Starting a meat import business in Dubai
Licences, ZAD registration, Halal body selection, cold-store partnerships and finding Indian suppliers.
Dubai and the broader UAE import most of the red meat they consume. The food importer licence is issued by Dubai Municipality for the Dubai market; Abu Dhabi importers register with ADAFSA. Federal food law applies across emirates; ZAD is the federal food product registration portal maintained by MOIAT.
Before importing, you need: a UAE trade licence with food import activity; registration on ZAD for each SKU; an approved Halal body selection; and a cold store with the correct temperature capability — −18°C for frozen, 0–4°C for chilled. Cold stores at Mussafah (Abu Dhabi) and Jebel Ali (Dubai) are the primary nodes.
Choosing an Indian supplier: ask for APEDA plant registration, health certificate templates for UAE, Halal body (confirm it is on MOIAT's list), and references from other UAE buyers. A supplier who cannot provide a MOIAT-listed Halal certificate will not clear UAE inspection regardless of price.
Our recommendation is to begin with a single product — buffalo or mutton — and one confirmed port (Jebel Ali or Khalifa), get your first consignment cleared cleanly, and expand from there. The most expensive learning in meat import is a rejected container.
Ready to source?
Send this brief with your volume and destination.
Trade enquiry
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Use the checklist. Name meat, mutton or buffalo and the destination.