Alcoholic Drinks

Wine is not available in Saudi Arabia as alcoholic drinks are not permitted in the country under Islamic Law.

Locals are officially banned from buying and consuming alcohol, with players relying on expatriates for sales, while the ban on marketing alcoholic drinks makes it challenging for brand owners to influence consumer choices. Nonetheless, the lifting…

Alcoholic drinks in Saudi Arabia in 2023 continued to be characterised by the fact that alcohol is prohibited by Saudi law. As such, all sales in the category come from non-alcoholic beer. Indeed, Saudi Arabia is one of the top ten markets for…

Beer in Saudi Arabia in 2023 remained the only relevant category in alcoholic drinks, as non-alcoholic beer is the only AD product allowed to be consumed in the Kingdom. This is due to the strict laws prohibiting the consumption of alcoholic drinks…

Alcoholic drinks in Iraq faced huge challenges in 2023 after the Iraqi Government announced stricter enforcement of the 2017 ban on the sale of alcohol. In the KRG meanwhile, strong sales growth is being seen as the alcohol ban is not enforced there.…

Alcoholic drinks saw volume sales rise in Israel in 2023 despite the fact that there was a large increase in the prices of alcohol. In January 2023, the tax on alcohol increased along with the increase of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), by 5.3%.…

The two major trends in alcoholic drinks in Lebanon in 2023 were falling off-trade volume sales and rising on-trade demand. While the socioeconomic crisis has curbed spending, many local people are socialising in bars and restaurants more often and…

Beer saw volume sales increase slightly in Israel in 2023. Growing interest in craft beer remained a very strong trend in the market. While it has been adversely impacted by the Israel-Hamas War, immediately prior to the outbreak of the war the craft…

Cider/perry saw volume sales fall in Israel in 2023. As the cocktail trend grew in the local market, the RTD trend grew as well. Local consumers who want to have a lighter drink typically opt for RTDs as the market is growing and becoming more…

RTDs saw significant volume growth in Israel in 2023. Spicehaus continued to push forward the premium trend in the RTDs category. After opening up a factory that can produce 10,000 cocktails a day, Spicehaus joined with Yango's delivery service in…

Spirits saw a slight rise in volume sales in Israel in 2023. The locally produced spirits market has been growing in recent years. Milk & Honey (M&H) whisky won an international award in the World Whiskies Awards 2023 for having the World's Best…

Wine saw volume sales increase in Israel in 2023. Hacarem raised the prices of its wine brands in January 2023 for on-trade establishments, with the off-trade channel also expected to see increases. Dalton Winery’s prices will increase by up to 8%,…

Alcoholic drinks in the United Arab Emirates witnessed another year of success in 2023, demonstrating double- digit off-trade growth in both volume and value terms. Sales were fuelled by two factors. First, the arrival of expatriates from Russia,…

As a category that is mainly distributed by the off-trade channel, beer in the United Arab Emirates benefited the most from the recent removal of 30% retail sales tax in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Since Dubai sells greater volumes of beer than any other…

Among other alcoholic drinks categories, the price of cider/perry in the United Arab Emirates tends to be discounted in off-trade channels during December and January due to the festive season in Dubai. These are the months when many expatriates…

In line with global trends, most RTDs available in the United Arab Emirates are spirit-based. The presence of wine-based or malt-based RTDs is marginal in the local market. This is because of a cultural background of mixed expatriates, most of whom…

For the first time since 2020 at the height of the pandemic, off-trade outpaced on-trade within spirits in the United Arab Emirates, both in terms of volume and value growth. The channel was supported by the easier process of obtaining an alcohol…

In line with general alcoholic drinks trends, wine in the United Arab Emirates experienced further momentum of premiumisation in 2023. Wine is considered a more premium category than others by nature, which is why the move towards premiumisation has…

Volume sales slumped across all categories of alcoholic drinks in Qatar during 2024 as sales returned to normal levels following the huge spike in demand seen in late 2022, when Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup. Nonetheless, wider distribution in both…

In 2023, Jordan's alcoholic drinks industry has been witnessing marginal growth, driven by strong on-trade demand. The rise in tourists during the first three quarters boosted on-trade sales. However, there has been an increasing decline in tourists,…

In 2023, the alcoholic drinks in Kuwait has been shaped by geopolitical dynamics, influencing consumer preferences. Conscious buying has surged, with a focus on local and Middle Eastern brands, fostering a sense of ethical satisfaction and peer…