United Arab Emirates

The changes in consumer behaviour brought about by the inflationary pressures that started in early 2022 resulted in a decline in retail volume sales of cheese in 2022, while current value sales remained positive. In 2023, although a return to retail…

The global economic situation in 2022 saw many investors flock to the United Arab Emirates, so that they could protect their businesses from volatile markets and rising inflation. Dubai’s investors now have better access to fine wine trading. For…

Vegetable chips continue to gain in popularity in the United Arab Emirates as an alternative to traditional potato chips, as they are made from ingredients such as kale, sweet potatoes, or beets. Vegetable chips also tend to be baked or dehydrated…

Viva is a discounter chain in the United Arab Emirates, operating in Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman. It offers a variety of products, including fresh foods and personal care items, offering prices that are generally 30-45% cheaper than those that can be…

Strong labour laws and visa policies often make it difficult to employ part-time direct selling representatives in the United Arab Emirates, as visa holders are allowed to only work for companies under their work permit. While the local government…

Maintaining a long-standing trend, dog food is set to continue to witness retail volume and current value growth in 2023. Dog ownership in the United Arab Emirates was previously associated with Westerners who had higher disposable incomes.…

Demand for home insecticides remained stable in 2022, driven by the most popular format of spray/aerosol insecticides. Players are expanding the number of pack sizes and price points available to consumers in addition to the options already…

The landscape of hotel bookings is undergoing a transformative shift, with direct bookings increasingly challenging the role of intermediaries and encouraging customers to choose a more personalised approach, particularly business travellers. This…

Spirit-based RTDs continued to drive category sales in the United Arab Emirates at the end of the review period. These mainly consist of rum-based drinks with 4% ABV mixed with fruit flavours, such as strawberry, orange, pineapple, grapefruit,…

As cider is historically an alternative to beer in the United Arab Emirates, the FIFA World Cup held in Qatar boosted demand for this alcoholic drink in addition to beer sales in late 2022, despite inflation hitting the local market. Since Budweiser…

The Ministry of Economy introduced an initiative to control inflation by regulating the prices of household items and food in 70 outlets throughout the United Arab Emirates. Included among the products were cooking oils, eggs, dairy, rice, sugar,…

In 2022, Gentle Monster and Maison Margiela collaborated to create a fashionable and unique collection of sunglasses, which was launched in the Dubai Mall. This reflects a growing trend of fashion and eyewear players creating partnerships, whereby…

Despite the worldwide upheaval due to the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, and a deteriorating economic forecast, demand for eyewear in the United Arab Emirates continues to grow in 2023. This expansion continues to be fuelled by heightened…

The United Arab Emirates has a hot and dry climate, which can make it challenging to grow crops year-round. However, with the help of technology such as hydroponics and vertical farming, people are finding ways to grow their own food in limited…

The cat population continued to grow in the United Arab Emirates in 2022, and this is set to continue in 2023. There is a strong cat culture, with cats well-regarded in the Islamic faith and treated well. This is further seen from Dubai…

Like womenswear and menswear, in 2022 childrenswear benefited from the full resumption of activities such as going to school, participating in after-school activities, sports, and events such as birthday parties. As social health is now regarded as…

High demand for wipes, especially those with antibacterial properties, including all purpose cleaning wipes and general purpose wipes, continued to be driven by heightened hygiene awareness and more stringent cleaning habits since the pandemic. Wipes…

While demand for sanitary protection continued to slowly rise in 2022 following a marginal dip in 2020 as a result of home seclusion following the emergence of the pandemic, the category recorded double-digit current value growth in 2022 as a result…

Consumers in the United Arab Emirates are employing every possible rationalisation strategy to manage their expenditure as pressure on household budgets increases. They are taking two approaches: they are buying less and paying less. Buying less…

Bleach continued to enjoy strong demand in 2022, although compared to when the pandemic first emerged in the United Arab Emirates in 2020, its rate of growth in volume terms was more subdued. However, remaining at higher than pre-pandemic levels,…