Staple Foods

Retail demand for breakfast cereals continues to grow in the United Arab Emirates. Since local consumers have resumed busy schedules, many of them find breakfast cereals a quick and convenient option. RTE cereals are easy to prepare, thereby saving…

Saudi Arabia mainly imports its potatoes from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Egypt. However, during the second half of 2022 there were difficulties in importing potatoes from these countries as they experienced poor harvests due to unfavourable…

Retail demand for frozen processed vegetables continues to rise in 2023, driven by consumer perceptions that this format offers convenience and is an easy-to-prepare alternative to fresh vegetables. It takes less preparation time, since frozen…

Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat is witnessing healthy growth in current value and retail volume terms in 2023, continuing the pattern seen in 2022. This positive performance is mainly due to life getting back to normal with consumers…

Like many markets, consumers in the United Arab Emirates are becoming increasingly concerned about their health and wellness. As a result, the demand for processed meat that is lower in fat, salt, and additives or organic options that are free from…

Noodles is the smallest category within rice, pasta and noodles in retail volume terms, but it is seeing healthy growth in Saudi Arabia in 2023. These products have found appeal among busy consumers looking for a quick snack or meal option.…

The United Arab Emirates has banned the export and re-export of rice for four months starting from the end of July. However, the suspension could be automatically renewed. The suspension has been imposed on non-basmati white rice originating from…

Staple foods in Jordan has been impacted by price inflation in 2023, especially in rice. Jordan imports 90% of its rice from the US which has suffered from a drop in its rice yield, thus putting upward pressure on the price of rice. Foodservice sales…

Sales of stale foods have continued to see healthy growth in retail volume and value terms in 2023, with sales benefiting from a booming economy. The market saw several challenges in 2022 from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and global inflation which…

As noted in many countries around the world, consumers in the United Arab Emirates experienced weakened purchasing power in 2022 due to the impact of inflation on goods and services. However, in 2023, unlike in many other markets, consumers’…

In 2023, staple foods perform well due to their essential nature. There is a shift towards convenience, as consumers fully resume pre-COVID-19 habits. Bread is the main staple, with rice highly popular. There is also a move to healthier variants as…

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…

Staple foods in 2023: The big picture

In July 2022, the Price Control Committee declared that bread should be removed from price controls. The move required the approval of the Ministry of Economics, which was not forthcoming due to the fear that this would cause price increases for…

In November 2022, Unilever increased the prices of cereal for retailers. These increases went into effect over the succeeding three months. In May 2023, Osem announced a price rise for its products, including cereals, by an average of 4.7%. In May…

In February 2022, Yachin increased the prices of its canned goods by an average of 24%. In the months following, the prices of canned goods continued to rise. While no major announcements were made regarding the increase in these products, the prices…

In December 2022, following the price hikes of Tnuva and Unilever, Soglowek announced a price hike of 9.8% on its processed meat and poultry products. The company claimed that this was due to the increase in prices of meat and poultry set by the…

In December 2022, Osem announced a price rise for many of its products, including pasta, of 5.9%. Six months later, Osem announced another price hike for its pasta, of 4.5%, that went into effect in June 2023. In May 2023, Shestowitz increased the…

Instability in Iraq’s financial sector and has led to instability in supply chains and this combined with the efforts of the Iraqi government to control the distribution of staple foods. Since early 2022, the public distribution system (PDS) has been…

The staple foods market was characterised by strong price rises in 2023. Following increases in the prices of dairy, all major players announced price increases in the packaged food market. The price of supervised breads increased for the second time…