Market Trends of Middle East & Africa Snack Food Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the MEA Snack Food Market according to our research experts:
Surging demand for clean-label and free-from snacks
There has been a significant increase in the demand for natural/organic food products, including snack bars, among consumers in recent years. This is due to the increasing awareness of the adverse health effects associated with consuming various synthetic food ingredients used in non-complying quantities in food products, as per government standards.
The snack food business in the United Arab Emirates is booming as consumers become more health-conscious and develop more nutritious snacking options, which are becoming increasingly popular. As snack bars rapidly replace traditional meals, consumers prefer snacks that add to their daily nutritional requirements while being appropriate to their diet or lifestyle. This is a small growing segment with some new launches emphasizing baked, less sodium and fat, no MSG, and natural ingredient claims. The concept of free-from products is likely to stir the market for snack products during the forecast period, providing access to worry-free snacking for people allergic to gluten, soy, or other similar ingredients. Thus, manufacturers are expanding their product portfolio to cater to the potential market. For instance, In 2020, Bake Natur.ly, a 'better snacking' division of Dofreeze LLC and a Dubai-based business, announced the launch of its gluten free bar, the individually-wrapped snacks consisting of healthy attributes such as high fiber, no added sugar, prebiotics, rice flour, oats, and buckwheat.
Emiratis Consumers are highly concerned about the long-term effects of the ingredients they are consuming in terms of nutrition content and their impact on health, environmental sustainability, sourcing, and social responsibility. The consumption of synthetic ingredients is being criticized, and people are responding positively, despite the price difference. Hence, the clean label moved on from being a trend and is now regarded as a standard in the food industry. The interest in identifying the ingredients in snack bars and other products triggered the growth of the snack bars market.
United Arab Emirates is the fastest growing country
The increasing demand for snack food products in the United Arab Emirates is influenced by busy lifestyles, increasing urbanization, and the growing professional middle class. This factor has fueled the demand for convenient and easy-to-prepare meals. In addition, a surge in the ex-pat population in the middle east has greatly influenced the demand for the snack food market. For instance, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are prominent nations in terms of ex-pat population.
The country's growing ex-pat population is more likely to experiment with new flavors, which is pushing snack manufacturers to offer new and innovative snack options. Some of the popular snacks offered in the region include jalapeno, black truffle, and mustard. The expatriate population in the United Arab Emirates, as per the UN (United Nations) 2020, are 88% of the United Arab Emirates population. Indians form the largest foreign community in the United Arab Emirates, followed by Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Filipinos, Egyptians, other Asians, Europeans, and Africans.
United Arab Emirates government is also promoting various food and snack producers via events and exhibitions which allow local brands to present their product portfolio to a larger audience. For instance, At the Dubai World Trade Centre, several local entrepreneurs are launching and showcasing a variety of new-to-market items including savory snacks. UAE- based gulf food has Savoury snacks like Toasted corn, Wheat and Flour Tortillas, Nachos, Popcorn and others. All the company products are ISO14001, BRC, IFS, AIB, GMO Free and HALAL (among others) certified firm. Thus, the above factors are driving the market grwoth of snack food market in the country and forsees a strong growth during the forecast period.
