Middle East

In 2023, growth of personal accessories in the United Arab Emirates remains substantial, although the performance of the industry is uneven; with luxury brands outpacing their mass counterparts. In fact, across all personal accessories categories,…

In 2023, a notable development was noted within jewellery when Snapchat collaborated with Cartier to develop a virtual try-on filter in the United Arab Emirates. Within Snapchat, there exists a built-in shopping platform known as Snapchat Minis. This…

Preparing and eating more meals at home meant that cooking ingredients and meals saw a spike in demand when the pandemic hit Middle East and Africa in 2020. However, in recent years, including 2023, volume sales have been struggling in the face of…

The United Arab Emirates has been at the forefront of the travel industry’s recovery, and in 2023, there has been a significant development: the complete resurgence of international travel. This resurgence has led to increasing demand for luggage.…

Hot drinks in Jordan has been performing well in 2023, attributed to a surge in tourist numbers following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. This uptake in overnight tourists during 2023, totalling, has notably influenced foodservices and on-trade…

Income levels in Qatar remain among the highest regionally, with one of the lowest unemployment rates. Nevertheless, economic disparities persist, against the backdrop of the country’s considerable wealth, and there are forecasts indicating an…

2023 saw pressure on demand for soft drinks ease as the re-dollarisation of the Lebanese pound, rising remittances and buoyant inbound arrivals, spurred by returning expatriates, pushed volume growth. On-trade growth was especially strong as the…

This briefing examines how the high-tech goods industry is performing globally and in the largest countries in terms of high-tech goods output. The report also provides data for production, market size, imports, exports, industry costs, industry…

There is an intriguing dichotomy at play in dairy products and alternatives in Middle East and Africa, with value for money particularly important for many consumers given the current inflationary environment. At the same time, particularly among…

In 2023, growth in the number of medical cannabis patients slowed significantly in Israel. In the first half of the year the number of medical patients grew by only 1,500; meanwhile, in 2021 monthly growth averaged 2,400, while in 2022 it was 1,220.…

Coffee remains the most popular hot drinks category due to its cultural importance, although the socioeconomic crisis has led many people to consume less coffee, while many others have shifted to black tea, a much cheaper type of hot drink. Across…

The global wheat market in 2023 has seen a recovery in supply, following tight global supply and skyrocketing wheat prices in 2022 resulting from the onset of the war in Ukraine. Increased wheat exports from Russia, readjustments of supply chains and…

Although state finances have been improving, Iraq suffers from significant corruption and external interference in its domestic affairs. Inflation has been well controlled, but lower oil production could plunge the economy into recession in the short…

The briefing examines how the food, beverages and tobacco industry is performing globally and in the largest countries in terms of food, beverages and tobacco output. The report also provides data for production, market size, imports, exports,…

In 2023, Qatar faces significant challenges following the end of the World Cup and the positive effects that had on the industry. Post-event, manufacturers are navigating efforts to sustain sales levels. For example, many food production companies…

Corruption and political instability are impeding economic freedom, whilst the public-debt-to-GDP ratio is one of the highest globally. Although the economy is relatively well diversified, uncertainty could hamper its development and hyperinflation…

Robotic vacuum cleaners are starting to gain relevance in Saudi Arabia, seeing growing volume sales following a sluggish and/or negative performance over the review period. This is attributed to ongoing economic developments in the Kingdom, with…

Health and wellness trends, as enhanced by both the era of the pandemic and the government’s healthy living promotions as part of the Saudi Vision 2030, have inspired consumers to adopt healthy eating habits. In turn, this has encouraged interest in…

Saudi Arabia boasts one of the largest home appliances markets in the Middle East region, owing to consumers’ enhanced lifestyles and strong purchasing power, thanks to thanks to increasing job security, more women and youth in the workforce, and the…

In a cross-category trend, Dyson’s new pop-up stores across Riyadh and Jeddah, allow consumers to test personal care appliances prior to purchase. The pop-ups are cited as test stores, situated across malls (Panorama Mall, Nakheel Mall, Granada Mall,…