Starting a juice business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can be a great opportunity to tap into the growing demand for healthy and refreshing beverages. With a diverse population and a growing awareness of the benefits of healthy eating, the UAE is a great market for juice businesses. However, before you start your juice business, it is important to understand the regulations and requirements for registering your products and operating in the UAE. This blog post will provide an overview of the process for registering juice products and setting up your business in the UAE.`

The UAE has a number of regulations in place to ensure that food and beverage products are safe for consumption and comply with international standards. To register your juice products, you will need to submit a variety of documents, including information about your products, ingredients, and certifications. You will also need to pay any necessary fees and wait for the authorities to review and approve your registration.

Type of Juice Products:

-Fresh fruit juices (100% Juice content)
-Vegetable juices (containing 100% vegetable juice content)
-Fruit juice mixtures and smoothies (100% fruit juice content)
-Nectars (25-99% juice content)
-Juice Drinks (24% juice content)

Which government bodies in the UAE are responsible for regulating and registering Juice products?

In the UAE, there are two authorities that can regulate Juice Products:
1. Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (Federal Authority)
2. Dubai Municipality (Local authority) (IRS and/or ZAD)
Depending on the emirate where you want to sell your product.

Steps to set up a Juice product business in Dubai

Registration of Juice products must be done by a UAE-based company. The company can be set up in the mainland or free zone. Choosing the right location and holding the right license for your business is crucial to operating legally and supporting the growth and expansion strategy of the company.

What are the steps?

1. Prepare the company name, and the related business activities, and shares the distribution
2. Register Trade name certificate
3. Obtain initial approval from the DED for Mainland or Free zone authority
4. Acquire a commercial or retail EJARI/rent contract
5. Submit the documents to DED
6. Payment for license
7. Issuance of license
8. Obtain necessary approvals from external authority
9. Premise inspections to meet necessary specifications

 *Department of Economic Development (DED)

Importance of EQM Mark/MOIAT Conformity Certificate

MOIAT implements the EQM Mark, a certificate valid for three years that demonstrates compliance with the relevant UAE National, regional, and/or international standards and is manufactured by an organization that implemented as an effective quality management system to ensure continuous compliance.

EQM Certification is mandatory for Juice products:

– To trade, sell or import into the UAE
– It increases the reliability of the products among authorities and public
– It helps regulators to ensure that health, safety, or environmental conditions are met.

Documents required to register the Juice product under MOIAT

• Valid UAE Industry/Trade License.
• Registration certificate for Industrial Measurement System
• Test Report from an accredited and recognized laboratory
• Valid QMS international certificate Accepted by MOIAT
• Food contact material conformity certificate
• Organic product certificate if the product is declared as organic on the product label
• Halal national mark License if the product is declared as halal on the product label
• Transport and store the product according to the technical requirements in the standard
• Meet the requirements of the card Label according to the technical requirements in the standard
• Distributor ownership (for Traders only)
• Electronic Declaration of Conformity

What are the steps in registering Juice products in the UAE?

• Registration on the MOIAT website 
• Apply for Emirates Quality Mark 
• Upload the Required Document. 
• Pay the fees 
• Documents Review. 
• If the product meets all the necessary criteria, the clients will be informed to make payment and schedule the evaluation.
• Factory Assessment. 
• Obtain a MOIAT certificate. 

Documents required to register the Juice product under the IRS portal

• UAE Trade License
• Identity documents of shareholders
• Product Labels and Artwork
• Free Sale Certificate
• Ingredients Report
• Other documents (if applicable) – Safety Data Sheet, Halal Certificate, Radiation Certificate
• Product Samples

What are the steps in registering the Juice products in Dubai?

• Register the company on Dubai Municipality’s official website
• Prepare the Required Documents
• Create a business user account
• Submit the Application in the IRS portal
• Pay application fees
• Document review and verification by the regulatory authority
• Obtain Approval

Timeframe

22 – 30 days, depending on the product, ingredients used in the product, and requirements of the lab test.

Validity

 3 years from the date of issuance, it should be renewed three months before the expiry.

 Juice Market Trends and Opportunities in UAE

The UAE is regarded as a key import center. Sales of fruit juice within the UAE have seen strong growth recently. Future sales growth is expected to create opportunities for retail juice sales in the UAE. The juice market is projected to generate €222.70m in 2022 and is forecasted to grow at an annual rate of 1.98% (CAGR 2022-2027).

By 2027, the volume in the Juices segment is projected to reach 67.8ML, and the average volume per person for the Juices segment is expected to be 6.97 L in 2022.

(Reference for statistical values: https://fr.statista.com/outlook/cmo/non-alcoholic-drinks/juices/united-arab-emirates)