Saudi Arabia

Breakfast cereals is witnessing healthy growth in 2023 and this is mainly due to the normalisation of life in the Kingdom and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. The re-opening of schools and consumers returning to the workplace has had a…

Bread remains a key area of staple foods in Saudi Arabia with it being the largest category in both retail volume and current value terms. Bread accompanies many meals and therefore sales are not generally significantly impacted by factors such as…

The briefing examines how the chemical products industry is performing globally and in the largest countries in terms of chemical products output. The report also provides data for production, market size, imports, exports, industry costs, industry…

The purchasing decisions of consumers are increasingly influenced by health concerns. Rising awareness of health was particularly accelerated by measures from the government in the form of its Healthy Food Strategy to ensure the health of the nation…

The Saudi government aims to promote physical and social wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle through its Quality of Life programme, which is one of its Vision 2030 initiatives. It pays great attention to sports, as partaking in sports activities has…

The offer of and demand for healthier snacks continued to grow significantly during 2022, in line with rising health consciousness amongst consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic raised consumers’ awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyles, including…

Coffee is a traditional drink in Saudi Arabia, with a rich history and rich flavour. The original drink is a fusion of coffee beans, ginger, cardamom, saffron, and cloves. Saudi Arabian residents value such traditional coffee, and are well-aware of…

In Saudi Arabia, there is increasing awareness of the importance of healthy eating as a means of improving the immune system, and organic products are favoured, as they are seen as more natural. According to Euromonitor International’s Voice of the…

Consumers today have a greater understanding of the significance of diet and nutrition to their overall health and wellbeing. Increasing knowledge of the dangers to health of obesity and related problems, such as heart disease, has led consumers to…

The health and wellness industry continues to grow in importance post-pandemic as consumers become more aware of the negative health impact of processed foods, seeking healthier foods and beverages from a range of claims such as natural, organic,…

The global economy is facing weaker growth and increasing fragmentation, as a result of rising geopolitical tensions, especially due to the war in Ukraine and the US-China strategic rivalry. Protectionism, industrial policy and a focus on resilience…

In 2022, construction grappled with rising interest rates and living costs, affecting residential, industrial and commercial sectors. Government commitments to infrastructure drove demand. Despite cost surges, solid demand allowed passing expenses to…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Demand for ready meals in Saudi Arabia surged during the pandemic as foodservice closures and fears around food delivery drove home-cooking occasions; ready meals presented a more convenient alternative than cooking meals from scratch. Although the…

After a surge in demand for dairy products and associated packaging in 2020 due to pandemic-related home seclusion, retail unit volume sales somewhat normalised the following year as restrictions started to ease and local consumers began to spend…

Overall confectionery packaging retail unit volume sales in Saudi Arabia returned to growth in 2022, albeit marginal, following pandemic-induced declines due to lack of mobility outside of the home and limited demand for impulse purchases. The…

Since the pandemic, retail unit volumes of baby food packaging have consistently declined. During the pandemic, mothers – particularly working mothers – had greater time to spend at home looking after their children, and this left them with more time…

Saudi Arabia is projected to experience a moderate increase in the number of households between 2022 and 2027. Although couples with children will continue to be the leading household type, the most rapid growth is expected among single person…

Although per capita income levels are anticipated to increase at a slower pace than the regional average, incomes in Saudi Arabia will remain relatively high by regional standards over 2021-2040. Comprehensive structural reforms and economic…

Dammam and Jeddah stand as Saudi Arabia’s most economically vibrant cities, boasting the highest per capita GDP. Dammam has the highest per capita disposable incomes, while Jeddah takes the lead in productivity levels. Additionally, Jubail emerges as…

Through to 2040, the Saudi population is set to continue rising due to high fertility rates and longer life expectancy, with the average consumer being 37 years old. Generation Alpha will dominate, comprising over a quarter of the population. Income…

The yoghurt and sour milk products category has shown healthy growth even within the tough economic situation and the slower growth of consumption as a result of the high rate of inflation. The category’s strong performance has mainly been due to its…

Dairy products have established an important role in the diets of many Saudi Arabian consumers. However, in line with many markets around the world, Saudi Arabia is seeing a growing interest in plant-based alternatives that is being supported…

The re-opening of schools has had a major impact on the recovery of many packaged food categories, with other dairy products being amongst them. The return to schools was a major factor in the recovery of chilled dairy desserts, in particular, as…

Fresh milk is seeing a revival in volume sales in 2023 following a decline in the previous year due to the high rate of inflation and the increasing cost of living, which put pressure on consumers. In 2023, however, sales are witnessing healthy…

The dairy products market has maintained healthy growth in Saudi Arabia in current value terms, mainly due to the high rate of inflation, and it is expected that the market will register a better performance in volume terms in 2023 as prices will see…

The cheese market witnessed a decline in volume sales in 2022, largely as a result of the impact of the high rate of inflation, which led to significant increases in the price of cheese products. Companies revised their pricing constantly during the…

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…

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.…

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…

Consumer health is set to maintain solid current value growth in 2023, with increases across most categories. Analgesics, and cough, cold and allergy (hey fever) remedies are expected to remain the largest OTC categories. Due to their maturity and…

In 2023, there have been stock shortages for some analgesics in key distribution channels in Saudi Arabia, resulting from producers, suppliers, and/or distributors. As a result, end consumers have been switching to alternative products containing the…

Since alcohol consumption is prohibited in Saudi Arabia under Sharia law, the alcoholic drinks packaging industry is entirely represented by non-alcoholic beverages, and non-alcoholic beer in particular. These malt-based beverages come in a variety…

Travel in Saudi Arabia is performing exceptionally well in 2023, having ranked first among all of the other Arab nations in terms of highest inbound visitors in 2022. Saudi Arabia has also experienced an incredible recovery in the number of airlines…