Middle East

Through to 2040, the Saudi population is set to continue rising due to high fertility rates and longer life expectancy, with the average consumer being 37 years old. Generation Alpha will dominate, comprising over a quarter of the population. Income…

Low taxation adds to Qatar’s economic freedom, but democracy is lacking and power is hereditary. Hydrocarbons are the mainstay of the economy, making the export base very undiversified, but inflation is falling and infrastructure is expected to be…

Dammam and Jeddah stand as Saudi Arabia’s most economically vibrant cities, boasting the highest per capita GDP. Dammam has the highest per capita disposable incomes, while Jeddah takes the lead in productivity levels. Additionally, Jubail emerges as…

The number of households is set to increase moderately in the United Arab Emirates over 2022-2027, with couples with children remaining the dominant household type. In 2022, inflation at 5% elevated living costs, impacting household spending. The…

The population in the United Arab Emirates is forecast to continue growing over the period to 2040, supported by natural increase. The consumer landscape will remain young and diverse, primarily composed of immigrant populations. By 2040, Generation…

Saudi Arabia is projected to experience a moderate increase in the number of households between 2022 and 2027. Although couples with children will continue to be the leading household type, the most rapid growth is expected among single person…

Abu Dhabi and Al Ain are the UAE’s most economically vibrant cities. Meanwhile, Fujairah holds the highest potential for future economic growth, boosting incomes and expenditure growth for the city’s population. Going forward, cities in the United…

The global agriculture industry recorded moderate positive growth in 2022, mainly driven by high commodity prices and global food inflation. Climate change, natural disasters, rising labour shortages, geopolitical tensions, rising protectionism and…

In 2022, construction grappled with rising interest rates and living costs, affecting residential, industrial and commercial sectors. Government commitments to infrastructure drove demand. Despite cost surges, solid demand allowed passing expenses to…

With milk formula accounting for almost half of baby food packaging unit volumes, and metal tins the dominant pack type in milk formula, this packaging format therefore remains the leading one in overall baby food, given metal tins also has a…

After two years of declining sales, confectionery packaging recorded positive growth in its packaging unit volumes again in 2022. However, the growth was modest as rising awareness of the potential negative effects of consuming confectionery, such as…

In 2022, PET bottles were gaining share in dairy products in the United Arab Emirates for a number of reasons. PET bottles are lightweight, which makes them cost-effective to transport. In the United Arab Emirates, where dairy products might need to…

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

Flexible aluminium/plastic was the dominant pack type in dry soup, which, given it is the biggest category in overall meals and soups, was therefore the dominant meals and soups packaging format. Flexible aluminium/plastic was also growing in 2022,…

The global economy is facing weaker growth and increasing fragmentation, as a result of rising geopolitical tensions, especially due to the war in Ukraine and the US-China strategic rivalry. Protectionism, industrial policy and a focus on resilience…

The vast majority of consumers typically consume dairy products, but as the health and wellness trend spreads across the country, a niche segment of the population has shown an increasing preference for plant-based foods. Hence, plant-based dairy has…

Processed fruit and vegetables packaging was back recording positive growth in its unit volumes in 2022. This followed a year in which demand had slipped into decline in 2021, perhaps due to the spike in the growth rate seen in 2020 due to the…

Metal food cans continue to be the leading pack type in shelf stable meat and seafood packaging. Metal food cans are excellent at preserving the freshness and quality of processed meat and seafood. They provide an effective barrier against light,…

Glass jars remained a major pack type in sauces, dips and condiments in 2022 for a number of reasons. Glass is an inert material that does not interact chemically with the product content, ensuring that the flavour and quality of the sauces, dips or…

Thin wall plastic containers are the main pack type used in sweet spreads packaging and were also continuing to gain share in the overall category in 2022. This is because these containers are cost-effective to manufacture, making them an attractive…