Fresh food sales on the rise as consumers pursue healthier lifestyles
Fresh food sales continued to see strong and steady growth in total volume terms in 2025, supported by a growing focus on healthy living, traceable ingredients, and an increase in tourism. While supply challenges remain, the United Arab Emirates is investing in new technology, local production, and trade agreements in order to meet demand and increase its levels of self-sufficiency.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Fresh Food industry in United Arab Emirates with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
Data and analysis in this report provides further detailed coverage dedicated to the following key categories, where applicable:
- Eggs
- Fish and Seafood
- Fruits
- Meat
- Nuts
- Pulses
- Starchy Roots
- Sugar and Sweeteners
- Vegetables
If you're in the Fresh Food industry in United Arab Emirates, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Fresh Food in United Arab Emirates report includes:
- Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
- Detailed segmentation of international and local products
- Historic volume and value sizes
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Fresh Food in United Arab Emirates?
- What is the impact of commodity price fluctuations on local production and consumption?
- What are the key campaigns or legislation driving Fresh Food sales?
- How are consumer attitudes towards fresh food evolving?
- How significant is health and wellness in shaping consumer demand?
- Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
Fresh Food in the United Arab Emirates
Fresh food sales on the rise as consumers pursue healthier lifestyles
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Fresh food in 2025: The big picture
Price sensitivity and busy lifestyles impact consumer shopping behaviour
Focus shifts to sustainable and reliable supply chains for key fresh foods
Supply chain stability will be key to growth over the forecast period
The shift towards healthier lifestyles should benefit fresh food sales
The United Arab Emirates set to be a benchmark for a modern fresh food ecosystem
Price competitiveness and sustainability key features of the retail market
Online sales evolving thanks to increasing speed and efficiency
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
Eggs in the United Arab Emirates
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Price controls ensure eggs remain a healthy and affordable staple
Temporary short-fall due to fire at Al Jazira farms fulfilled by other co-packing tie-ups
Al Ain Farms and Arabian Farms continue to win share
Federal price controls should continue to benefit the consumer
Private label on the rise while Q-commerce presents new sales opportunities
Fish and Seafood in the United Arab Emirates
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Strong and steady supply chain supports healthy growth in fish and seafood
Local aquaculture and reliable imports anchor price stability and food security
Clean-label convenience and provenance add value to the market
E-commerce set to play a bigger role in the growth of fresh fish and seafood
Format innovation helps narrow the convenience gap with frozen fish and seafood
Fruits in the United Arab Emirates
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Orange shortage hits sales but demand for fruits remains robust in 2025
Global orange shortage drives up prices impacting imports and sales
Fresh fruits benefits from continuous focus on health and wellness
Diversified sourcing and free-trade agreements strengthen import resilience
Health and wellness to drive demand for premium and functional fruits
Meat in the United Arab Emirates
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Fresh meat remains a staple of the local diet despite economic pressures
Consumers trade down but stay loyal to fresh meat
Consumers willing to pay more for trusted and traceable meat
Premiumisation anchored in trust, traceability and sustainability
Convenience-led innovation gaining momentum
Nuts in the United Arab Emirates
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Nuts remains a popular snack and ingredient
Smaller packs and private label gain ground as price sensitivity deepens
Clean label snacking and foodservice integration sustain category momentum
Smaller packs and hybrid snack bars could shape the future of the market
Healthification and quality assurance could deliver premiumisation amid rising input risks
Pulses in the United Arab Emirates
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Pulses retain their appeal as a healthy staple in the local diet
Private label expansion and dual-sourcing cushion price volatility
Clean label convenience spurs everyday consumption
Private label and diversified imports helping to safeguard affordability
Convenience formats and wellness cues drive growth
Starchy Roots in the United Arab Emirates
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Starchy roots remains a key staple with new trends adding interest
Potatoes retain leadership as population growth and foodservice drives demand
Cassava gains traction through tapioca and bubble tea applications
Diversified sourcing and emerging local farming to strengthen food security
Convenience and health-led positioning driving innovation in sweet potatoes
Sugar and Sweeteners in the United Arab Emirates
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Sales continue to rise in 2025 but health concerns present a growing threat
Sales of sugar and sweeteners resilient despite rising health concerns
Healthier and more affordable products seeing gains
Upcoming sugar tax likely to have a ripple effect on overall sugar consumption
Natural alternatives set to gain greater relevance
Vegetables in the United Arab Emirates
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Improvements in the local supply chain paying dividends for vegetables
Local hydroponics and controlled-environment farming boosts supply resilience
From fresh produce to ready-to-eat solutions: vegetables gain everyday relevance
Supermarket private label lines expected to redefine value in fresh produce
Local hydroponics and controlled farming strengthening supply stability
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Fresh Food
- Eggs
-
- Crustaceans
- Fish
- Molluscs and Cephalopods
-
- Apples
- Banana
- Cherries
- Cranberries/Blueberries
- Grapefruit/Pomelo
- Grapes
- Kiwi Fruit
- Lemon and Limes
- Oranges, Tangerines and Mandarins
- Peaches/Nectarines
- Pears/Quinces
- Pineapple
- Plums/Sloes
- Strawberries
- Other Fruits
-
- Beef and Veal
- Lamb, Mutton and Goat
- Pork
- Poultry
- Other Meat
-
- Almonds
- Coconuts
- Peanuts (Groundnuts)
- Pistachio
- Walnuts
- Other Nuts
-
- Beans
- Peas
- Other Pulses
-
- Cassava
- Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Other Roots
- Sugar and Sweeteners
-
- Cauliflowers and broccoli
- Maize
- Onion
- Tomatoes
- Other Vegetables
Fresh Food
Fresh Food refers only to fresh uncooked and unprocessed foods (packaged and unpackaged). Packaged sugar products and natural sweeteners (e.g. brown sugar, table sugar, molasses) are also included. For Fresh Food, we research total sales across distribution channels including retail, foodservice and institutions. For a selected 18 markets, we have a breakdown of total fresh food sales according to the following formats: • Retail • Foodservice sales • Institutional sales Retail Retail sales is defined as sales through all legal establishments primarily engaged in the sale of fresh, packaged and prepared foods for home preparation and consumption. Retail sales excludes sales to hotels, restaurants, cafés, duty free sales and institutional sales (canteens, prisons/jails, hospitals, army, etc). Our retail definition excludes the purchase of food products from foodservice outlets for consumption off-premises, eg grilled chicken/meat/fish bought from counters of cafés/bars. This falls under foodservice sales. For foodservice, we capture all sales to foodservice outlets, regardless of whether the products are eventually consumed on-premise or off-premise. We estimate sales through the following channels: Modern Grocery Retailers • Supermarkets • Hypermarkets • Discounters • Convenience stores • Forecourt retailers Traditional Grocery Retailers • Independent small grocers • Food/Drink/Tobacco Specialists • Other grocery retailers (morning/speciality/open/wet/farmers’ markets, stalls and kiosks, etc) Non-grocery retailers • Health and beauty specialist retailers • Other non-grocery retailers Non-store retailers • Homeshopping • Internet retailing • Vending • Direct selling Foodservice Foodservice sales are defined as sales TO consumer foodservice outlets that serve the general public in a non-captive environment. In other words, this means that the foodservice volumes track sales of all fresh food going into restaurant kitchens, regardless of what the restaurant actually does with that food. Foodservice outlets include cafés/bars, FSR (full-service restaurants), fast food, 100% home delivery/takeaway, self-service cafeterias and street stalls/kiosks. Sales to semi-captive foodservice outlets are also included. This describes outlets located in leisure, travel and retail environments. • Retail refers to foodservice units located in retail outlets such as department stores, shopping malls, shopping centres, super/hypermarkets etc. • Leisure refers to foodservice units located in leisure establishments such as museums, health clubs, cinemas, theatres, theme parks and sports stadiums. • Travel refers to foodservice units based in airports, rail stations, coach stations, motorway service stations offering gas facilities etc. Institutional sales Institutional sales is defined as sales to captive foodservice units that serve captive populations such as in hospitals, schools, prisons, military camps, hotels, hostels, nursing homes, homes for elderly people, religious houses, etc.
See all of our definitionsWhy buy this report?
- Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders
- Track key industry trends, opportunities and threats
- Inform your marketing, brand, strategy and market development, sales and supply functions
This report originates from Passport, our Fresh Food research and analysis database.
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