Saudi Arabia Disposable Mask Market; By Product (Non-woven Masks, Dust Masks, Protective Masks, Surgical Masks, Others); By Material (Polypropylene, Melt Brown, Nylon, Cotton, Others); By End-Use (Personal/Individual, Commercial, Industrial); By Distribut

Saudi Arabia Disposable Mask Market; By Product (Non-woven Masks, Dust Masks, Protective Masks, Surgical Masks, Others); By Material (Polypropylene, Melt Brown, Nylon, Cotton, Others); By End-Use (Personal/Individual, Commercial, Industrial); By Distribution Channel (Online, Offline); Trend Analysis, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018-2028

Saudi Arabia Disposable Mask Market Witnessing Sturdy Growth — Projected to Grow at a CAGR of 17.5% During 2022-2028

Saudi Arabia disposable mask market is set to witness healthy growth. The market is being driven by several factors, including growing air pollution, rising number of airborne diseases, increasing construction in the country, growing vehicle fleet, and growing health awareness..

A study, recently conducted by the strategic consulting and market research firm BlueWeave Consulting, revealed that Saudi Arabia disposable mask market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 17.5% during the forecast period (2022-2028). Saudi Arabia disposable mask market is being driven by several factors, including growing air pollution, rising number of airborne diseases, growth of construction activities in the country, expanding vehicle fleet, and rising health awareness. Additionally, the rising number of surgeries and surging cases of the COVID-19 has created a growing demand for disposable masks in the kingdom.

Deteriorating air quality is driving the growth of Saudi Arabia disposable mask market

The deteriorating air quality has created several major health issues for people across Saudi Arabia. According to the WHO, air pollution can cause serious health effects, including asthma, cardiovascular risks, chronic headaches, and eye irritation. Saudi Arabia is witnessing rapidly deteriorating air quality with growing industrialization, increasing vehicle fleet, and rising construction activities in the country. Additionally, the number of new petrochemical projects is increasing in the country and Saudi Aramco, the state-owned company, has already acquired a 70% stake in SABIC, one of the largest chemicals & petrochemical companies in the world.

Furthermore, Al-Jubail Ethylene Plant of Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Co., is one of the major upcoming projects in the country with a total cost of USD 1.6 billion. The country is also looking to build NEOM – a smart city of the future. The city currently does not exist and will be built from the scratch with a total investment of USD 500 billion. These mega-projects will require massive construction, further worsening the air quality in the country. Additionally, the sales of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are growing in the country, further contributing to the deteriorating air quality. Disposable masks offer protection against harmful particles during construction activities and in traffic. Therefore, the deteriorating air quality in the country is supporting the growth of Saudi Arabia disposable mask market.

Polypropylene Segment Dominates the Saudi Arabia Disposable Mask Market

Based on the materials, Saudi Arabia disposable mask market is segmented into polypropylene, melt brown, nylon, cotton, and others. In 2021, the polypropylene segment dominated the market and held the largest share owing to the ease of availability of polypropylene and the high effectiveness of polypropylene masks. SABIC is one of the largest polypropylene manufacturers in the world and its presence ensured easy availability of the material in Saudi Arabia for manufacturing disposable masks. Additionally, the cost-effective nature of polypropylene masks and its high shelf-life further supports the dominant share of the segment in Saudi Arabia disposable mask market.

Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 affected all the industries around the world and had a severe effect on the disposable mask industry as well. The demand for disposable masks surged in the country with several pharmacies sold out. The country made it mandatory for everyone to wear masks in all public venues and public transport to curb the spread of the virus. The government eased the restriction once cases start to go down; however, amid the recent emergence of the Omicron variant, the country has once again made it mandatory for everyone to wear masks with a fine of up to 1,000 Saudi riyals (USD 266.54) for people not wearing the masks. The demand for disposable masks is expected to grow in the country in the coming months amid the government’s announcement and growing cases of the Omicron variant in the country.

The Leading Players in the Saudi Arabia Disposable Mask Market are 3M, Saudi Mais Co., and Honeywell International Inc. Other players operating in the market include Abdul-Aziz M. Al-Madhi & Partner (AMPCO), Uvex Arbeitsschutz GmbH, Owens & Minor, Inc., Moldex-Metric, Inc., Cardinal Health, Inc., Arabian Medical Products Manufacturing Company (Enayah), DuPont de Nemours, Inc., and others.

Saudi Arabia disposable mask market is a fragmented market with a number of major players operating in the market. The new companies are battling with established players to gain a significant share in the market. Collaboration, merger & acquisitions, partnerships, and launch of new projects are some of the strategies adopted by the players operating in Saudi Arabia disposable mask market to gain an advantage over their competitors.

Recent Developments

In January 2022, Saudi Mais Co., used SABIC’s polymer solutions to produce N95 masks in Saudi Arabia for the first time. The company collaborated with Demas Factory for Non-Woven Fabrics, to make the masks and obtain the required regulatory approvals. The launch of the first domestically produced N95 mask aligns with SABIC’s own Nusaned initiative and its contribution to achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

In June 2021, SABIC partnered with Fraunhofer UMSICHT and Procter & Gamble on a project for establishing a closed-loop recycling mechanism for used masks. As part of the project, masks were shredded and then thermochemically converted to pyrolysis oil, which is used by SABIC as feedstock for manufacturing new PP (polypropylene) resin.