Visualized: The World on the UAE’s Plate

UAE Food Imports by Region in 2025

Trade networks shape what ends up on store shelves. In the UAE, the 2025 data highlights the importance of connectivity in linking the country to diverse food sources around the world, supporting a food supply system built on global reach, resilience, and year-round availability.

This graphic, in partnership with DP World, shows how the UAE sources food imports from a wide mix of regions using data from IHS Markit.

A Broad Sourcing Base

A diverse sourcing base supports variety, resilience, and year-round availability across the market. The UAE’s food imports span the globe, with two regions nearly tied for the largest share.

Here is a table that shows the UAE’s food import supply by source region in 2025.

Rank	Source Region	Share of UAE food imports	Key Food Item	Top Country
1	South Asia	18.3%	Rice	India
2	Europe	18.0%	Packaged Food	Netherlands
3	Southeast Asia	12.7%	Cooking Oils	Vietnam
4	Middle East	11.5%	Dairy Products	Saudi Arabia
5	South America	11.2%	Chicken, Turkey & Duck	Brazil
6	North America	8.6%	Nuts	United States
7	Oceania	7.8%	Dairy Products	Australia
8	Africa	6.8%	Citrus Fruits	South Africa
9	East & Central Asia	5.0%	Packaged Food	China

Disclosure Note

In 2025, South Asia accounted for 18.3% of UAE food imports, while Europe followed closely at 18.0%. Southeast Asia ranked third at 12.7%, meaning the top three regions together supplied less than half of the total.

The remainder was spread across the Middle East, South America, North America, Oceania, Africa, and East & Central Asia. Notably, no single region supplied even one-fifth of total imports, highlighting a broad procurement base.

Why Diversity Matters

That distribution matters beyond variety on the plate. When food flows come from multiple regions, buyers have more options to manage seasonality, category specialization, and shifting demand.

At the category level, the mix is equally telling. Rice from India, packaged food from the Netherlands, cooking oils from Vietnam, and poultry from Brazil show how different suppliers fill different needs.

This pattern also reflects how the countries that feed the world specialize across agricultural trade. As a result, the UAE can draw from multiple strengths instead of relying on one dominant source.

The Role of Dubai Food District

For DP World, that is where Dubai Food District fits in. As a connected food ecosystem, Dubai Food District brings trade, logistics, storage, processing, and distribution closer together, helping food move efficiently from global sources to regional markets.

Overall, the data shows a food import supply network built on breadth rather than reliance on a single market. That breadth strengthens the case for Dubai Food District as a platform supporting the UAE’s food security ambitions.

Learn more about the Dubai Food District