UAE Peanut Market Overview, 2030

The peanut industry in the UAE is distinct due to its dual function as a major consumption center and a re-export station, with Jebel Ali port acting as a vital distribution hub for the area. The country's own peanut production is quite low, leading to a heavy reliance on imports from top suppliers like the United States, Argentina, and India. These imported peanuts are frequently processed, repackaged, and sent back out to nearby Gulf Cooperation Council GCC nations and other parts of the Middle East, utilizing the UAE's advanced logistics framework, free trade areas, and top-tier port facilities. Specifically, Jebel Ali serves as a crucial transshipment point, facilitating the smooth transfer of a large quantity of raw and processed peanuts, which includes roasted snacks, peanut spreads, and peanut oil, intended for local use and re-distribution. On the local scene, the consumption of peanuts is fueled by significant tourist traffic, tax-exempt retail, and high-end supermarkets that serve both expatriates and foreign tourists. Various retail formats such as hypermarkets, niche shops, and airport duty-free stores provide a range of peanut products including packaged roasted nuts, chocolate-covered peanuts, snack blends, and imported peanut butter, highlighting convenience and a preference for quality or branded goods. The tourism industry boosts the need for gift bundles and portable snack options, while local food and beverage businesses include peanuts in baked goods, sweets, and candies. Regulatory monitoring by the UAE’s Food Safety Authority guarantees that imported peanuts adhere to strict safety, quality, and labeling regulations, aligning with both local consumption standards and export demands. This mix of re-export operations and robust consumer interest positions the UAE as a key distribution center regionally while also maintaining a vibrant local market for peanut products.

According to the research report, ""UAE Peanut Market Overview, 2030,"" published by Bonafide Research, the UAE Peanut market is anticipated to grow at more than 4.82% CAGR from 2025 to 2030. The peanut market in the UAE has been showing consistent growth, influenced by the rise of private-label snack products and its vital position as a re-export center for the wider Gulf area. With limited domestic production, the market largely depends on imports from key global suppliers, such as the United States, Argentina, and India. These imported peanuts are processed, packaged, and distributed via retail and re-export methods, with Jebel Ali port acting as the main logistical center. The re-export sector plays a crucial role, providing neighboring Gulf Cooperation Council GCC nations and the larger Middle Eastern region with raw, roasted, and processed peanuts, including snacks, spreads, and oils. This dual role as a market for local consumption and a regional supply hub highlights the UAE's significance in the peanut trade. The demand from consumers focuses on private-label snack items available in hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, and duty-free shops serving expatriates, tourists, and affluent local buyers. Snack options include roasted and salted peanuts, mixed nuts, chocolate-covered peanuts, and travel-sized packages, showcasing both convenience and a desire for quality and certified products. The tourism and duty-free sectors also enhance demand for high-end gift packages and assorted snacks. Regulatory compliance significantly impacts the market. The UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology MoIAT ensures food safety regulations are met, while the Emirates Quality Mark EQM Halal certification guarantees that peanuts and their products satisfy Islamic dietary requirements. Furthermore, following the guidelines of the GCC Standardization Organization GSO ensures that imported and re-exported peanuts adhere to regional food safety and labeling standards. These regulatory measures collectively ensure product quality, safety, and traceability.

In the UAE, the peanut market is divided by product type into raw peanuts and processed peanuts, with each type having specific roles in local consumption and re-export activities. The primary source of raw peanuts is major global suppliers like the United States, Argentina, and India. Jebel Ali port serves as the main logistics center for bringing these peanuts into the UAE and distributing them to nearby Gulf Cooperation Council GCC nations. These raw peanuts are typically sold in bulk to business buyers which include processors, food manufacturers, and re-exporters, who depend on uniform quality and adherence to food safety standards set by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology MoIAT and the Emirates Quality Mark EQM. Some raw peanuts are directly supplied to local bakeries, candy makers, and snack producers, where they are used as key ingredients for roasting, coating, or mixing into various snacks. Processed peanuts form the value-added aspect of the UAE market, which encompasses roasted and salted peanuts, flavored nuts, peanut spreads, peanut butter, and peanut oil. These items mostly target the consumer market, being available in supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, and duty-free shops that cater to both local buyers and tourists. This segment is primarily filled with both private-label and well-known products, reflecting the increasing consumer desire in the UAE for high-quality, convenient snack foods. Processed peanuts also serve the business market by providing foodservice companies, confectionery manufacturers, and export businesses. Ensuring safety, labeling, and traceability is essential in this sector, with compliance to EQM Halal certification, MoIAT food safety standards, and GCC/GSO regulations being crucial. UAE's peanut market clearly distinguishes between raw peanuts, which facilitate industrial processing and re-export activities, and processed peanuts, which promote local consumption through snack and retail channels, all while maintaining strict adherence to regulations.

In the UAE, the peanuts by applications are divided into Food & Beverages, Animal Feed and Industrial Peanut Oil for Biofuel, Cosmetics covers three separate areas influenced by market strategy and regulatory guidelines. In the food and beverage sector, peanuts are commonly found in duty-free shops, hotel minibars, and upscale hospitality frequently offered as dry-roasted, salted, honey-coated, or spiced snack packs aimed at international tourists and high-spending clients. Hotels and airlines incorporate them into welcome platters, bar selections, and in-room services, ensuring that sourcing and processing adhere to MoIAT’s Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme ECAS/EQM and the national Halal protocols, which guarantee ingredient traceability, allergen labeling, and compliance with GCC shelf-life and packaging regulations. Regarding animal feed, peanut meal produced from oil extraction is a specialized yet important protein source for poultry and small ruminants, used infrequently due to its expense and accessibility; feed mills are required to conform to MoIAT standards and halal feed guidelines, with aflatoxin management being crucial for animal welfare. In gourmet and cosmetics, cold-pressed or refined peanut oil is marketed as a high-quality cooking ingredient in salad dressings, artisanal candies, and fusion dishes, and it is also utilized as a moisturizer in skin creams, massage oils, and hair treatments. For cosmetic-grade oil, registration with the Health and Safety Department of Dubai Municipality is mandatory along with obtaining MoIAT conformity certification, whereas Halal compliance guarantees the exclusion of forbidden substances and adherence to sanctioned processing practices. For both gourmet and personal care applications, documentation at the batch level encompasses origin, refining techniques, and contaminant testing, facilitating export to other GCC regions. Throughout all areas, the UAE’s regulatory framework which includes MoIAT/EQM compliance, Halal certification, and emirate-level controls for food and cosmetics supports market access, brand trustworthiness, and consumer confidence.

The UAE peanut market by distribution channel is divided into B2C and B2B influenced by its function as a marketplace for consumers and a central trade location. On the B2C side, airport and seaport duty-free shops, large grocery stores like Carrefour, Lulu, and Spinneys, along with convenience stores cater to a varied crowd of expatriates and tourists. In these locations, peanuts are offered in both branded and store-brand snack packages either dry-roasted, salted, coated, or sweetened designed with attractive packaging to maintain freshness and meet the MoIAT’s Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme ECAS/EQM and national Halal requirements. Store brands often source competitively from places like India, Argentina, and occasionally the US, incorporating local roasting or repacking to conform to Arabic/English labeling, allergen disclosures, and shelf-life regulations. Regarding the B2B side, wholesale distributors and re-exporters operating from the Jebel Ali Free Zone and other distribution hubs gather large amounts of raw or semi-processed peanuts to ship to buyers across the GCC, Levant, and East Africa. These companies manage container break‑bulk, sorting by grade, and re-labeling, often providing both raw peanuts to international processors and finished snack items to local retailers. Compliance involves two levels MoIAT/EQM certification and Halal verification for all food items, alongside oversight from emirate-level food control authorities regarding storage, handling, and transportation. Export shipments require detailed batch documentation, including certificates of origin, aflatoxin test results, and Halal certificates, to comply with import regulations for the destination market. Larger distributors may offer added services such as nitrogen-flush packing, flavoring, and tailored branding for international customers, while smaller dealers tend to concentrate on high-flow commodity transactions.

Considered in this report
• Historic Year: 2019
• Base year: 2024
• Estimated year: 2025
• Forecast year: 2030

Aspects covered in this report
• Peanut Market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Product Type
• Raw Peanuts
• Processed Peanuts

By applications
• Food & Beverages
• Animal Feed
• Industrial (Peanut Oil for Biofuel, Cosmetics)

By Distribution Channel
• B2C
• B2B Show more