Middle East

After a year of strong growth in 2021, cigarette sales recorded a slight unit volume decline in Middle East and Africa in 2022. With disposable incomes under pressure in a lot of countries, illicit trade remains a problem in many of them. E-vaping…

The tobacco industry in Israel has seen consistent price increases over the review period. In 2022, the price of a cigarette package increased by NIS1, and there was an additional NIS1 increase in January 2023.

British American Tobacco Plc (BAT) maintains its company lead (in both NBO and GBO terms) in cigarettes, while Marlboro Red from Philip Morris International Inc (PMI) is the top brand, with Marlboro variants pipping BAT’s Dunhill Carlton to the post.…

The cigarettes category in the United Arab Emirates is becoming less fragmented, with most volumes now being generated by the top global manufacturers. In 2022, brands from Philip Morris Management Services (Middle East) Ltd and Imperial Tobacco…

The product area has seen two recent price increases: by 2 shekels in June 2021, and by a further 2 shekels in January 2023. In 2021 the category saw positive growth as a result of lockdown and lower sales of duty-free stores. Post-COVID-19, it has…

Smoking tobacco, especially pipe tobacco, continues to dominate sales in the category, representing the water pipe tobacco (shisha), while cigars and cigarillos remain niche, with low popularity and a very select audience. Although cafés and…

Amongst all the established traditional alternatives to cigarettes, pipe tobacco is the only one still growing as fast as cigarettes, while cigars, cigarillos, and fine cut tobacco are also seeing growth, but at a slower rate. One of the reasons is…

The briefing introduces the Cities Households Necessities Spending Index. The index ranks 1,075 cities by household expenditure on non-discretionary items, namely food, housing, and clothing and footwear. This analysis focuses on 160 major cities.…

Slower growth, surging inflation, rising geopolitical risks and an accelerating deglobalisation trend are factors shaping the global economic, financial and trade landscape in 2022 and beyond. Despite the challenges, there are opportunities for…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is reaching a peak, although geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market remain key risks. The impact varies between countries, with…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries in Q4 2023 and 2024. Global inflation is moderating, although divergence remains among the key economies. Higher volatility in the energy markets and disruption of…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered the most severe global recession since World War II. In Q4 2020, the end of the pandemic started as countries began administering effective vaccines among the population; however, vaccine distribution…

This report considers what socialising will look like in a post-COVID-19 era, focusing on several key questions. A return to the “Roaring Twenties” in the beverages space or a continuing decimation of the on-trade? How has socialising changed (eg…

The product range available in open vaping systems in the United Arab Emirates has expanded, as Vaporesso entered the market in 2022. Vaporesso is a premium vape brand that is now present in 50 markets. It is from Shenzhen Smoore Technology Co Ltd,…

Electronic cigarette usage is increasing significantly among young local consumers, even though they cannot legally be sold to minors. This is because the supervision in this product area has been deficient. In 2022, 33% of teenagers reported having…

Heated tobacco products continue to boom in Saudi Arabia, gaining a lot of popularity – especially so among younger generations of consumers of the legal smoking age, who find such smoking methods fashionable and attractive. Indeed, many consumers…

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the consumer goods market in Sub-Saharan Africa, with recovery expected to take place over time. Consumers expenditure has been negatively affected, as value seeking consumers shift to essential products. The…

Iraq’s tobacco industry began to struggle for positive volume growth in 2022 despite the rapid growth seen in reduced harm options such as heated tobacco and e-vapour products. In most cases, local smokers are intent on reducing the amount they smoke…

Having performed strongly during 2020, retail current value sales of tobacco declined for the first time in four years in 2021 and once again in 2022. Notably, cigarettes saw moderate decline in both retail volume and current value terms in 2022.…

While the COVID-19 pandemic did not negatively impact tobacco in 2022, tax-paid cigarettes remain under pressure due to rising taxes, falling income levels and the strong presence of illicit trade. Despite more intense efforts to control smuggling,…