Middle East

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…

Wound care is expected to maintain solid growth in both retail volume and current value terms in 2023. With many aspects of life in Saudi Arabia back to normal after the pandemic disruption, consumers are spending more time outside the home and being…

One of the most notable consequences of the pandemic was the propensity for Saudi people to put on weight as a consequence of social distancing and home seclusion, which meant that many people were engaged in far lower levels of physical activity…

Despite the expectation of a slowdown compared with the high growth rates seen during the pandemic, vitamins is set to maintain solid retail volume and current value growth in 2023, supported by recommendations from pharmacists and doctors. In…

With all sports centres, activities, and events suspended for significant periods during the COVID-19 pandemic, sports nutrition suffered a drastic decline in 2020. Consumers were not able to work out as regularly as they did previously, meaning that…

COVID-19 led to a strong rise in the growth rate for sleep aids, as the stresses and pressures of the pandemic boosted demand for these products. In addition to the fear of falling ill, many Saudi consumers also faced economic uncertainty and nagging…

One of the actions the Saudi government took to limit the spread of COVID-19 was to close all schools and universities (with only remote learning permitted), and to suspend all social and community activities for children, including sports. This had…

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 2023, herbal/traditional products is set to continue to see growth across all categories in current value terms, as health-consciousness was accelerated by the pandemic, and this is a trend that has endured and continues to affect consumers’…

Modern daily life is leading consumers to spend a significant amount of time in front of their phone and computer screens. This abundance of screen time has led to a greater proportion of the population developing eye health problems, be it eye…

As leisure and entertainment are on the rise in Saudi Arabia, including dining out, more people are facing digestive problems. Furthermore, during the holy month of Ramadan, more people experience digestive disorders such as bloating, heartburn, acid…

Dietary supplements is set to maintain dynamic current value growth in 2023. After the onset of the pandemic, consumers educated themselves on the health benefits of specific ingredients, and became particularly interested in dietary supplements with…

In 2023, dermatologicals is set to return to solid current value growth, although performances are expected to vary widely across categories. For instance, hair loss treatments is expected to continue to benefit from consumers’ perception of their…

The pandemic has led consumers to become more concerned about the products they consume, and more conscious of side-effects, with some people therefore preferring to purchase herbal/traditional products instead of standard products, or those needing…