Middle East

Although foodservice outlets were closed or only offering limited services when COVID-19 hit the United Arab Emirates in 2020, local consumers had more time on their hands due to lockdowns or home seclusion, enabling them to prepare meals themselves.…

There was a general trend in the United Arab Emirates of the arrival of COVID-19 and the consequent lockdowns forcing people to stay at home benefitting the consumption of sauces, dressings, and condiments in 2020, followed by an easing of COVID-19…

Store cards remained non-existent in Israel in 2021. No retailers have expressed a strong interest in offering these types of financial cards. Moreover, there is currently no indication that store cards will emerge in the country at any point during…

Qatar’s affluent population makes the country an attractive prospect for international retailers, especially given the popularity of shopping as a leisure activity and the preference for global brands. However, the country’s low population and the…

Positive growth was seen in retail in 2022 as shopping in malls remained a popular pastime among Kuwaitis. However, e-commerce boomed during the year as investment in tech start-ups brought more convenience to consumers. Kuwait’s population is young,…

A significant number of expats left the country after the outbreak of COVID-19 but they are now returning, with this providing a boost to retail in Oman in 2022. Consumers in Muscat are demanding greater convenience due to increasingly hectic…

Retail in 2022: The big picture

Iraq’s retail industry has continued to expand and develop during the post-pandemic era, with buoyant global oil prices, rising levels of FDI and substantial improvements in retailing infrastructure amidst booming post-conflict redevelopment all…

The economic crisis continues to impact the Lebanese retailing industry, with negative value growth in constant price terms seen across all categories in 2022. Consumers are spending much less than prior to the onset of the crisis, with demand…

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

Political opposition and civil liberties are restricted in Saudi Arabia, whilst its economic freedom continues to face challenges. The economy has performed strongly, but is set to slow down and reliance on oil remains high, although inflation is…

With a very low tax burden and reforms aimed at the business landscape, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) enjoys economic freedom, although the state’s grip on society continues. Oil production cuts will moderate economic growth in the short term, but…

Authoritarianism and corruption mar Iran’s economic freedom, which is repressed, but regional relations are improving. Sanctions are expected to continue to weigh heavily on the economy, which is exacerbating currency weakness and adding to…

Airlines have rebounded strongly in 2023 with sales seeing a full recovery in current value terms while passenger numbers are expected to come close to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year. With the pandemic declared over by the World Health…

Booking is set to see a full recovery to pre-pandemic sales levels in current value terms in 2023. However, a major factor driving value growth in both leisure and business bookings has been inflation driven price increases.

During 2023, the local government has been trying to make significant changes to the judiciary system in Israel which would limit. Under the government’s so-called “reasonableness” bill, which was passed into law in July 2023, the Supreme Court will…

Outbound departures are expected to nearly reach pre-pandemic numbers in 2023. This is largely due to the high cost of domestic travel which is encouraging locals to travel abroad. Once the skies were reopened after the pandemic restrictions were…

With the World Health Organisation declaring the pandemic to be over in early 2023 and with COVID-19 restrictions no longer in place the outlook for travel in Israel is much brighter. This has led to a surge in inbound arrivals and outbound…

Emirates Airlines has solidified its position in the United Arab Emirates with a remarkable turnaround, reporting soaring profits after a challenging period, and is set to extend its share in airlines in 2023. The airline’s success can be attributed…

The landscape of hotel bookings is undergoing a transformative shift, with direct bookings increasingly challenging the role of intermediaries and encouraging customers to choose a more personalised approach, particularly business travellers. This…

Dubai has shone as a regional leader in hotels in 2023, captivating travellers with its luxurious offerings, exceptional services, and diverse experiences. Boasting world-class amenities and catering to various preferences, from luxury seekers to…

Despite challenges such as inflation and rising oil prices, Dubai's travel industry is experiencing an increase in demand. By the first half of 2023, the number of guests in Dubai had surpassed pre-pandemic international visitation levels, with 20%…

In 2023, the United Arab Emirates has firmly established itself as a global travel hub, earning high rankings in international tourism competitiveness indexes. The remarkable growth of Emirati hotels has not only attracted millions of visitors, but…

With travel seeing a full return to pre-pandemic levels, airlines have been keen to take full advantage of the situation. This has included continuously adding new fre uencies and introducing new destinations and routes to their networks. This…

Ever since the remaining COVID-19 related restrictions have been lifted there has been a strong demand among locals to start travelling again with many people having already gone back to all of their pre-pandemic travelling habits and more. Direct…

Hotels in Saudi Arabia is registering strong year-on-year growth in 2023 with operators benefiting from meeting all of the pent-up demand as international and domestic pilgrims have been allowed to return without any cap. Saudi Arabia was in a better…

Interest in domestic travel continues to grow at an extraordinary rate, with the number of domestic trips more than doubling between 2019 and 2023. Domestic tourism is rapidly growing in popularity driven by the government’s efforts to highlight and…

Travel in Saudi Arabia is performing exceptionally well in 2023, having ranked first among all of the other Arab nations in terms of highest inbound visitors in 2022. Saudi Arabia has also experienced an incredible recovery in the number of airlines…

Since alcohol consumption is prohibited in Saudi Arabia under Sharia law, the alcoholic drinks packaging industry is entirely represented by non-alcoholic beverages, and non-alcoholic beer in particular. These malt-based beverages come in a variety…

The majority of the local population in the United Arab Emirates abstains from the consumption of alcohol as per the tenets of Islam. As a result, apart from local consumption of non-alcoholic offerings, mostly non-alcoholic beer, the nation’s…

In 2023, consumer health products in Jordan are witnessing notable changes driven by a combination of factors. The industry has experienced a decline from its peaks in 2020 and 2021 when Jordanians rushed to purchase OTC products like analgesics and…

The return to normal lifestyles out of the home is driving retail volume and current value sales of analgesics in 2023. Adults and children alike are more exposed to common colds and viruses requiring pain relief. Children in school are no longer…

In the United Arab Emirates, analgesics can be categorised into two groups: products from international brands, and those from regional brands, which tend to be priced lower. By the end of the review period, the majority of analgesics brands were…

Consumer health is expected to register a healthy pace of current value growth in 2023. After a successful vaccination programme in 2021, society opened up quickly in Israel. With society returning to greater normality in 2023, common illnesses are…

2023 is set to be a strong year for consumer health in the United Arab Emirates. Many categories are expected to see robust current value growth, underpinned by an increase in online distribution channels, as well as an increasingly savvy,…

The normalisation of consumer lifestyles has hastened the return of common coughs and cold in Israel, with a notable uplift in schools. In April 2022, the mask mandate was removed, aside from specific locations such as hospitals and medical clinics,…

The increasingly dusty weather in the United Arab Emirates is causing a rise in allergies and respiratory illnesses amongst consumers. In particular, in August 2022 there were so many dust storms that doctors in Abu Dhabi and Dubai issued a warning…

The incidence of head lice is rising back to normal levels in 2023 as children circulate freely in schools and at social gatherings, and kids play close together. With retail volume sales back to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, demand for…

Hair loss treatments in the United Arab Emirates has been experiencing increased fragmentation, due to the emergence of numerous new entrants, with the value share of the smallest players, included under “others” set to rise above 50% for the first…

Dietary supplements is a sizeable product area in Israel, only second behind analgesics, and it is expected to register strong current value growth in 2023, and the highest rate during the review period. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the…

Dietary supplements has witnessed a surge in products targeting beauty and anti-ageing, which reflects consumers’ growing desire for holistic wellness solutions and the “beauty from within” trend. Supplements such as co-enzyme Q10, which is known for…

The return to relatively normal patterns of eating out at restaurants, combined with more stressful on-the-go lifestyles, is leading to an increase in digestive health issues in 2023. In retail volume terms, there is a modest increase in sales of…

Gastrointestinal disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcers, and gastritis are relatively common in the United Arab Emirates. Digestive remedies such as proton pump inhibitors are effective in treating these conditions by…

Eye care is expected to see stronger growth in 2023 compared to the previous year, with healthy retail volume and current value growth. The product area has seen consistent strong performance over the review period and during the pandemic. The…

Eye drops is the leading format for eye-related treatments in the United Arab Emirates, for several reasons. First, eye drops offer ease of application, allowing individuals to self-administer the treatment directly to the affected area. Second, they…

The health and wellness trend has accelerated in Israel since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Locals are increasingly aware of what they put into their body and seek out more natural products when it comes to consumer health. This holistic…

Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a strong emphasis on preventive health in the United Arab Emirates. This has been fuelling a surge in demand for herbal/traditional dietary supplements, including ginseng, garlic, echinacea, and…

Tobacco smokers are considered at a higher risk when it comes to COVID-19 and this caused an increase in smoking cessation aids during the pandemic, as many locals tried to quit smoking. While locals are now learning to live with the virus in 2023,…

In an effort to promote a healthier population and support the wellbeing of the local community, the government of the United Arab Emirates is actively encouraging smokers to quit. This includes the establishment of smoking cessation clinics at…