 brands. No overheads, no waitstaff — just food, fast.
Add Dubai’s tech-savvy population and world-class delivery logistics, and you’ve got a recipe for F&B success that’s lean, agile, and ready to scale.
Reasons to Consider Starting a Cloud Kitchen at Meydan Free Zone
Cloud kitchens aren’t just a smarter way to serve food — they’re a smarter way to run a business.nHere’s why more entrepreneurs are choosing the delivery-only model:
- Lower Start-up Costs
No dining space, no fit-outs, no waitstaff. Just a professional kitchen and a menu built for online delivery. It’s a leaner, faster way to launch, with less risk and more flexibility. - Faster Launch Timelines
Traditional restaurants can take months to open. A cloud kitchen can go live in weeks, or even days, especially with
Meydan Free Zone’s instant licensing and digital setup. - Multi-Brand Potential
Why stop at one concept? With a cloud kitchen, you can run multiple virtual brands from the same kitchen. Serve sushi by day, burgers by night, all under different names, all from one space. - Built-In Delivery Ecosystem
Dubai’s delivery platforms like Talabat, Zomato, and Deliveroo, give you instant access to a citywide customer base.
You focus on the food; they handle the last mile.
Whether you’re a chef, investor, or food entrepreneur, cloud kitchens offer the perfect blend of speed, scale, and simplicity.
The Business Activities You Can Choose for Your Cloud Kitchen
At Meydan Free Zone, we don’t just help you start, we help you start right.
Running a dark kitchen in Dubai gives you the best of both worlds: the freedom to launch and grow multiple food brands he cost or complexity of a full restaurant.
You can prepare fresh meals made for immediate delivery, operate multiple virtual concepts from a single space, and go live on platforms like Talabat, Zomato, and Careem Food, which now handle over 60% of food delivery orders in the UAE.
With this model, you can scale faster, test new menus with low risk, and reach customers citywide — all without needing a storefront. But like any business, there are boundaries.
You can’t sell pre-packaged or shelf-stable food products, operate a dine-in experience, or manufacture goods for retail unless you apply for the appropriate trade licenses.
At Meydan Free Zone, we help you stay focused on growth while ensuring your license is fully aligned with what you can do — and protected from what you can’t. It’s a structure built for clarity, compliance, and real momentum.
What It Costs to Set Up a Cloud Kitchen at Meydan Free Zone
One of the biggest advantages of a cloud kitchen is that you skip the heavy upfront costs of opening a traditional restaurant, and with Meydan Free Zone, your setup is even more streamlined.
Here’s what your setup costs could look like:
- Business License – Starting from AED 12,500
This includes your trade license with full foreign ownership, LLC protection, and digital issuance. If you want to set up quick, you can do so with Fawri at AED 15,000 and go live in under 60 minutes, no paperwork, no delays.
- Visa Allocation & Residency – From AED 3,750 to AED 5,000 (per visa)
Need to sponsor yourself or team members? Add visa eligibility to your package. This covers everything from medical testing to Emirates ID and visa stamping.
- Kitchen Space Rental – From AED 8,000 to AED 25,000/month (depending on location & size)
As a cloud kitchen operator, you’ll need a licensed commercial kitchen space. You can choose to rent from a shared facility or operate your own kitchen depending on your scale and preferences. Prices vary based on location, equipment, and service inclusion.
Cloud Kitchen Setup in UAE, In Conclusion
Dubai’s cloud kitchen scene isn’t just growing, it’s thriving.
From unicorn success stories like Kitopi to new virtual brands launching every week, the opportunity is real, and it’s rising fast.
Whether you’re a first-time founder, a seasoned chef, or a digital foodpreneur with a bold idea, launching a cloud kitchen is one of the smartest ways to enter the F&B space today. With lower overheads, and faster go-to-market you’re not just serving meals, you’re building momentum.
And with Meydan Free Zone, your business setup is as modern as your kitchen model. Fully digital. 100% ownership.
Licensed in under 60 minutes.
From trade license to visa, from compliance to continuity, we make it seamless.
FAQs
1. What kind of license do I need to operate a cloud kitchen in Dubai?
To run a delivery-only food business, you’ll need a cloud kitchen license in the UAE. Meydan Free Zone offers this as a full F&B license in the UAE, with 100% foreign ownership and an LLC structure — all issued digitally in under 60 minutes.
2. How much does a cloud kitchen cost in Dubai?
Your starting cost is the trade license, starting from AED 12,500 at Meydan Free Zone. Beyond that, total setup costs for a tchen business model in the UAE (including kitchen rental, visa, and platform onboarding) typically range from AED 25,000 to AED 45,000+, depending on your needs.
3. Can I run multiple virtual brands under one cloud kitchen license?
Yes. When you start a cloud kitchen business in the UAE, you can run multiple digital food brands from one licensed kitchen.
It’s one of the biggest advantages of the cloud kitchen business model in the UAE, maximum output, minimal overhead.
4. How to open a cloud kitchen in Dubai if I don’t own a physical space?
You can either rent a unit in a shared kitchen facility, or set up your own commercial kitchen setup in the UAE. Meydan Free Zone supports both approaches and will guide you through the licensing and approvals.
5. Which platforms can I use to run my online food business in Dubai?
Your online food business in Dubai can be listed on apps like Talabat, Deliveroo, Zomato, and others. These platforms handle logistics while you focus on food, allowing your brand to reach thousands of customers daily.
6. Can I get visas for myself and my kitchen staff?
Yes. When you open a cloud kitchen in Dubai through Meydan Free Zone, you can sponsor yourself and your team with 2-year residency visas. Visa packages can be added to your license during setup, with full digital processing.
7. How long does it take to get my cloud kitchen license?
With Meydan Free Zone, your cloud kitchen license in the UAE can be issued in less than 60 minutes. From name check to license delivery, everything is done online — so you can launch fast and focus on scaling your business.
