Explore the latest trends, demand drivers and growth opportunitie...
Explore the latest trends, demand drivers and growth opportunities in the Middle East, with in-depth market and data analysis from our in-country field researchers and regional experts.
The tax on all sweetened beverages was withdrawn at the end of March 2023 and the Ministry of Health required retailers to lower prices within three days of the tax being removed. The removal of the tax, which was marketed as lowering the cost of…
The ultra-Orthodox community expressed annoyance with the tax placed on sweetened soft drinks on 1 January 2022. With a tax on plasticware also in place, this community believed that these measures were weighted against lower socioeconomic groups,…
Soft drinks saw rising demand in 2023 despite challenges such as the weak exchange value of the dinar and a lack of structure in the industry. Population growth and the youth of Iraq’s population are major reasons for rising demand in carbonates,…
The tax on all sweetened beverages was removed at the end of March 2023. With the government claiming that it was looking to lower the cost of living for locals, the Ministry of Health required retailers to lower prices within three days of the tax…
In 2023, the Israeli supermarket chain, Shufersal, launched its own line of RTD coffee. The private label coffee contains fresh milk, like Tnuva’s launch of Ice Coffee in a cup, and the retailer advertises that it uses 100% Arabica beans. Shufersal…
Pre-paid cards in the United Arab Emirates is experiencing a surge in innovation and growth, driven by evolving consumer preferences, technological advances, and the increasing popularity of digital payments. Mobile reloading options, such as bank…
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…
This Megatrends report highlights long-term trends resulting from shifts in consumer values and behaviour. It provides a summary of each of Euromonitor International’s 10 focus megatrends and insights as to how each trend has manifested in United…
Opposition from the ultra-Orthodox community led to the tax on all sweetened beverages being removed at the end of March 2023. The ultra-Orthodox community includes many heavy users of sugary and artificially sweetened carbonates, along with…
The cost of living has continued to rise in 2023. Israel's rate of inflation reached 5.3% in January 2023, the highest since 2008. Housing prices rose 20.3% in 2022. Electricity prices rose by 8.6% in August 2022 and, as the price of coal continued…
2023 saw positive growth in all categories of hot drinks due to population growth and an easing of inflation. However, all industry players continue to face major structural issues, with coffee and other hot drinks importers in particular facing…
The United Arab Emirates continues its journey towards a cashless society, with the continued adoption of digital payment solutions, contactless cards, and the emergence of supplementary payment platforms or solutions in pre-paid cards that support…
Prime energy drink entered the Israeli market in 2023. Due to its popularity on TikTok, the drink has been very popular from the start. The strong role of social media in the brand’s expansion – and, indeed, its development, in which the YouTube…
Contactless payments are becoming increasingly popular in the United Arab Emirates, driven by the convenience and safety they offer. Banks are accelerating the adoption of contactless payment technology, embedding NFC (Near Field Communication) chips…
The credit cards category in the United Arab Emirates is set to experience strong growth by all measures in 2023, fuelled by a combination of favourable economic conditions, evolving consumer preferences, and the adoption of new technologies. The…
The tax on all sweetened beverages was removed at the end of March 2023, with the Ministry of Health requiring retailers to lower prices within three days of the tax being removed. The removal of the tax led to the lowering of prices in the…
In 2023, prices have continued to rise in the packaged food and beverages market, and this has impacted coffee as well. This has largely been due to the high rate of inflation, with rising costs of transportation, energy and raw materials, and…
Aligned with historical patterns, there is expected to be an ongoing decrease in the number of charge cards in circulation in the United Arab Emirates in 2023, even though transaction value is set to show growth across both the commercial and…
The tax on all sweetened beverages was removed at the end of March 2023, as a result of opposition from the ultra-Orthodox community. The Ministry of Health required retailers to lower prices within three days of the tax being removed, with the…
At the end of 2021, a new law went into effect requiring a deposit of ILS0.3 for all bottles of 1.5 litres and above. This had a direct impact on prices of water in 2022, as 1.5 litres is a very popular size for water bottles. After the tax on…