Packaging

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Thin wall plastic containers are the main pack type used in sweet spreads packaging and were also continuing to gain share in the overall category in 2022. This is because these containers are cost-effective to manufacture, making them an attractive…

Glass jars remained the dominant pack type in sweet spreads packaging in 2022. Glass provides excellent protection from the effects of the outside environment, including sunlight, ensuring the product remains unaffected and prolonging its shelf life.…

Sustainability is becoming a key focus for both manufacturers and consumers in soft drinks in the United Arab Emirates. Recycled bottles and reduced waste are core topics within the industry. Following global trends, players have started to launch…

The introduction of the excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in Saudi Arabia, which came into force on 1 December 2019, has had a notable influence on beverage companies' packaging strategies, particularly evident in the sizes of packs utilised by…

There was a general trend in the United Arab Emirates of the arrival of COVID-19 and the consequent lockdowns forcing people to stay at home benefitting the consumption of sauces, dressings, and condiments in 2020, followed by an easing of COVID-19…

As the trend to consume healthy food gained ground in 2020, consumers looked for easy-to-cook/-prepare and healthy dishes, which resulted in increasing consumption of salads. As a result, the packaging unit volumes of PET bottles in salad dressings…

Glass jars remained a major pack type in sauces, dips and condiments in 2022 for a number of reasons. Glass is an inert material that does not interact chemically with the product content, ensuring that the flavour and quality of the sauces, dips or…

After the effects of the pandemic and subsequent restrictions started to ease in Saudi Arabia in 2021, retail unit volume sales of sauces, dips and condiments and associated packaging suffered as consumers spent less time cooking at home. However, in…

Although foodservice outlets were closed or only offering limited services when COVID-19 hit the United Arab Emirates in 2020, local consumers had more time on their hands due to lockdowns or home seclusion, enabling them to prepare meals themselves.…

In 2020, demand for ready-to-cook frozen products in ready meals increased as the country entered a national lockdown period in the first half of the year. At this point, many consumers entered home seclusion to protect themselves and others from the…

Metal food cans continue to be the leading pack type in shelf stable meat and seafood packaging. Metal food cans are excellent at preserving the freshness and quality of processed meat and seafood. They provide an effective barrier against light,…

In 2022, retail unit volume sales of processed meat and seafood packaging in Saudi Arabia notably increased compared to the previous year’s flat performance, as local consumers resumed their regular, out-of-home lifestyles after the pandemic and…

Processed fruit and vegetables packaging was back recording positive growth in its unit volumes in 2022. This followed a year in which demand had slipped into decline in 2021, perhaps due to the spike in the growth rate seen in 2020 due to the…

After recording a decline in 2021, retail unit volumes of processed fruit and vegetables packaging returned to growth in 2022. The previous year’s decline was largely due to the normalisation in demand following a huge boom in 2020, when consumers…

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

Already starting to emerge as a trend in Saudi Arabia earlier in the review period, the pandemic heightened local consumers’ awareness of their health and wellbeing and encouraged them to review their dietary and nutritional requirements. Although…

In the United Arab Emirates, the packaging landscape has been seeing notable developments in 2022 across various product categories. PET bottles have gained popularity in the dairy category due to their lightweight, durable and transparent nature,…