Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does men's garment trading cover?
It covers the retail sale of men's clothing, including formal wear, casualwear, traditional dress such as thawbs and kanduras, and outerwear and seasonal layers.
2. Can I sell men's underwear under this activity?
Men's underwear has its own activity (4771.85). Garment trading focuses on outerwear and clothing rather than intimate wear.
3. Can I sell women's garments alongside men's?
No. Women's garments fall under a separate activity (4771.83). A business selling both would need both activity licenses.
4. Does this include men's footwear or accessories?
No. The activity is for garments specifically. Footwear, leather accessories, and similar categories fall under their own activities.
5. Can I sell traditional and modern menswear together?
Yes. The activity covers all men's garments, including traditional dress such as thawbs and kanduras alongside formal, casual, and outerwear pieces.
How to Start a Men's Garment Trading Business with Meydan Free Zone
Men in the Gulf don't shop the way men elsewhere do. They buy less often, but when they do, they buy carefully and they tend to spend up. The numbers confirm it: men's luxury spending in the UAE is growing faster than the broader luxury market, even though women still drive the larger share of total spend.
For a menswear business, that's a customer worth designing the entire store around.
The men's segment of UAE clothing retail is on a strong growth trajectory. Men's luxury spending in the UAE is forecast to grow at around 6.12 percent a year, according to Mordor Intelligence², outpacing the broader luxury market.
The retail sector overall continues to attract global investment, with Dubai retail contributing around 23 percent to the emirate's GDP and the UAE retail market expanding around 4.5 percent in early 2025, according to Khaleej Times¹.
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Menswear in the UAE has its own signature: a smaller share of total spend than women's, but a faster rate of growth, set inside a retail sector that keeps drawing global investment.
Sources: Khaleej Times (2025); Mordor Intelligence (2026).
A men's garment retail business sells one well-defined category to a clearly identified customer. It is a focused retail business: men's clothing, displayed and stocked for the male shopper, with the depth and product knowledge that a general store cannot match. Office workers, weekend shoppers, brand-loyal repeat buyers, and visiting customers all rely on dedicated menswear stores to find pieces sized, styled, and fitted for men.
Walk into a menswear store in the UAE on a Saturday afternoon and the rhythm is different from women's fashion. Men come in with intent. A wedding next month, a new job, a winter trip to Europe, a thawb tailored for Eid. They don't necessarily browse three stores before deciding; they go where the fit works and where the brand has earned their trust. Once a menswear business has earned that trust, the same customer tends to come back season after season. The UAE adds layers to that picture: a strong office culture that drives formalwear, a deep tradition of dress for occasions and faith, and a younger generation putting real money into casualwear, sneakers, and weekend looks.
Whether it's a wedding suit, a sharp work wardrobe, or a weekend overhaul, men in the UAE keep coming back to stores that know their market.
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Who is this for?
- Menswear retailers: Owners of stores selling men's clothing across formal, casual, and traditional ranges.
- Traditional dress retailers: Stores specialising in thawbs, kanduras, and Gulf traditional menswear.
- Branded menswear operators: Operators of single-brand menswear stores or international franchise outlets.
Meydan Free Zone offers 100% foreign ownership, zero percent corporate tax on qualifying income, full profit repatriation, and a fully digital licensing process, providing a regulated and cost-efficient base from which to operate a menswear retail business in a market where men's spending is growing faster than the broader luxury sector.
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4771.82 - Men's Garment Trading
Under this activity, your business is licensed to sell men's garments at retail.
The activity is specifically for men's garments at retail. Selling women's or children's clothing, men's footwear or leather accessories without a garment range, men's underwear specifically, or operating as a wholesaler rather than a retailer all fall under different activities.
The line is precise. If your business sells men's garments at retail, you are in. If you sell women's or children's clothing, focus on men's underwear specifically, or operate as a wholesaler, a different activity applies.
Third-Party Approval
No third-party approval is required for this business activity.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
This business activity is exempt from AML compliance requirements.
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Citations
¹ Khaleej Times. UAE Retail Sector Continues to Attract Global Players. Khaleej Times, 2025.
² Mordor Intelligence. UAE Luxury Goods Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis. Mordor Intelligence, 2026.
