United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates, in short UAE, is located on the southeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the most dynamic economies in the Middle East. The UAE is known globally for its ultramodern cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) shares its land border with Saudi Arabia to the south and southwest and Oman to the southeast and northeast. It also has maritime boundaries (sea borders) with Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. In the past, the UAE was only a desert region that depended on its natural oil reserves, but now, because of its forward-thinking leadership, strategic geographic location, and business-friendly policies, it is the first choice of various big businesses, especially real estates, that transform this desetly region into a powerhouse of commerce, tourism, and industry.

In past years UAE has been trying to diversify its economy to no longer rely solely on oil, and it is clearly shown in its robust manufacturing sector. The UAE has built world-class industrial zones across the country, such as Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), Dubai Industrial City, Khalifa Industrial Zone (KIZAD), and RAK FTZ, which are the house to thousands of small and large manufacturing units. In the manufacturing of any product there are lots of components are needed. Some help in the manufacturing of products, while others help in the visual appeal of products that play a crucial role in sales.

To make products vibrant and appealing that increase their market value and sales, the UAE’s manufacturers use various types of colours in their products, such as synthetic food dye in processed foods, lake pigments in cosmetics, or coatings, and some dyes are used in packaging and industrial goods. Colour manufacturers in the UAE did not prepare enough colour to fulfill all the colour-related demand of the country, for which they import colours from other countries as well. Some of the countries that export colours to the United Arab Emirates include India, Turkey, and the United States.

In the UAE, there are various manufacturing industries where colours play a crucial role. Here are some of the manufacturing industries are mentioned on which colours play a vital role.

In the Food and Beverages manufacturing industry of the UAE, colours play a vital role. Colour makes the food products appealing to consumers, attracting their attention and convincing them to make a purchase. It also plays a major role in product differentiation, as we know, there are many food companies across the country, and the colour makes your product different from competitors, which establishes a brand recognition of the product in the market. However, food manufacturers in the UAE often face some challenges in selecting the right colour for their products. They want colours that do not fade or change on their products over time and attract consumers' attention. In that, synthetic food colours can be the best option for the UAE’s food and beverage manufacturers. Synthetic food colour comes in various colour shades that provide stability and consistency to products under various conditions like heat and light, which maintains the product’s fresh look during the manufacturing or storage of the products. In the UAE, most of the food and beverage manufacturing industries are located near its big cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, and Ras Al Khaimah (RAK). According to Statista, the food market of the UAE is projected to amount to US$2.95 billion in 2025, and it is expected to grow with a compound annual growth rate of 2.46% (CAGR 2025–2029).

In the cosmetics manufacturing industry of the UAE, colours play a crucial role. Colour makes the cosmetic and personal care products visually appealing and fun for consumers, including lipstick, foundations, blushers, eyeliners, makeup highlighter, concealers, face wash, body lotions, and soaps. However, the cosmetic manufacturers of the UAE face some problems while selecting the colour for their products. Manufacturers want vibrant, premium-quality colour that comes in different shades. The UAE’s cosmetic manufacturers can overcome all their problems by using synthetic cosmetic colours in their products. Synthetic cosmetic colours, whether pigments or dyes are come in various vibrant shades that allow cosmetic manufacturers to create products in a wide range of colours. These different coloured cosmetic products gain the attention of consumers and boost sales. Most of the beauty and personal care manufacturing industries of the UAE are located near Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, and Abu Dhabi. According to Statista, the revenue of the beauty and personal care market of the United Arab Emirates is projected to reach US$1.31 billion in 2025, with a projected annual growth of 1.89% (CAGR 2025-2030).

In the United Arab Emirates pharmaceuticals manufacturing industry, colours are also vital components. Colours are used for coating tablets and make medicines differentiable, whether they are different or the same medicine with different strengths. These different coloured medicines help in the recognition of the right medicines and reduce the chances of taking the wrong ones. However, pharmaceutical manufacturers of the UAE often face some problems in selecting the right colour for their products, they are looking for high-quality colours that do not spoil or change medicines. By using synthetic food-grade colours in medicines, UAE’s pharmaceutical manufacturers can overcome all their problems. High-quality synthetic food-grade colour provides a vibrant and bright look to a range of medicines, including tablets, capsules, syrups, injectables, and health supplements. These colours do not change over time and save the medicines from spoiling. Most of the pharmaceutical manufacturing industries of the United Arab Emirates are situated near its big cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, and Sharjah. According to Statista, the revenue of the UAE's pharmaceutical market in 2025 is estimated to reach US$2.08 billion, and it is expected to demonstrate a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR 2025-2029) of 6.14%, resulting in a market volume of US$2.64 billion by 2029.

In the United Arab Emirates’ chocolate manufacturing industry, colours play a vital role. Colour makes the chocolate products appealing and fun for consumers, especially for children and women, who are the primary consumers of chocolates. These vibrant coloured chocolates grab the attention of consumers and boost the product sales. Manufacturers can use synthetic food colour for chocolate to give it an appealing final look. Synthetic food colour maintains the consistency and stability of chocolates during the manufacturing and storage phase. In the United Arab Emirates, many colour merchants, big distributors, and traders import colours at low prices from other countries and sell them in the country at high prices, making a profit on each sale. Some of them sell the colourants under the same brand name from which they bought the colour, while others create their own brandings and sell them under their brand name. Most of the chocolate manufacturing industries of the UAE are located near Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, and Abu Dhabi. According to Statista, the revenue of the Confectionery market of the UAE is expected to amount to US$7.70bn in 2025. The market is expected to grow annually by 5.47% (CAGR 2025-2030).

Colours also play a vital role in the field of animal feed manufacturing industry of the UAE. Colours make the feed appealing to animals, which encourages them to eat the feed properly and stay healthy. These colours also help in the differentiation between animal feeds like poultry, swine, or cattle. However, pet food manufacturers of the UAE often face some challenges in selecting the right colour for their products. They want high-quality colours that do not fade or change over time and make the food fresh for a long time. By using synthetic pet food colour, manufacturers can overcome all their challenges. These colours come in various high-quality shades that allow manufacturers to create unique coloured products, which increase the brand recognition of the product in the market and sales. In the UAE, most of the pet food manufacturing industries are located near Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Ajman. According to Statista, the revenue of the UAE’s Pet Food Market is projected to reach US$109.32 million in 2025, and it is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2025-2029) of 8.46%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$151.27m by 2029.

In the UAE, colour isn’t just an aesthetic choice — it’s deeply tied to cultural symbolism, religious values, and regional tastes, especially when it comes to product packaging and branding in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Understanding these preferences can help manufacturers boost consumer trust and drive product sales in the UAE market. For example, Green and Yellow represent the energy, appetite, and strength, which makes it ideal choice for food and beverage products. Red colour represents energy, fun, vitality, action, and appetite stimulation, which makes it ideal for cosmetics and personal care products. Blue represents trust and calm, making it best for pharmaceuticals.

In the United Arab Emirates, the use of colour in products, whether they are synthetic food colour or natural food colour, is overseen by the UAE’s federal standards body, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), which checks the quality and safety of colour in the product for human consumption. MoIAT conducts inspections, sampling, testing, and enforcement actions from time to time to ensure the safety of colour in products like food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

Starting a new business in the United Arab Emirates is not easy. Startups have to compete with businesses already operating in the market. To do this, manufacturers can simply use high-quality colour in their products and make them different from their competitors, which solves their many problems. A different-coloured product helps in brand recognition and wins consumer trust, which increases the sales of the product. Synthetic colours are affordable compared to natural alternatives, which allows manufacturers to sell their products at competitive prices as well.

If you are a manufacturer or a startup business in the United Arab Emirates and are looking for high-quality synthetic food colour in the UAE, then Ajanta Food Colours is the best option for you. Ajanta Food Colours is a leading synthetic food colour manufacturer in India and exports them to the UAE. Ajanta offers a supra colours that are used in a range of products, including food, cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. For the quality and safety of their colourants, Ajanat received various awards and certificates from India and from other countries where it exports high-quality food colour.

Some of the awards and certificates received by Ajanta Food Colours include the Arch of Europe Award, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Award, certifications from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), as well as Halal, Alcumus ISOQAR, Star-K Kosher, Food Safety System 22000 (FSSC 22000), and ISOQAR certifications, among others. These awards and certificates show Ajanta's expertise and over 75 years of legacy in the field of synthetic food colours manufacturing.