The national brand “Made in Russia” drives bilateral trade and helps Russian businesses scale across the UAE and MENA region
As a vital logistical, commercial, and business hub, the UAE serves as the ultimate gateway for international brands aiming to expand across the broader MENA region. Within this dynamic environment, economic cooperation between Russia and the UAE has entered a new era of strategic growth. Driven by innovation, mutual benefit, and an unwavering commitment to quality, Russian companies are rapidly scaling up their presence in the Emirates.
By the end of 2025, bilateral trade turnover between the two nations reached an impressive $12 billion. This monumental figure represents a remarkable year-on-year growth rate of approximately 33 per cent. Such rapid acceleration underscores the strong demand for Russian goods, technologies, and services in the competitive Emirati market, where the country remains one of Russia’s key trading partners. This success is driven by a steady diversification of sectors. While traditional industries maintain their importance, contemporary trade covers a broad spectrum of domains, including food products, information technology, artificial intelligence, digital solutions, industrial manufacturing, heavy machinery, medicine, healthcare technologies, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and the strictly regulated halal-certified products.
At the heart of this expanding commercial bridge lies the national brand “Made in Russia”, an overarching programme designed to promote top-tier Russian products in international markets. For Emirati business partners and distributors, “Made in Russia” acts as an efficient ecosystem that connects them directly with highly reliable suppliers. Today, the programme integrates an expansive framework consisting of international specialised exhibitions, major trade festivals, structured B2B missions, advanced marketing tools, and a digital platform.
To succeed in the UAE market, products must strictly adhere to rigorous quality benchmarks. Recognising this necessity, the programme features a voluntary certification system as one of its most essential structural elements. The official certification confirms the exceptional quality and compliance of the products, the operational reliability of the manufacturer, full alignment with strict international standards, and the comprehensive export readiness of the enterprise. This strict certification process eliminates market uncertainty for Middle Eastern buyers. Currently, the programme spans more than 2,400 Russian enterprises, encompassing an extensive catalog of over 31,700 distinct certified product positions.
Thousands of Russian companies from various industries have already received “Made in Russia” certificate. Among them are SPLAT Global, a producer of toothpastes, toothbrushes, and other body care products; Leber, a manufacturer of children’s playgrounds; JSC “Progress” (the “FrutoNanny” brand), a manufacturer of baby food based on natural ingredients; “Mistral Trading”, a premium segment producer of rice, grains, and legumes, and other companies that work with international markets, including the Gulf countries. Their experience shows that proven product quality and export readiness become an important advantage when entering the Middle East market.
“Made in Russia” goods are gaining popularity worldwide. The products can be found on the shelves of supermarkets and online stores in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, China, Vietnam, and other countries. The geography is constantly expanding, and the available selection is growing.
The physical presence of Russian goods within the UAE is already a reality, as local consumers and commercial distributors can readily purchase these products across prominent international retail chains, popular e-commerce platforms, and highly specialised niche marketplaces. Food items, cosmetics, daily consumer goods, and certified halal products are increasingly taking up shelf space, reflecting a growing consumer interest across the Gulf.
To facilitate this commercial flow, the programme operates a multilingual digital platform available on the website. To ensure frictionless communication with local enterprises, the portal is fully accessible in six languages, which are Arabic, English, Russian, Chinese, Turkish, and Vietnamese. The platform serves as a unified digital gateway for Middle Eastern companies. It allows them to instantly search for verified suppliers, explore active export initiatives, and stay updated on international trade events.
The growing relationship between the national brand “Made in Russia” and the UAE is sustained through regular, high-impact participation in the region’s largest business events. Over recent years, Russian national pavilions have successfully showcased their capabilities at leading regional exhibitions such as Gulfood, GITEX Global, The Big 5, WETEX, and ADIPEC. A prime example was the national pavilion at Gulfood 2026, which yielded outstanding results, matching prominent food and FMCG brands with leading global retail buyers and distributors from across the GCC, MENA, Asia, and Africa.
The UAE remains a top-tier priority market for the international expansion of the programme. Throughout the remainder of 2026, the national brand “Made in Russia” will continue to strengthen its trade infrastructure through an intensive schedule of specialised exhibitions. Local business communities can engage with Russian companies at ISM Middle East from September 15 to 17 in Dubai, which focuses on confectionery and snacks, followed by Index Dubai from September 28 to 30, the largest interior design and furniture exhibition in the region. In October, from the 20th to the 22nd, Dubai will host the WETEX exhibition focused on sustainability, energy, and eco-technologies. This will be followed by the Russian Energy event in Abu Dhabi from November 2 to 5, designed to boost industrial and energy cooperation. The final months of the year will see participation at Big 5 Global from November 23 to 26, the region’s massive construction exhibition, and Gitex Global from December 7 to 11, a premier world stage for information technology, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy.
Ultimately, the core message of “Made in Russia” to the UAE media and business community is clear: this initiative goes far beyond the simple distribution of commodities. It represents a conscious, long-term commitment to building robust international partnerships rooted in certified quality, stable supply logistics, and absolute mutual trust between businesses.
