How much food and water to store in the UAE?

Short answer. In the UAE, NCEMA's Your Guide for Emergencies asks households to keep a ready-packed emergency kit and to stock basic food ¹. It gives an example of two weeks of basic food per person, and says the earthquake survival kit should hold enough drinking water and canned or dried food for a whole week ¹. Quantities depend on family size; no daily water volume is given ¹.

How long should a UAE household be able to manage?

NCEMA's guide uses two time frames ¹:

The guide introduces its food list with the words: "Approximate food consumption per person for two weeks:" ¹. It calls the list "just an example" and says quantities depend on the size of the family ¹.

What food does NCEMA list for two weeks?

The example amounts, per person for two weeks unless stated ¹:

• Rice: 2.5 kg + 1 kg. The guide prints "2.5 kg+ 1 kg", so the second figure may belong to an item lost in the layout.
• Cooking oil: 1 bottle (about 250 g).
• Dates: quantity not specified.
• Canned meat, fish or legumes: 7 different cans of about 400 g each.
• Canned vegetables: 7 different cans of about 400 g each.
• Dry food (different kinds of biscuits): 2 boxes of 250 g each.
• Sugar: 1 bag of 500 g.
• Malt drink: 1 box of about 400 g.
• Powdered milk: 2 containers of 900 g for a child under 6 months; 1 container of 900 g for a child from 7 months to 6 years.

The full item-by-item list, including the emergency kit, is on the kit page.

How much water per person?

NCEMA's guide gives no litres per person per day ¹. It asks for enough drinking water for a whole week in the earthquake survival kit, and lists bottled water among the optional kit items, to be checked for expiry and replaced regularly ¹. The guide was published in 2013-2014, and no newer household list from NCEMA was found.

For the figures other agencies use, see /guides/water-per-person and /guides/water-storage-containers. In a hot climate, also read /guides/heatwave.

How do I keep stored food usable?

The guide says the water and canned or dried food in the earthquake survival kit should be used and replaced so it does not perish ¹. Rotating stock this way is covered in /guides/food-shelf-life.

What else goes in the emergency kit?

Besides food, NCEMA's basic emergency kit includes a copy of the guide itself, a flashlight and/or candles and matches, a radio with spare batteries, a whistle, personal medication, a first-aid kit, copies of ID cards and passports in a water-resistant folder, and childcare or personal care items ¹. The earthquake survival kit adds a can opener, matches, an adjustable wrench for gas or water leaks, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector and a portable escape ladder ¹.

Related guides: /guides/two-week-supplies, /guides/infant-supplies, /guides/first-aid-kit and /guides/earthquake-preparedness.

Frequently asked questions

Does the UAE recommend 72 hours or two weeks?

NCEMA's example food list covers two weeks per person, and its earthquake survival kit holds water and food for a whole week ¹. The guide does not use a 72-hour figure.

How many litres of water should I store in the UAE?

NCEMA gives no daily volume. It asks for enough drinking water for a week in the earthquake survival kit ¹. Figures from other agencies are compared in /guides/water-per-person.

Is the food list mandatory?

No. NCEMA calls it "just an example" and says quantities depend on family size ¹.

What about babies?

The list includes powdered milk: 2 containers of 900 g for a child under 6 months and 1 container of 900 g for a child from 7 months to 6 years ¹.

Sources

1. National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) — Your Guide for Emergencies — https://www.ncema.gov.ae/content/documents/NCEMA%20Eng%20Daleel.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20; read from the Wayback Machine copy of 2026-03-12)