The Middle East and Dubai in particular are well known for being associated with luxury and opulence, which also brings with it greater awareness among consumers when it comes to food and beverage consumption and a greater demand for higher quality.
This has a lot to do with the local drinks sector, particularly when products are associated with beauty and skincare, given the climatic conditions of the region and the potential impacts of this on the skin.
“High quality is a must here in the Middle East and especially in Dubai, and when it comes to anything associated with beauty, the need and demand is even more evident.” Rob Furse, director of beverage brand +PW’s parent company, Millennium Group, said FoodNavigator-Asia.
“It is very clear that consumers are limiting their consumption of sugary and carbonated drinks (partly due to higher prices), but mainly due to a greater awareness of the health and wellness connotations, so beverage brands are also They must adapt to these changes.
“For us, newer products, like the beauty-focused Collagen Booster, were formulated without sugar or artificial ingredients, as well as a blend of vitamin B3, B6, B7, and C for skin maintenance along with collagen itself. .
“Any existing products that have ingredients that may be of concern are considering being reformulated to remove them, as along with sugar, the idea of clean label is also gaining traction.”
The push to eliminate sugar is especially clear for companies seeking to position themselves from the beauty or wellness aspect, as several dermatological studies have identified excessive sugar consumption as a factor in skin aging, aggravating problems. such as inflammation and collagen damage.
“Everyone wants to live better and feel better, and beauty is a very important part of that, especially in a market like the Middle East.” he added.
“Here, high quality and premium are very important, so it’s about cleanliness, it’s about purity, it’s about giving consumers products that they can trust to take care of them, and this is no different for beverages , so added sugar is pretty much a no-no these days.”
Sugar anxiety
Overall, sugar has long been a cause of concern for the Middle East region, which struggles with high rates of obesity and its position as one of the fastest growing in the world in terms of sugar consumption.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the average daily consumption of sugar in this region is 85 g per day, well above the WHO recommended value of 5 g per day.
Governments across the region, such as the United Arab Emirates and Oman, have implemented regulatory and fiscal measures to control sugar consumption, particularly in beverages, with a 50% tax on soft drinks and 100% on energy drinks. , respectively, which has given these sugary drinks higher price points on average since 2020.
However, while sugar-free and low-sugar drinks may be gaining popularity as a result, it appears that sugar consumption outside of the beverage industry continues to rise, as evidenced by the overall increase in consumption over the past year.
“The sugary drinks market has adapted to the excise tax in the United Arab Emirates” Jamal Al Ghurair, CEO of one of the oldest sugar companies in the region, Al Khaleej Sugar told us.
“Demand for sugar has grown around 3% since the fourth quarter of 2022 (but) much of it is imported.”
The Middle East also has one of the highest numbers of diabetic patients in the world.