The Gulf imports a large share of the food it consumes, its population is growing, and buyers pay on time when relationships are right. It's no surprise that producers from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas want a piece of it. But the market rewards preparation. Here are the five mistakes we see most often from exporters selling into the GCC — and how to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Treating the GCC as one market
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman share many standards, but product registration, import permits and enforcement practice still differ by country — and sometimes by emirate. A product that clears smoothly in one market can be held in another.
What to do instead: decide which markets you are entering first, and check the registration and import requirements for each before you quote.
Mistake 2: Getting labeling wrong
Labels for food sold in the region generally need Arabic text, and rules cover items such as product name, ingredients, origin, production and expiry dates, and storage conditions. Stickering at destination is sometimes possible, but relying on it adds cost and risk.
What to do instead: have your labels reviewed against the destination market's current requirements before production, not after the container has sailed.
Mistake 3: Underestimating certification
Depending on the product, buyers and authorities may require health certificates, certificates of origin, analysis reports and — for relevant categories such as meat, poultry and products containing animal-derived ingredients — halal certification from a recognized body. Missing or mismatched certificates are one of the most common reasons shipments are held at port.
What to do instead: build a certificate checklist per product and market, and make sure every document matches the commercial invoice and the label exactly.
Mistake 4: Ignoring shelf life and the cold chain
Gulf buyers and retailers pay close attention to remaining shelf life on arrival, and summer temperatures are unforgiving for poorly managed cold chains. A product that leaves the factory with acceptable shelf life can arrive with too little left to sell after a long transit and clearance.
What to do instead: plan production and shipping schedules backwards from the shelf life your buyer needs at arrival, and agree temperature monitoring for sensitive cargo.
Mistake 5: Shipping on open account to new buyers
Eager to win business, some exporters ship to new counterparties on open-account terms with no security. When payment is delayed, recovering it across borders is slow and expensive.
What to do instead: start with secured terms — a confirmed letter of credit, documentary collection or credit insurance — and move to open account as the relationship matures. Our letter of credit checklist is a good starting point.
How we help
As a UAE-based trading company, we buy and sell agri-food commodities across the GCC, Africa and Asia every week — so we see these issues from both sides. If you are a producer looking for a route into the Gulf, talk to our trading desk.
