Middle East

In 2023, cafés/bars in the United Arab Emirates gained further growth momentum following a full recovery to pre-pandemic value sales levels the previous year, benefiting both chained and independent operators. Specialist tea and coffee shops was one…

Cafés/bars was one of the categories in the consumer foodservice industry to be hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis. The pandemic led to the closure of many outlets, especially cafés located in shopping centres, as those were extremely severely…

Demand for home care generally remains under pressure due to the falling population of Lebanon, the result of the high rate of emigration, and the reluctance of cash-strapped consumers to spend money on products that are seen as non-essential. Within…

The average unit price of toilet care in Israel continued to increase in 2023. Players blamed the price increases on the rising cost of raw materials, gas and electricity. In the context of the broader increase in the cost of living, this has led to…

Like many home care categories in Israel, surface care witnessed another year of price increases by leading players such as Kimberly-Clark Israel Ltd, due to supply issues and the rising cost of materials and production, in addition to import taxes.…

Demand for polishes was already declining prior to the pandemic in Israel, driven by changing lifestyles and a priority in terms of purchasing products considered more essential. In 2023, local consumers continued to lead busy lifestyles, especially…

Laundry care witnessed a second consecutive year of strong price rises in 2023, which notably dampened the purchase rate of these products by local consumers. On 1 November 2022, multinational player Unilever raised the prices of its products,…

Demand for home insecticides in Israel continued to decline in 2023, in line with its review period performance as a whole. This was mainly driven by the dominant format of spray/aerosol home insecticides, despite its affordability, as these products…

Qatar saw continued retail volume growth in home care sales in 2023. Growth was fuelled by an increase in the number of households and an enhanced focus on the need for hygiene in the home, thanks to the continuation of a trend that developed as a…

Despite inflation, fuel shortages, and the consequent economic backlash from the pandemic, demand for home care products performed relatively well in Oman. Home care products are widely available and affordable for the majority of consumers. In 2023,…

Kuwait is an affluent country largely populated by people with cultural and religious imperatives to adhere to strict hygiene practices, thus presenting significant opportunities for home care brands. In line with this, home care saw steady gains in…

In 2023, home care in Jordan has experienced growth in both current value and volume sales, primarily attributed to the surge in on-trade sales rather than retail transactions. Notably, retail home care product prices have witnessed a slight decline,…

Home care in Israel experienced a weak performance in terms of retail volume sales in 2023, while current value sales continued to record dynamic growth rates. These trends were driven by a second consecutive year of significant price rises, with the…

Demand rose across all home care categories in 2023 as population growth, urbanisation and long-term economic development all contributed to a broadly positive performance, other favourable factors included the accelerating pace of life, the shift…

On 1 November 2021, a considerable tax was placed on disposable plasticware: NIS11 per kg of single-use plastic plates and utensils. This tax nearly doubled the price of single-use plasticware overnight, as the Israeli government sought to reduce the…

The pandemic resulted in a surge in demand for bleach, as local consumers rushed to purchase home care products associated with the elimination of dirt, viruses and bacteria as part of heightened hygiene concerns.

While overall retail volume sales of air care continued to decline in 2023, this trend was mostly driven by the larger spray/aerosol format, as an increasing number of consumers are moving away from these products due to concerns over the impact of…

While consumers in the Middle East and Africa region continue to increase their usage of card payments and the digitalisation of the financial industry also continues to advance, cash still remains important in many countries, especially the African…

Toilet liquids/foam is the leading format of toilet care in the United Arab Emirates, primarily due to its user-friendly nature and versatility. With strong competition in this category, players are prioritising promotional offers and price…

Among the many formats of toilet care products, toilet liquids/foam remained the most in demand in Saudia Arabia at the end of the review period, due to its perceived convenience in easy-glide application. Local consumers appreciate toilet care…

Amidst changing consumer preferences for home care in the United Arab Emirates, including surface care, there is a clear shift driven by the quest for better value for money. As households contend with rising living expenses, a noticeable trend is…

Despite a decline in value sales due to falling unit price driven by price promotions, demand for surface care remains elevated in relation to pre-pandemic levels, and continued to rise in 2023. Products in surface care claiming to kill 99.99%…

In 2023, furniture polish in the United Arab Emirates remained the strongest performer in overall polishes, both in terms of retail and volume growth. Its performance was significantly influenced by the surging demand for premium and luxurious…

Demand for polish continued to rise in 2023, following the retail volume declines of 2020 due to pandemic-induced home seclusion. The latter resulted in waning interest in polishing one’s footwear, for instance, with the latter experiencing the…

Laundry care in the United Arab Emirates continued to experience substantial growth in 2023, primarily attributed to rising consumer awareness of the wide variety of products available. Key category players, such as Binzagr Lever Ltd (Unilever…

Despite a further drop in value sales in 2023, in line with a weakening average unit price, laundry care remained the largest category in home care in Saudi Arabia. Within laundry care, laundry detergents remained the dominant category with powder…

In home insecticides, specific trends in the United Arab Emirates significantly impact demand. Electric insecticides, after a period of decline, show potential for recovery. This resurgence is being driven by the increasing demand for efficient and…

Rising urbanisation and busier lifestyles, along with extremely hot and humid weather for long periods of 2023, supported the significant growth of crawling bugs, ants and cockroaches in Saudi Arabia. This helped drive up demand for home…

In 2023, home care in the United Arab Emirates experienced notable growth in both retail value and volume terms. This growth was primarily attributable to increasing retail prices and heightened consumer demand for essential home care products, as…

Following a period of normalisation over 2021-2022, when retail volume sales of home care in Saudi Arabia declined compared to the surge witnessed in 2020 as a result of pandemic-induced home seclusion, demand for many products increased in 2023.…

Dishwashing in the United Arab Emirates has been experiencing intense competition among players and retailers. They are striving to distinguish themselves by offering discounts, promoting dual packs and multipacks, and exploring eco-friendly options.…

Hand dishwashing continued to dominate sales of dishwashing in Saudi Arabia at the end of the review period. The diversity of hand dishwashing products available in the local market in terms of prices, fragrances, and the assortment of brands on…

A noticeable shift in consumer demand is impacting bleach, with a transition from pandemic-driven preventive use to cleaning and whitening purposes. This shift has resulted in a slowdown in the category's retail volume growth compared to the surge in…

Unlike many home care categories in 2023, the average unit price of bleach continued to rise in Saudi Arabia, resulting in more dynamic current value growth compared to retail volume. Nevertheless, demand continued to rise in 2023, as bleach offers a…

The current surge in inflation has significantly increased local consumers' price sensitivity, influencing their buying preferences when choosing air care. This adjustment is reflected in altered shopping behaviours, as consumers now prioritise…

Despite greater time spent at home at the height of the pandemic, demand for air care notably declined in 2020, as many local consumers, faced with mounting financial pressures, reduced their spending on perceived non-essential home care. In…

Lebanon’s population is set to experience depopulation overall in 2021-2040, despite some growth after 2034. Strong rates of negative net migration, which will cancel out natural increase for most of timeframe, drive this trend. Ageing will be a key…

The number of street stalls/kiosks outlets in Israel has significantly increased since 2021. , re:bar and B Fresh have enjoyed significant growth in recent years, due to the health and wellness trend, which received a notable boost from the…

With the rising cost of living and the increased prices of products, limited-service restaurants continued to raise prices in 2023. In July, Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza announced price hikes - Pizza Hut by an average of NIS5 per family pie and…

Full-service restaurants did not avoid the significant wave of price rises seen throughout the consumer foodservice industry at the end of the review period. Restaurants again saw significant price rises in 2023, as the price of dairy continued to…

The consumer foodservice market in Israel was very uncertain in terms of security, economic conditions and political unrest in 2023. At the end of 2022, there was considerable hope for the restaurant market, after the significant declines seen during…

After a strong recovery in 2022, consumer foodservice operations in travel locations experienced decline in 2023 due to the Israel-Hamas War. International travel to and from Israel significantly decreased as a result of the war, as did domestic…

There was a price increase for raw milk in the Israeli market in 2023. After prices rose for consumers in supermarkets, suppliers also increased prices for restaurants. In May 2023, Tnuva announced a 4.6% price hike for dairy products that are not…

In the United Arab Emirates, the packaging landscape has been seeing notable developments in 2022 across various product categories. PET bottles have gained popularity in the dairy category due to their lightweight, durable and transparent nature,…

In 2022, PET bottles remained the preferred choice for cooking and table sauce packaging in Saudi Arabia due to their cost-effectiveness, durability, lightweight properties and affordability in production and transportation. In chocolate…

After a year of strong growth in 2021, cigarette sales recorded a slight unit volume decline in Middle East and Africa in 2022. With disposable incomes under pressure in a lot of countries, illicit trade remains a problem in many of them. E-vaping…

Although Israel enjoys economic freedom, the war with Hamas is weighing on the country’s economic outlook. A resilient economy is slowing, as higher defence spending burdens state finances and business activity is interrupted by the conflict, but…

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the potential market strategies for companies in Sub-Saharan Africa amidst the current cost of living crisis. It details how companies can leverage affordability, technology, and values to cater to the…

This report provides valuable insights into product innovation in the UAE, analysing data from Euromonitor’s Innovation Platform. The report covers the Beauty, Health and Home categories, showing the level of new brand and sub-brand launch activity.…

In spite of rising costs and prices in the past two years, sales of staple foods have been growing in Middle East and Africa. The essential nature of many staples has helped maintain demand for them, even if consumers have been opting for cheaper…