News

Healthy beverage category on pace for 8.6% growth in Middle East

September 30, 2014

Euromonitor International, a market research company, has published new research in an e-book identifying the top beverage trends throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

According to the data, the MENA region is on pace for an 8.6-percent increase in healthy beverages. This is compared to a 2.9-percent increase in the carbonated category.

Highlights from the research include:

• Healthy drinks have seen increased popularity in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria due to consumer demand. Also, with the growing concerns over the quality of tap water in Tunisia and Iran, Euromonitor has seen more demand for bottled water. Additionally, low calorie carbonates and non-carbonates are growing as consumers face growing concerns about obesity, EI said in a news release.
• Energy drinks are popular in markets such as Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Algeria. Due to the ban of alcohol in Saudi Arabia, energy drinks are often seen as a 'substitute' leisure drink, the company said. In Tunisia and Algeria, domestic brand strategy is focused on providing energy drinks at lower price points, as consumers are still likely to purchase these products despite the health warnings. Consequently, energy drinks are big winners with growth in both volume and value.
• Packaging in the MENA region is seeing new innovation through product development and environmentally-friendly bottle design. Slim cans, mainly used for energy drinks, have changed the look of the carbonates market in 2014. Furthermore, Saudi's growing demand for convenience has led to an increase in demand for single-serve consumption drinks.