Middle East

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,…

To combat the Kingdom’s relatively high smoking prevalence, legislation and taxes on tobacco products have been implemented to deter purchases of such products. For example, in 2021, the government banned the sale of tobacco to children under 18,…

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…

The number of consumers in the United Arab Emirates who are switching to plant-based diets is on the rise. In particular, nuts are a popular plant-based source of protein and are being increasingly incorporated into consumers’ diets. They provide…

The population increase in Oman from 2021-2040 will be driven by positive natural change, as births outweigh deaths. Improved living standards and healthcare will support ageing; however, the population 65+ will remain low, having limited impact on…

Oral care saw current value growth in Israel in 2023. While there were no official price increases in the market during the year, there was less discounting and promotional activity involving oral care products. In effect this meant that prices…

Thanks to the combined efforts of the government, schools, oral care brands, dentists, paediatricians, and pharmacists, consumers are now more aware than ever of the importance of a regular oral care routine. These factors combined with the increased…

Toothpaste is the leading oral care product in the United Arab Emirates, and continued to record the highest retail value growth in 2023. The ongoing popularity of toothpaste as the main oral care product in the local market encouraged players to…

In September 2022, supervised milk prices, including sweet and sour cream, increased strongly. Moreover, in May 2023, the price of milk was set to rise by 16%, but days before implementation the Minister of Finance and Minister of Agriculture agreed…

The re-opening of schools has had a major impact on the recovery of many packaged food categories, with other dairy products being amongst them. The return to schools was a major factor in the recovery of chilled dairy desserts, in particular, as…

Retail volume and current value growth of condensed and evaporated milk were positive in 2022, and this is set to continue in 2023, although volume growth has been moderate, and value growth has been higher due to rising inflation. Due to the full…

Prices have risen in the other hot drinks category, as the leading player, Strauss Group Ltd, has increased the prices of its Chocolit brand. After the salmonella incident that left many of Strauss's products absent from retailers’ shelves, these…

While sales of tea and coffee continue to blossom the same cannot be said for other hot drinks which has posted a steep decline in retail volume terms in 2023. Sales have been in decline since the government introduced a sugar tax of 50% in 2019. In…

Traditionally in the United Arab Emirates, other hot drinks are represented mainly by chocolate-based flavoured powder drinks and malt-based hot drinks. Share of other formats were extremely low with no brands emerging to drive up their share.…

Other pet food is set to register current value growth in Israel in 2024. Along with the prices of dog and cat food, prices of other pet food rose sharply in the latter part of the review period. The rise in prices started in the pet specialist…

Other pet food continues to see dynamic growth in value and volume terms in 2024, continuing the patter seen in the second half of the review period. This dynamism is in part thanks to the increasing openness of the culture in the Kingdom with…

Pet care is experiencing growth across the different categories, not only for dog and cat food, but also for other pet food in the United Arab Emirates targeting birds, fish and small mammals/reptiles as these populations grow. Owning a pet is…