Oral Care in the United Arab Emirates

PROSPECTS

A great smile is considered a beauty essential

Dubai has been dubbed a beauty mecca, for its international reputation as a place where external appearance is prized; this ethos certainly translates into the desire for a cosmetically pleasing smile. Whilst this helps fuel the growth of oral care products such as teeth whiteners or brighteners, there is also a tandem industry of professional whitening, veneers and invisible braces, which competes with this category for consumers’ resources.

Toothpaste leads oral care

Toothpaste remained the most popular oral care product in 2018. Higher-priced toothpaste is winning.

Toothbrush use is firmly entrenched; mouthwash and floss are catching up

Brushing teeth is part of Arabic culture – miswak, the first toothbrush in history – originated in Arabia. Mouthwashes/dental rinses and dental floss are seen as secondary products, and not as oral care essentials.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Multinationals dominate oral care

Oral care is dominated by multinationals, due to their well-established brand presence and strength in research and development. The leaders in 2018 remained Colgate-Palmolive (Gulf States), Procter & Gamble Gulf, GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever Gulf and Johnson & Johnson Middle East; which together accounted for more than three quarters of value sales.

Product innovation

A casual observer in the numerous hypermarkets and supermarkets in the United Arab Emirates can witness rows upon rows of different oral care products in different price segments and offering different innovations. Sales of power toothbrushes are on the rise, as well as new kinds of toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss and mouthwashes/dental rinses.

Hypermarkets expand their offering of oral care products

Health consciousness continues to rise in the United Arab Emirates, as more people, especially millennials, are looking for products that are positioned as increasing their wellbeing. Traditionally, such products were exclusively the realm of premium offerings, but hypermarkets are continuing to address consumer demand by offering more choice, with a wider range of prices and product types to meet the oral care demands of all consumer groups.

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