Middle East

Retail sales of chocolate confectionery in Israel saw modest growth in volume terms in 2023, following the declining performance of the previous year. Growth was boosted by an improvement in the fortunes of leading chocolate confectionery company…

With consumer spending still under huge pressure, Lebanon’s snacks brands faced muted demand in 2023, although volume sales did increase in all categories of snacks over the course of the year. Local players remain dominant in most categories,…

In 2023, snacks in Jordan is seeing impressive growth, benefiting from the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and return to normal. The return to schools and universities in particular is having a positive impact as students are the main consumers of…

Retail demand for sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks recovered to pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2023 in the United Arab Emirates. On the other hand, current value sales fully recovered the previous year, driven by rising unit…

Like many snacks categories in the United Arab Emirates, sugar confectionery was negatively affected in 2020 by the emergence of the pandemic, whereby lockdown measures and the closure of schools resulted in a significant decline in sales. In the…

Snacks in the United Arab Emirates play a significant role in consumers’ lives. The motivation for purchasing snacks can be for various reasons, including an energy boost, hunger management, nutrient intake, mood enhancement, and social engagement.…

Vegetable chips continue to gain in popularity in the United Arab Emirates as an alternative to traditional potato chips, as they are made from ingredients such as kale, sweet potatoes, or beets. Vegetable chips also tend to be baked or dehydrated…

Demand for ice cream declined significantly during the pandemic due to the lack of impulse purchases and on-the-go consumption occasions. Ice cream is often consumed immediately after being purchased in the United Arab Emirates; however, due to…

Gum in the United Arab Emirates is mainly consumed on-the-go and out of the home, which resulted in a significant drop in sales in 2020 through to early 2022 due to lockdowns, social distancing measures and limited mobility. Nevertheless, as…

The number of health-conscious consumers in the United Arab Emirates is rising, resulting in increasing demand for healthy snacks. The perception of a healthy diet has gradually changed in the domestic market. Local consumers used to consider sweets…