How To Market Traditional British Shortbread and Biscuits In Dubai
December 11, 2025
December 11, 2025
Topic Summary
1. Highlight Heritage and Authenticity
Emphasize the rich British heritage of shortbread and biscuits by sharing stories about their origins and traditional baking methods. Dubai’s market appreciates authenticity and craftsmanship, so position your product as a genuine British classic with quality ingredients.
2. Leverage Luxury Packaging
Dubai consumers are attracted to luxury and elegance. Invest in premium, eye-catching packaging such as decorative tins or gift boxes that reflect British tradition and make the product suitable for gifting, which is popular in the region.
3. Collaborate with Upscale Cafés and Hotels
Partner with luxury hotels, tearooms, and high-end cafés in Dubai to feature your shortbread and biscuits on their menus or as part of afternoon tea experiences. This association with elite venues enhances the perceived value and authenticity of the product.
4. Use Social Media to Share Cultural Stories
Create engaging content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok that showcases the story behind traditional British shortbread, including videos of the baking process and serving suggestions. Tag Dubai food influencers to reach a broader, trend-conscious audience.
5. Offer Taste Sampling in Premium Locations
Organize tasting events at upscale malls and gourmet food fairs where potential customers can experience the unique buttery taste firsthand. Sampling helps overcome initial unfamiliarity and builds a loyal customer base by creating a memorable sensory experience.
There’s something wonderfully British about opening a tin of shortbread. It’s the sort of treat that appears on the table without ceremony, yet everyone smiles when it does. And if you’ve ever tried explaining this to someone outside the UK, you’ll know the reaction: mild curiosity… until they taste it. It’s not “a biscuit”, it’s nostalgia wrapped in butter.
This is exactly why Dubai responds so well to traditional British biscuits. In a city obsessed with gifting, presentation and premium food experiences, shortbread lands with surprising impact. It feels luxurious without being intimidating, familiar yet exotic, and - crucially - it fits into almost every touchpoint in Dubai’s lifestyle ecosystem: hotels, corporate gifting, afternoon tea, luxury hampers, boutique retail, e-commerce, and even Ramadan majlis offerings.
But Dubai isn’t the UK. You can’t just export tins and hope for the best. The brands that succeed here understand the cultural context, adjust their positioning, refine their packaging for a premium, multicultural audience - and navigate the UAE’s food compliance laws with confidence.
This is your guide to making shortbread and biscuits in Dubai commercially irresistible - from market insights to legal setup, pricing, compliance, and the surprisingly powerful role a digital-first free zone like Meydan plays in your growth.
Dubai’s Appetite for Premium Biscuits Is Bigger Than Most UK Founders Realise
The UAE’s biscuits and cookie market is worth US$402 million (Statista, 2024). But the interesting part isn't the number - it’s who is buying and why.
The motivations are different from the UK:
- Hospitality needs premium accompaniments for tea trays, afternoon teas, minibars and amenities.
- Gifting is constant, not seasonal. Ramadan, Eid, Christmas, Diwali, weddings, corporate events - all require edible gifts.
- Tourists and expats buy “Britishness” as a flavour. London imagery, Scottish heritage patterns, nostalgic flavours - all sell beautifully.
- Boutique retailers want unique imports that look good on shelves and in hampers.
This is a market where presentation does half the selling, and provenance does the other half.
The British Biscuit Styles That Thrive in Dubai
Here’s what Dubai actually buys - based on retailer, hospitality and gifting trends:
Shortbread as a Luxury Item (Not a Snack)
In Dubai, all-butter shortbread isn’t an everyday treat; it’s positioned alongside premium chocolates and macarons. Hotels particularly love:
- individually wrapped shortbread fingers
- mini tins for VIP guests
- embossed tins for gifting suites
Heritage Biscuit Assortments
Think Royal Mile visuals, tartan lids, London landmarks. These double as souvenirs and corporate gifts.
Modern British Biscuit Brands
Especially those with:
- creative flavours (salted honeycomb, raspberry ripple, Earl Grey butter biscuits)
- vegan options
- no-refined-sugar options
Mini Packs
Hotels, airlines and corporate lounges buy huge volumes of premium mini biscuits.
This isn’t just about taste - it’s about story, packaging, culture and the “feel-good factor” of British baking heritage.
Building the Legal Foundation: The Smart Way to Sell Biscuits in Dubai
Because biscuits are regulated food items, you must follow the proper UAE compliance route. But, good news, it’s far smoother than most British founders expect, especially through a digital-first free zone.
To trade legally, you need:
- A trade license
- Product registration with Dubai Municipality
- Bilingual packaging
- Proper import documentation
The biggest variable is which free zone you set up in, because this determines everything from banking speed to tax efficiency.
Why British Biscuit Brands Keep Choosing Meydan Free Zone
Meydan Free Zone stands out for UK founders because it gives you a fully digital business setup, allowing you to register your company using only your passport. It’s fast, intuitive, and - most importantly for food businesses - structured.
Here’s what makes MFZ particularly well-suited to biscuit brands:
Fast, Paperless Company Setup
Formation via the Fawri license can be completed in under 60 minutes.
A Guaranteed IBAN
Banking is one of the hardest early steps for UAE startups. Meydan Free Zone solves this with direct partner-bank onboarding.
2,500+ Business Activities, with three business activity groups under one license
Meaning a single business license can cover:
- importing biscuits
- wholesale trading
- e-commerce
- gifting services
- consultancy
- workshops (e.g., biscuit tastings)
UK founders appreciate not needing multiple entities.
Digital Visa System: mResidency
This simplifies staff visas, investor visas, and family sponsorship.
And importantly: Meydan Free Zone is structured to qualify for the UAE’s QFZP rules
Because for founders, this is where real savings happen.
Product Registration: What the Municipality Actually Checks
Every SKU must be registered with Dubai Municipality before import. They review ingredients, allergens, nutritional table (if required), shelf life, packaging, and transport + storage conditions.
British biscuits generally pass with no issue due to UK manufacturing standards.
Packaging Must Include Arabic - But It Can Still Look Premium
Your labels must contain:
- ingredients
- allergens
- net weight
- origin (“Produced in the United Kingdom”)
- production/expiry dates
- storage instructions
Arabic can be added subtly without compromising premium packaging.
VAT & Corporate Tax - And What “Qualifying Free Zone Person” Actually Means
Here’s the part many founders misunderstand, so let’s make it clear.
VAT
- 5% VAT applies to biscuit sales inside the UAE
- 0% VAT applies to exports (with documentation)
Corporate Tax in the UAE
The rules are simple on the surface:
- 0% tax on the first AED 375,000 of annual profit
- 9% tax above that
But free zones introduce an additional layer - the possibility of 0% corporate tax on qualifying income. This is where Meydan Free Zone’s structure matters.
Under UAE corporate tax law, a free zone business can pay 0% corporate tax on income that meets specific federal criteria.
In Conclusion: Why Dubai Is the Perfect Next Step for British Biscuit Brands
Dubai doesn’t treat premium biscuits as casual snacks - it treats them as gifts, souvenirs, and hospitality staples. Traditional British shortbread aligns beautifully with the city’s taste for quality, presentation and heritage.
When combined with Meydan Free Zone’s digital-first setup, passport-only formation, guaranteed IBAN, wide business activity list and the potential for Qualifying Free Zone tax advantages, the route for British founders becomes unexpectedly smooth.
If you’re ready to take your biscuit brand global, Dubai offers the market momentum and infrastructure to make it happen.
FAQs
1. Can I sell British shortbread and biscuits in Dubai?
Yes. You can sell British shortbread and biscuits in Dubai by obtaining a UAE trade license, registering each product with Dubai Municipality, and ensuring your packaging includes Arabic labelling. Once licensed, you can import, sell online, supply hotels, and distribute across the GCC.
2. Do British shortbread and biscuit brands perform well in Dubai?
Yes. Dubai has strong demand for premium shortbread and biscuits due to gifting culture, tourism, and high hospitality consumption. Luxury tins, all-butter shortbread, and heritage British assortments sell particularly well.
3. What license do I need to import biscuits into Dubai?
You need a UAE trade license with food trading activities. Many UK founders choose Meydan Free Zone because setup is fully digital, requires only a passport, and supports importing, e-commerce and wholesale under one license.
4. Do biscuit products require Arabic labels in Dubai?
Yes. All packaged food sold in the UAE must include bilingual English/Arabic labels showing ingredients, allergens, weight, origin, production and expiry dates, and storage instructions.
5. How do I register shortbread and biscuit products with Dubai Municipality?
You submit each SKU for approval through Dubai Municipality’s food safety system, including ingredients, allergens, packaging artwork, shelf life and storage conditions. Approval is required before import or sale.
6. Are there special storage requirements for shortbread in Dubai?
Yes. Due to heat and humidity, butter-rich shortbread should be stored in climate-controlled facilities. Warehousing typically maintains 20–24°C to protect texture and shelf life.
