How to Start a Wholesale of Meat and Meat Products Business with Meydan Free Zone

Wholesale of meat and meat products covers the buying, storing, and distribution of meat in bulk to retailers, restaurants, hotels, caterers, and other businesses.

It is a volume trade built on cold chain infrastructure, sourcing relationships with producers and slaughterhouses, and the compliance discipline that lets meat move across borders and through the supply chain.

The wholesaler sits between producer and end seller, breaking bulk and managing storage and distribution.

The scale is significant. The UAE exported roughly USD 6.07 billion of meat and edible offal in 2024, including USD 385.8 million of frozen bovine meat and USD 58.7 million of poultry to a single partner market, an indication of the re-export role wholesalers play.^[1] Meat also remains the highest-value fresh food category in UAE retail, which sustains steady downstream demand.^[2]

Regulation is central to the wholesale model. Dubai Municipality Food Safety Department approval is required before the licence is issued, all imported product must be registered in the official food registration system, and every meat and poultry line must carry Halal certification from an approved body.^[3] These controls are what make UAE-traded meat acceptable to buyers across the region.

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A Meat Trade Exporting Billions and Anchoring Fresh Food Retail

A Dubai-licensed meat business operates in a market where the UAE exported roughly USD 6.07 billion of meat and edible offal in 2024, including USD 385.8 million of frozen bovine meat to a single trading partner, and where meat has consistently ranked as the highest-value fresh food category in UAE retail.

Sources: UN COMTRADE / Trading Economics (2024), Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Meydan Free Zone, Fresh Meat Products Trading

Who Is This Activity For?

4630.05 - Wholesale of Meat and Meat Products

Activity 4630.05 sits within the broader class covering the wholesale of food, beverages, and tobacco, which includes the wholesale of meat and meat products.

Within that class, this activity is the wholesale trade of meat and meat products. It covers buying meat, poultry, and processed meat items in bulk from producers, slaughterhouses, and authorised suppliers, and storing, packaging, and distributing them to retailers, restaurants, hotels, and caterers.

The activity concerns bulk business-to-business supply. It does not extend to slaughtering animals, manufacturing processed meat, or retail sale to final consumers.

Beyond this activity, Meydan Free Zone also supports related licences such as Fresh Meat Products Trading, Meat Shop & Butcher Business, and Food and Beverages Trading.

The wholesale range covers:

• Bulk beef, lamb, mutton, and poultry supply
• Processed meat products such as sausages, bacon, and ham
• Cold chain storage and distribution
• Import and registration of meat consignments
• Halal certification and documentation handling
• Supply to retailers, hotels, restaurants, and caterers
• Re-export distribution into regional markets

Service Scope

Bulk Red Meat & Poultry

Beef, lamb, mutton, and poultry supplied in volume to retailers and food service operators under managed cold chain conditions.

Processed Meat Distribution

Sausages, bacon, ham, and deli products distributed in bulk to retail and hospitality buyers.

Import & Cold Chain Logistics

Importing meat, registering consignments in the official system, and managing chilled and frozen storage and transport.

Food Service Supply

Supplying hotels, restaurants, and caterers with consistent volume and specification, where reliability is the core requirement.

Halal-Certified Wholesale Supply

Meat and poultry carrying Halal certification from approved bodies, a mandatory condition for wholesale trade in the UAE.

WHAT THIS ACTIVITY EXCLUDES

It is important to note what activity 4630.05 does not cover. Slaughtering animals and abattoir operation is a separate regulated activity, as is the manufacture of processed meat products. Retail sale of meat to final consumers, whether from a specialised store or a market stall, falls under retail classifications. Providing cold storage or refrigerated transport as a standalone service to third parties is separately classified, as is the wholesale of live animals.

In short: if you are buying meat in bulk and supplying retailers and food service businesses, you are in. If you are slaughtering animals, manufacturing processed meat, selling to consumers, or providing logistics as a standalone service, you are not.

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Licensing & Compliance

Third-Party Approval:

You need approval from the Dubai Municipality Food Safety Department before your business license is issued. All meat and poultry products must also carry Halal certification from a certification body approved by Dubai Municipality.

Anti-Money Laundering Compliance:

This business activity is exempt from AML compliance requirement.

References

[1] UN COMTRADE database, cited in Trading Economics. UAE meat and edible meat offal export data, 2024. tradingeconomics.com

[2] Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, cited in Statista. Retail sales value of fresh food in the UAE by category. statista.com

[3] Meydan Free Zone. Fresh Meat Products Trading activity guidance. meydanfz.ae