United Arab Emirates

This Megatrends report highlights long-term trends resulting from shifts in consumer values and behaviour. It provides a summary of each of Euromonitor International’s 10 focus megatrends and insights as to how each trend has manifested in United…

An important and continuing trend driving men's grooming in the United Arab Emirates is the increasing fascination with luxury and high-end grooming merchandise. As the local economy flourishes, an increasing number of consumers are open to investing…

The shift towards online purchases is notably boosting the sales of menstrual care in the United Arab Emirates, as consumers increasingly opt for the convenience of doorstep deliveries for their menstrual needs. While greater penetration of…

In the United Arab Emirates, the category of menswear is notably larger in size than womenswear, both in terms of retail volume and value sales: this is contrary to the global trend where sales of womenswear tend to be much greater. This is due to…

Amid ongoing trends, players are steadfastly focusing on innovation as a pivotal strategy to drive sales of microwaves. In the United Arab Emirates, there is a distinct emphasis on energy consumption, a factor presenting limitations on sales growth…

The average unit price of smartphones in the United Arab Emirates continues to increase in 2023. This can be attributed to multiple factors, including ongoing inflation and the premiumisation trend driven by leading players in the local market. For…

Insights and data on the traditional automotive sector and the mobility industry can help businesses examine how changing travel patterns will impact future consumer behaviour. Growing climate pressures and rising urbanisation rates are pushing…

In 2023, one noteworthy trend observed within nappies/diapers/pants in the United Arab Emirates was the substantial growth of private label and smaller players under “others”, albeit from a low base. This surge directly contributed to major brands…

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…

The global energy crisis has had far-reaching implications for consumers, businesses and entire economies, highlighting the importance of the global energy transition and boosting energy efficiency, while creating opportunities for innovation and…

In an effort to promote a healthier population and support the wellbeing of the local community, the government of the United Arab Emirates is actively encouraging smokers to quit. This includes the establishment of smoking cessation clinics at…

The number of consumers in the United Arab Emirates who are switching to plant-based diets is on the rise. In particular, nuts are a popular plant-based source of protein and are being increasingly incorporated into consumers’ diets. They provide…

Toothpaste is the leading oral care product in the United Arab Emirates, and continued to record the highest retail value growth in 2023. The ongoing popularity of toothpaste as the main oral care product in the local market encouraged players to…

Retail volume and current value growth of condensed and evaporated milk were positive in 2022, and this is set to continue in 2023, although volume growth has been moderate, and value growth has been higher due to rising inflation. Due to the full…

Traditionally in the United Arab Emirates, other hot drinks are represented mainly by chocolate-based flavoured powder drinks and malt-based hot drinks. Share of other formats were extremely low with no brands emerging to drive up their share.…

Pet care is experiencing growth across the different categories, not only for dog and cat food, but also for other pet food in the United Arab Emirates targeting birds, fish and small mammals/reptiles as these populations grow. Owning a pet is…

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,…

In the United Arab Emirates, there is wide knowledge of consumer health, due to the diverse make-up of the population. However, there are a significant number of parents who continue to be hesitant to give children over-the-counter medications due to…

In 2023, growth of personal accessories in the United Arab Emirates remains substantial, although the performance of the industry is uneven; with luxury brands outpacing their mass counterparts. In fact, across all personal accessories categories,…

Personal care appliances in the United Arab Emirates is evolving in line with shifts in consumer spending habits, with a notable uptick in demand for innovative personal care devices such as smart hair stylers, facial cleansing devices, and electric…

Personal luxury retail value sales rose by 7% in 2023 to total AED23.3 billion, with growth supported by leading brand owners, such as Richemont (Dubai) FZE. In 2023, retail value sales growth was boosted by consumers investing in luxury goods, such…

With a very low tax burden and reforms aimed at the business landscape, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) enjoys economic freedom, although the state’s grip on society continues. Oil production cuts will moderate economic growth in the short term, but…

The pet care industry in the United Arab Emirates is continuously growing across the different categories. Growth is being driven by the rise of pet ownership in the local market, which has been steadily increasing for all types of pets, although…

The growth of pet care goes beyond food and extends to complementary pet products in the United Arab Emirates. Owners are pampering their pets by buying more complementary products, and thus the demand for pet products is being driven by the rise in…

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

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…

In 2023, furniture polish in the United Arab Emirates remained the strongest performer in overall polishes, both in terms of retail and volume growth. Its performance was significantly influenced by the surging demand for premium and luxurious…

The demand for wireless speakers in the United Arab Emirates continues to grow, due to the increasing preference for wireless technology and connected devices. As leading smartphone brands continue to remove the headphone jack from new models, local…

Pre-paid cards in the United Arab Emirates is experiencing a surge in innovation and growth, driven by evolving consumer preferences, technological advances, and the increasing popularity of digital payments. Mobile reloading options, such as bank…

Retail current value sales of premium and luxury cars increased by 8% to AED15.5 billion in 2023, due to demand from higher-income consumers, whose expenditure proved resilient in the face of macroeconomic headwinds. Demand for premium and luxury…

Despite rising price sensitivity and the solid growth of the mass segment, premium beauty and personal care in the United Arab Emirates also experienced a robust performance in 2023. Amid global challenges in beauty and personal care, the United Arab…

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 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…

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,…

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…

The growing popularity of plant-based diets is increasing the demand for alternative sources of protein to meat. Pulses are considered an excellent protein alternative. As an increasing number of local consumers are adopting vegetarian and vegan…

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.…

Demand for refrigeration appliances in the United Arab Emirates continues to recover in 2023, driven by ongoing efforts in product innovation, continuous development of new products, and the integration of valuable enhancements. Factors such as the…

2023 witnessed an uptick in volume and value sales of retail adult incontinence in the United Arab Emirates, with sales of both light and moderate/heavy formats performing well. This growth was primarily fuelled by increasing awareness of…

The e-commerce landscape in the United Arab Emirates presents a competitive environment, yet it remains receptive to novel entrants equipped with innovative concepts or specialised propositions. Notably, the shift in consumer behaviour towards an…

In 2023, retail sales in the United Arab Emirates continued to grow at a reasonably positive level, although growth rates were marginally slower compared to the previous year. This slowdown was indicative of stability in retail’s performance after a…

In 2023, the prevailing trend was sustained high inflation, ensuring that value growth of retail tissue in the United Arab Emirates remained higher than volume growth, although demand also continued to rise, particularly for paper towels, toilet…

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…

Price per litre, RTD coffee is the most expensive category within soft drinks in the United Arab Emirates, followed by energy drinks. Its high price is driven by the premium nature of the product, a relatively small bottle size and the domination of…

RTD tea in the United Arab Emirates is among three categories within soft drinks demonstrating double-digit growth rates in 2023. Its success is partly being driven by its novelty factor in the local market, in line with the continuing success of RTD…

In line with global trends, most RTDs available in the United Arab Emirates are spirit-based. The presence of wine-based or malt-based RTDs is marginal in the local market. This is because of a cultural background of mixed expatriates, most of whom…

Local consumers are becoming increasingly focused on health and wellness trends, resulting in an increase in demand for sauces with healthy claims. Health-conscious consumers are selecting alternatives to traditional high-calorie sauces, as well as…

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…

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…

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…