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…

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…

Retail volume sales of butter and spreads experienced a downturn between 2021 and 2022 as consumers returned to work, leading to reduced home cooking and baking activities that had previously surged during periods of remote working. However,…

The market for butter and spreads is poised for improved performance in 2024, following a dip in retail volume sales in 2022 and 2023. Demand during these years was significantly impacted by substantial price increases, brought about by the war in…

Butter and spreads is set to see current value growth in Israel in 2024. Following the increase in the price of price controlled dairy in May 2023, brands increased the prices of their non-price controlled dairy products as well. This led to an…

The United Arab Emirates performs well in terms of economic freedom in the Middle East and Africa as well as by global comparison, owing to strong economic growth, a rapid rate of business sector liberalisation, government support for SMEs, developed…

With its favourable business environment, advanced transport infrastructure and high ICT adoption, Saudi Arabia is an attractive destination for business operations. The government is committed to ambitious reforms under Vision 2030, investing…

Qatar’s regulatory and operational environment is attractive to companies, as it has a low tax burden, while the country’s business confidence grew in 2022, despite geopolitical headwinds. However, the efficiency of starting, operating and closing a…

This report assesses the business environment in Oman, focusing on the regulatory environment, stability of the financial system, FDI intake, labour market flexibility and skillset, trade openness, mobility infrastructure, ICT adoption and innovative…