UAE Chicken Imports Set to Grow 17% in 2027: Ramadan Restocking Starts Now

UAE chicken meat imports are forecast to climb about 17% in 2027 — and the buying window for Ramadan 2027 opens this month.

The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service in Dubai expects the UAE poultry market to rebound in 2027, assuming regional trade and shipping conditions normalise. Chicken meat consumption is forecast to recover to 485,000 MT, while imports for domestic consumption are projected at 410,000 MT, up from an estimated 350,000 MT in 2026.

The 2026 dip was driven by logistics rather than demand. Consumption is estimated at 425,000 MT, about 10 percent below 2025, after shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted in the second quarter. Total poultry imports including transshipment and re-exports fell roughly 8 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2026 to 301,000 MT, with the second quarter down about 19 percent.

• Imports 2027: 410,000 MT vs 350,000 MT in 2026 — approximately 17 percent growth.
• Consumption 2027: 485,000 MT; 2026 estimated at 425,000 MT, 10 percent below 2025.
• Local production stays flat at 75,000 MT, covering only 15–18 percent of consumption — around 85 percent of demand is imported.
• H1 2026 imports: 301,000 MT, down 8 percent year-on-year; Q2 alone down about 19 percent.
• Ramadan 2027 begins 8 February. Importers typically place orders from October–November 2026 for December and early-January shipments.
• Halal certification from an approved certifier remains mandatory for poultry shipments to the UAE.

Two points matter for buyers planning the first half of 2027. First, the volume is still there: even in a disrupted year the UAE imported more than 50,000 MT a month, and the shortfall was caused by freight and routing, not by weaker consumption. Second, routing has diversified — Dubai Customs issued temporary facilitation on 8 March 2026 for cargo reaching Jebel Ali and the free zones through Khorfakkan and Fujairah, and a "Green Corridor" with Omani seaports on 12 March 2026, so containers can enter through the east coast when Hormuz transits are disrupted.

For importers and wholesalers locking in Ramadan and Q1 volumes, supply reliability now matters more than the last few dollars per tonne. Nau International Food Group supplies frozen halal poultry from GACC-registered plants in China with Halal and HACCP certification, veterinary and health certificates, and certificates of origin issued with each shipment. We can arrange customs clearance into Dubai and deliver DDP Jebel Ali, and we quote against a fixed shipping schedule rather than spot freight. For specifications, packing and shipping schedules for Q1 2027, write to info@naufoodgroup.com.

Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, GAIN report "Poultry and Products Annual — United Arab Emirates", Report TC2026-0010, 5 October 2026.