Abu Dhabi’s Food and Beverage (F&B) sector is entering a powerful high-growth phase, with the emirate recording 24,594 active F&B licences as of September 2025 and a 42.2 percent increase in new business registrations in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.

The sector saw 40 percent year-on-year growth in 2024, and a sustained compound annual growth rate of 23.8 percent between 2019 and 2024, said an Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) report.

The report, the first sectoral report issued under ADCCI’s 2025–2028 Strategy, also highlights expanding production capabilities, rising export potential and a strengthening innovation ecosystem that together position Abu Dhabi as one of the region’s most competitive and resilient food economies, said a WAM news agency report.

The report confirms that Abu Dhabi’s food value chain is advancing rapidly from primary production through to manufacturing, retail, dining and export activity. Global shifts towards healthier, premium and sustainable food consumption are creating strong demand opportunities, while Abu Dhabi’s investment in advanced Agri tech solutions, including climate-controlled agriculture, hydroponics and precision farming, is delivering productivity levels up to 30 times higher than traditional field farming methods, reinforcing the emirate’s leadership in smart agriculture and long-term food security.

Midstream, the report finds robust expansion in food processing and manufacturing, with the UAE’s sector forecast to grow by approximately 7 percent annually through 2029. A substantial share of production already supports international markets, underscoring growing export capacity and value creation potential. 

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s retail and dining ecosystem continues to strengthen, supported by international culinary recognition, rising consumer demand and world-class logistics and industrial infrastructure that increasingly integrates food production with tourism, lifestyle and hospitality sectors.

Despite global supply-chain challenges, the report notes that Abu Dhabi’s F&B sector has demonstrated strong resilience, supported by diversified trade corridors, advanced industrial platforms and progressive regulatory enhancements including strengthened halal standards, updated food labelling requirements and sustainability frameworks that reinforce consumer confidence and international trust. New economic activities introduced for the agriculture sector are also enabling producers to expand into processing, agritourism and value-added production.

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