Middle East

Big grocery retailers continued to expand their reach by opening convenience stores in Israel in 2023, targeting urban customers in a highly competitive environment to enhance accessibility and cater to the evolving needs of city-dwellers. This move…

Due in part to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy the Kingdom is experiencing accelerated population growth and internal migration toward concentrated metropolitan areas. This has presented opportunities for quality-focused convenience stores to…

Despite the considerable growth of hypermarkets and supermarkets, and the increasing use of online ordering for groceries, the active and social lifestyles of consumers in the United Arab Emirates continue to support sustainable demand for…

Population growth and lower inflation supported rising demand across meals and soups in 2023. In the key category of edible oils, the availability of sunflower oil via the PDS put pressure on demand, while table sauces benefited from the broadening…

The cost of living continues to rise in Israel, and economic uncertainty is leading to wariness about investing in the domestic economy. Inflation reached the highest levels since 2008 in January 2023. Electricity prices rose by 9% in August 2022,…

In 2023, cooking ingredients and meals will no longer be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the on-trade industry is booming once again. Despite high inflation in 2022, prices, particularly edible oils, have dropped, however, the industry…

In 2023, Kuwait is facing economic challenges due to both global inflation and the restrictions on expat entries, causing a slowdown in demand for cooking ingredients. Inflation, notably soaring cooking oil prices, directly affected both…

Demand for cooking ingredients and meals remained under huge pressure in 2023 as the impact of Lebanon’s severe socioeconomic crisis continued to undermine the spending power of much of the local population. However, the situation is improving slowly…

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…

In 2023, Oman's cooking ingredients industry has shifted due to higher prices from global inflation. Consumers are now leaning towards healthier choices, affecting demand for traditional cooking ingredients. Freshness remains a priority, leading to…

In 2023, Qatar anticipates a surge in cooking ingredient sales following the positive impact of post-World FIFA Cup tourism and ongoing efforts to attract investments. The country's luxury-driven society is set to further boost consumption. Urban…

Cooking ingredients and meals witnessed positive growth in volume terms in 2023, thanks to a trend of easing inflation (particularly during the second half of the year) and an increase in the rate of employment, which together had a positive impact…

Retail demand for cooking ingredients and meals continues to grow in the United Arab Emirates. The increase in the expatriate population and the boom in tourism since the easing of pandemic restrictions, are positively impacting retail volume growth…

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 pandemic has led consumers to become more concerned about the products they consume, and more conscious of side-effects, with some people therefore preferring to purchase herbal/traditional products instead of standard products, or those needing…

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…

In early 2023, the Israeli government is set to mandate Discount Bank to divest its credit card business, Visa Cal, aiming to enhance competition within the credit card market. This move will introduce a new player to the credit market, fostering a…

Credit cards are not as popular as debit cards in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, however, the category still shows a fair performance. One main issue which credit cards face in the KSA is a question mark around their compliance with Sharia Law.…