Middle East

Technological advances in 2024 will continue to reshape consumer behaviour. This annual report explores the top five digital shopper trends that will redefine commerce the most in the year ahead. Some of the trends included in this report’s edition…

There is an intriguing dichotomy at play in dairy products and alternatives in Middle East and Africa, with value for money particularly important for many consumers given the current inflationary environment. At the same time, particularly among…

The briefing examines how the milk commodity performs globally and in the largest countries in terms of supply and production. The report also provides data and analysis on milk price dynamics, as well as trends across key commodity consuming…

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…

In 2023, Qatar's dairy industry has witnessed significant developments. Local production has soared, surpassing consumption targets, with a growing surplus of milk and other dairy products. A surge in consumer awareness of healthy alternatives,…

Increasingly hectic lifestyles and growth in the number of working mothers is boosting demand for packaged dairy and baby food which is widely available via the country’s well-developed grocery retail channels. The government’s investment in…

Dairy has remained resilient despite Lebanon’s economic crisis, a reflection of its status as the backbone of Lebanon’s agriculture sector. In some regions, dairy production accounts for 60% of all economic activity and this has spurred international…

In 2023, dairy consumption remains high despite the many negative factors that are currently impacting the industry, such as inflation and Kuwaitisation, which has resulted in decreased population. Nonetheless, due to the industry’s essential nature,…

Dairy products continues to perform well in 2023 due to the pandemic coming to an end. Likewise, the return of tourists, more women in the workforce, and the expansion of chained supermarkets and hypermarkets will continue to drive growth. However,…

2023 saw dairy plagued by supply chain issues and low consumer confidence. The government responded with attempts to improve the stability of the Iraqi dinar and policies to promote local production as foreign brands tend to offer basic products made…

Although the pandemic is now a distant memory, consumers are still motivated to focus on their health and wellness. The demand for drinking yoghurt products that include a “protein” claim, in addition to advantages such as “probiotics”, and “gut…

The yoghurt and sour milk products category has shown healthy growth even within the tough economic situation and the slower growth of consumption as a result of the high rate of inflation. The category’s strong performance has mainly been due to its…

As prices of supervised milk rise, manufacturers of dairy products increase prices for all of their products. Following the September 2022 rise in supervised milk prices, the price of milk was set to rise by 16% in May 2023. However, days before the…

The vast majority of consumers typically consume dairy products, but as the health and wellness trend spreads throughout the country, a niche segment of the population has shown an increasing preference for plant-based foods. Hence, plant-based…

Dairy products have established an important role in the diets of many Saudi Arabian consumers. However, in line with many markets around the world, Saudi Arabia is seeing a growing interest in plant-based alternatives that is being supported…

The demand for plant-based and dairy-free products continues to grow in Israel in 2023. This demand started with consumers who were allergic to lactose or had other health issues whereby they could not eat dairy. However, there has also been a…

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…

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…

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…

In 2022, the price of fresh milk increased significantly, and this has continued into 2023. This growth is primarily being driven by pressures of inflation at various levels, which is being seen globally as an impact of the pandemic and other…

Fresh milk is seeing a revival in volume sales in 2023 following a decline in the previous year due to the high rate of inflation and the increasing cost of living, which put pressure on consumers. In 2023, however, sales are witnessing healthy…

In September 2022, supervised milk prices saw a strong increase in Israel. Moreover, in May 2023, the price of milk was set to rise by 16%, but, days before the intended implementation of the increase, the Minister of Finance and Minister of…

In 2022, supply chain problems were seen, as global disruptions drove up the costs of raw materials, logistics and fuel. Overall, the United Arab Emirates and the region overall were affected in terms of rising costs and inflation. Cost-push…

The dairy products market has maintained healthy growth in Saudi Arabia in current value terms, mainly due to the high rate of inflation, and it is expected that the market will register a better performance in volume terms in 2023 as prices will see…

Increases in the prices of supervised and non-supervised dairy products in 2022 and 2023 have had a strong impact on categories. Higher prices have constrained retail volume growth potential amid high inflation and the rising cost of living in…

The changes in consumer behaviour brought about by the inflationary pressures that started in early 2022 resulted in a decline in retail volume sales of cheese in 2022, while current value sales remained positive. In 2023, although a return to retail…

The cheese market witnessed a decline in volume sales in 2022, largely as a result of the impact of the high rate of inflation, which led to significant increases in the price of cheese products. Companies revised their pricing constantly during the…

The government has removed customs taxes for certain imported cheeses, such as soft cheeses with a fat percentage over 5%. Previously, these cheeses were taxed at ILS8.04-13.21 per kg. The customs tax is mainly set to be removed in two stages. Half…

Due to inflationary pressures arising from global supply chain issues, recent price increases in retail have impacted dairy categories, and butter and spreads is no exception. Moreover, due to rising health awareness, some consumers are also veering…

The butter market was significantly impacted by the war following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The conflict led to a significant increase in prices due to the shortage of supplies and labour, and logistics challenges. All these factors…

Butter in Israel had a very high customs tax of 126-140%. This made importing butter unviable for players in the category, except for specific importers allowed to import small amount without the customs tax attached. In 2019, the country started to…

Inflationary pressures have been impacting baby food, a category that was already suffering from limited growth even prior to the pandemic. Although most families have now returned to the country, the socioeconomic revival in 2022 was met with rising…

Baby formula saw volume sales fall in 2022 and the category has continued to struggle in 2023, mainly due to the ongoing change in Saudi culture. Years ago, Saudis used to have many children, with an average family having around five or six children.…

All of the players in baby food have increased prices during 2023, despite the price-sensitivity of consumers. Companies have increased prices due to high inflation, rising costs of shipping and raw materials. In addition, the decreasing value of the…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. In 2023, global inflation is expected to ease from its peak in 2022, but remaining significantly above-trend. Geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market are…

Now in its seventh edition, this report explores the top digital shopper trends that will redefine commerce the most in the year ahead. Some of the trends included in this edition touch on topics such as second-hand shopping, community group buying,…

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…

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.…

Interest in plant-based eating and alternative proteins in the Middle East and Africa had been steadily rising pre-pandemic and was further accelerated by consumers looking at healthier options. The Middle East and Africa has the lowest per capita…

Food security has always been on the agenda of governments as a long-term goal, but recent challenges have escalated its priority even in countries that have been historically regarded as food secure. Private and government sectors have joined forces…

As consumers prepare fewer meals overall, while demanding more assistance for the ones they do, spending and brand equity will accrue to those companies providing fresh prepared meals on demand, from delivery aggregators to retailers, restaurant…

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant changes in business models and consumer behaviour, as well as altering the ways and the geography many of us live, work, study and play. Understanding what changes will stick after the pandemic…

The digital revolution has been rewiring retail for years, leading to new business models, commerce ecosystems and channels for reaching and engaging consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this transition, as e-commerce became the default…

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…

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…

To help companies understand which categories are most primed for sustained e-commerce growth post-pandemic, Euromonitor developed the E-Commerce Readiness Model. This tool uses analytic modelling to determine which countries and categories have the…

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has shaken up consumer goods and service industries in the Middle East, putting pressure on supply chains and depressing sales as lockdowns and job losses squeeze discretionary spending. Essential items such as packaged food,…