UAE cheese market

The UAE consumed more than 77,000 tonnes of cheese in 2025, according to Zenith, or around 7 kg per person.

Consumption grew by around 5% a year between 2020 and 2025. Zenith expects growth of around 3% a year to 2030, passing 90,000 tonnes.

The UAE is the Gulf's cheese trading hub. It imports more cheese than it consumes and re-exports the balance across the region, while local production is growing from a small base. Processed cheese is the largest category, and hotels and foodservice are a major part of demand.

The Zenith Global Cheese Database 2026 covers the UAE with production, imports, exports and consumption for 39 cheese types, actuals from 2020 to 2025 and forecasts to 2030. Volume data covers totals, broad categories and separately measured cheese types, in tonnes. Consumer retail value covers total cheese only, in local currency and USD; import and export trade values cover HS 0406 total only, in USD. Monetary values are not broken down by individual cheese type or broad category. Retail shelf prices cover total cheese and five broad categories: hard and semi-hard, fresh, mould, processed, and other non-specified cheese, in local currency/kg and USD/kg, not individual prices for all 39 cheese types. Import and export unit prices cover HS 0406 total and available HS subheadings, in USD/kg. Retail value is estimated retail volume multiplied by regular shelf prices, including sales tax. Trade values are customs values, using CIF for imports and FOB for exports. Production is measured as formally manufactured cheese.