Middle East and Africa Plant-Based Meat and Dairy Products Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Middle East and Africa Plant-Based Meat and Dairy Products Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The Middle East and African Plant-Based Meat and Dairy Products Market are projected to witness a CAGR of 6.01 % over the next five years.

The growing concerns among the people of the Middle East about the consumption of conventional animal-based food and beverage products and the adoption of vegan diets in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic due to rising health awareness were expected to drive the plant-based growth of meat and dairy products in the region. The shift in consumer behavior was majorly due to the rising concerns regarding animal welfare, personal health, and sustainability. Therefore, various food and beverage companies were launching plant-based or vegan meat and dairy products in the Middle East and African markets.

The rising consumer awareness regarding the negative impact of the consumption of meat on health is leading to a shift toward a vegan diet. Additionally, the benefits of cholesterol-free protein, with a meat-like texture, are one of those key factors promoting the growth of plant-based meat and dairy products in the region studied. According to the data of the World Obesity Organization in April 2022, 25% of men and 30% of women are obese, and 16.4% of adults have diabetes in the United Arab Emirates. Therefore, the market players in the region are launching various plant-based meat and dairy products.

These days, meat and milk substitutes or vegan products are becoming more popular. They exist together with meat and milk products in the market. Consumers appreciate these substitute products due to animal welfare, environmental, and health-related reasons. ​Additionally, functional efficacy and high sustainability claims offered by plant-derived products are the factors driving the plant-based meat and dairy market in the Middle East and Africa. Dairy alternatives hold broad scope for product development, pulling the significant attention of manufacturers to contribute to the market. As a result, food companies are increasingly investing in catering to the appeal of novel flavors and taste profiles. For instance, in April 2022, Meatless farm, a British plant-based company, launched new plant-based steaks made from pea protein.

Consumers in the United Arab Emirates consider the adoption of veganism in the country as a recent development for a cleaner lifestyle, healthy habits, and animal rights, which is fueling the growth in the meat substitute market in the country due to the clinically proven health benefits of a vegan diet. In Saudi Arabia, shops and restaurants offer different vegan and vegetarian products, making people shift from meat to plant-based foods. Tourism in the country from other parts of the world is also contributing to the growth of the meat substitute market in the country. The growing demand for vegan protein-based products resulted in the launch of VBites, a vegan food company in the country. The brands are focusing on more and more production of vegan products in the market. For instance, in November 2021, Amid the pandemic, Kind Lyfe, a new vegan snack startup, was launched. The startup is gaining popularity all over the region through its sales in supermarkets and online retail channels.

The growth of plant-based foods in the Middle East and Africa is highly dependent on how consumers perceive such foods. In most cases, brands working in this segment must involve apt marketing and advertising practices to instigate younger consumers since they rely heavily on social media platforms and are avid “out-of-home” consumers. Some of the major companies which are operating in the market studied are Danone SA, Beyond Meat Inc., Upfield, and Saudi Dairy and Food Stuff Company.

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
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