Which can sizes can you fill in the UAE?
Fifteen aluminium can formats from 150 to 500 ml — slim (150, 180, 200, 250 ml; 200 ends), sleek (250, 270, 300, 310, 330, 355 ml) and standard (330, 355, 440, 473, 500 ml; 202 ends). All formats.
For new & growing drink brands
Too small for big bottlers?Just right here.
A UAE beverage co-packer for energy, functional, sparkling and malt drinks. Start with a pilot, not a warehouse.
No recipe needed
Who it's for
Built for brands the big lines turn away
If one of these is you, we should talk.
Start-up brand
First product, first run
You have an idea or a recipe and need a pilot sized to a test market — not a minimum built for a national brand.
The launch pathGrowing brand
Outgrowing your supplier
Sales are real and you need more volume, a lower unit cost or a second format — for example a 250 ml slim or 330 ml sleek can.
Formats & linesInternational brand
Producing for the GCC
You sell abroad and want UAE production, Arabic/English labels and registration in one plan.
Market entryCompare
Big bottler, plain co-packer or launch partner?
| What you need | Large bottler | Plain co-packer | 360 F&B HUB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Takes a new, small brand | Rarely: lines are built for long runs of established brands | Sometimes, at the line's minimum | Yes: pilot first, then runs against real sales |
| Small test batches | Not their model | Depends on the line | Cabinet pasteurisation for small batches; tunnel for large runs |
| Recipe development | No | Usually not | Yes: new recipes and reformulation for GCC rules |
| Registration and labels | Your problem | Your problem | Dubai Municipality, HACCP, label review, Saudi SFDA |
| Help selling it | No | No | Channel plan from the shelf price back; ongoing support |
| Prices published | No | Rarely | Yes: from AED 0.23 per can, materials separate |
A co-packer fills. A partner sells. You still choose which steps we run.
Your first run
How a new brand starts with us
We build the plan. You choose what to hand over.
Strategy call
Where it sells, at what shelf price, which format. Free, 30 minutes, no recipe needed.
02
Recipe & registration
Adjust or develop the recipe; register it and check the label before print.
from AED 15,00003
Pilot run
Real line, real pack, samples for buyers. Credited if you go to production.
from AED 35,000Prices
What new brands usually start with
AED, excluding VAT. Starting prices.
Pilot production run
from 35,000
A full pilot is credited against the first production run.
Co-packing / can filling
from 0.23 / can
Depends on run volume; materials separate.
Turnkey launch
from 220,000
Development, registration, pilot run and packaging in one project.
Answers
For new beverage brands in the UAE
Who co-packs beverages in the UAE for start-up brands?
360 F&B HUB is a Dubai-based beverage co-packer and launch partner that works with new and growing brands. We start with a pilot run sized to a test market, then produce in waves at own and partner facilities in the UAE, MENA and India. Filling starts from AED 0.23 per can, materials separate, and we can also handle recipe, registration and packaging. For a first run sized to a market test, see small-batch beverage production.
Why won't large bottlers produce my new drink brand?
Large bottlers build their lines for long runs of established brands, so a new brand with an unproven volume rarely fits their model. Plain co-packers may accept you, but at their line's minimum and with registration and selling left to you. We take small brands deliberately: a pilot first, then runs against real sell-through. Co-packer vs launch partner.
Can you co-pack energy drinks in the UAE?
Yes. SCANDALIST, a functional energy and pre-workout line, is one of the partner projects that came to us. We check caffeine and other ingredients against GCC rules, plan the price with UAE excise tax built in, and run the drink in the can format the channel wants — from 150 ml slim to 500 ml standard. Registration and packaging design can be added.
Do you produce functional and sparkling drinks?
Yes. Functional and sparkling drinks are in scope. Cans from 150 to 500 ml — slim, sleek and standard, with 200 and 202 ends (all formats). For functional drinks the label claims must match the formula and GCC rules, so we review claims before print. Sweetened drinks are taxed by sugar content in the UAE, which we factor into the recipe and the shelf price.
Can you develop and produce a non-alcoholic malt beverage?
Yes. MAJLIS, a UAE non-alcoholic malt beverage, is one of the partner projects that came to us — we helped find its niche on the shelf and worked on the formula. Malt drinks need brewing know-how and the right equipment, which we match from own and partner facilities. Development starts from AED 15,000. Read the MAJLIS case or start with product development.
How much does it cost to start a beverage brand with a co-packer?
Typical starting points: product development from AED 15,000, UAE registration AED 12,000 per product, packaging design from AED 8,000 per SKU, a pilot run from AED 35,000, and filling from AED 0.23 per can — all excluding VAT, materials separate. Or all core steps as a turnkey launch from AED 220,000. Pick your steps to see what applies.
What do I need before I contact a co-packer?
Less than you think. A product idea, the market you want to sell in and a rough sense of volume are enough for a first cost range. A finished recipe, a company or printed labels are not required to start — and please don't send formulas by chat. We'll tell you honestly if it's too early. Send a 2-minute brief.
Is the best co-packer in the UAE the cheapest per can?
Not necessarily. The per-can price is only part of the cost: a run sized to a factory minimum, labels that fail registration or stock that doesn't sell cost far more. Look for published prices, pilot runs, registration support and help with channels. Our filling starts from AED 0.23 per can, and a pilot is credited against the first run.
Can you help fund a growing beverage brand?
For validated brands that need significant cash flow to grow, we offer investor access and co-investment — we invest ourselves, project by project, in the same boat as the brand. It is not a service we sell; it follows proven sales. Read about investors or ask about it on the strategy call.
Related
Not just made. Sold.
Tell us about your drink. We'll tell you honestly where to start.
No recipe needed · Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00 Dubai time