Middle East and Africa Athletic Footwear Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023-2028)

The Middle East and Africa Athletic Footwear Market is projected to witness a CAGR of 5.32% during the forecast period.

Increased participation in outdoor sports is supported by increased disposable income and improved health awareness is identified as the key market driver in the Middle East and Africa. Further, rapid urbanization allows access to renowned sports clubs and fitness centers, enabling consumer spending on athleisure accessories including footwear. For instance, the report published by the world bank in May 2021, reveals that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), is already 64% urbanized. The region also holds a significant number of multi-brand and single-brand stores featuring a wide assortment of athletic footwear from global companies, which is the primary attraction of international tourists vising the countries such as Saudi Arabia and UAE. Thus, expanding cross-border tourism in cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain is driving the sales of athletic footwear in the region.

Moreover, key authorities of certain countries are actively promoting sports participation to achieve the nation's health and wellness goals, which is expected to offer lucrative growth opportunities for athletic footwear brands during the forecast period. For instance, the Government of Saudi Arabia is encouraging foreign investors to purchase the whole ownership of clubs, academies, and centers for 27 of the country's most popular sports. The Ministry of Sport introduced NAFES in 2021, a new online licensing platform intended to promote foreign cooperation and investment in the Kingdom, one of the world's most quickly expanding sports marketplaces.

MEA Athletic Footwear Market Trends

Rising Participation in Sports and Fitness

Growing gym and sports club memberships with the increased public awareness about the advantages of physical exercise, the demand for athleisure products such as footwear is anticipated to rise in the Middle East and Africa during the projected period. For instance, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GaStat), in 2021, 48.2% of the population in Saudi Arabia engaged in at least 30 minutes of physical and sports activity every week. Also, the data revealed that 29.7% of the resident population in Saudi Arabia practiced physical activity for at least 150 minutes per week in 2021, compared to 20% in 2019. As a result, multinational corporations are expanding their retail presence in the country to gain and maintain market dominance. For instance, in September 2020, HRX, India's first domestic fitness brand, started its online retail operations in the United Arab Emirates. Noon.com and Namshi.com, two of the leading fashion and leisure e-commerce websites in the region, have partnered with HRX to sell its athleisure range including athletic footwear. Thus, expanding the distribution networks of key brands and increasing the adoption of active lifestyles by the region's population is augmenting athletic footwear sales in the Middle East and Africa.

United Arab Emirates is one of the Fastest Growing Market

Some of the factors which make the United Arab Emirates a favorable market for athletic footwear manufacturers are tourism in the country, Government initiatives and policies in the sports sector, huge investments in retail space, and the expansion of fashion e-commerce. The country's e-commerce is developing, and it is projected that the athletic footwear industry will witness a considerable increase in sales through online channels over the forecast period. According to an International Trade Administration report issued in July 2022, the UAE is the eCommerce leader among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, with the market increasing by 53% in 2020 to USD 3.9 billion in eCommerce sales, accounting for 10% of overall retail sales.

The United Arab Emirates attracts tourists from all over the world, and each year there is an increase in the number of tourists in the country. This, in turn, is anticipated to accelerate the market growth as most tourists prefer the purchase of fashion and lifestyle accessories in the country due to the wide access to global brands through retail chains and shopping malls. According to the most current statistics from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, 7.12 million international tourists visited Dubai in the first six months of 2022. This marks a more than 182 percent growth over the same time in 2021.

MEA Athletic Footwear Market Competitor Analysis

The Athletic footwear market in the Middle East and Africa is highly competitive with many regional and international competitors present in the region. Some of the prominent players in the market are Nike Inc., Adidas AG, Under Armour Inc., New Balance Athletics Inc., Puma SE, and Skechers U.S.A., Inc., among others. Some of the strategies adopted by major players to increase their market share are partnering with resellers, investments in technologies, and increasing social media marketing by partnering with regional celebrities. For instance, in October 2020, Koora and Adidas partnered to bring an online football competition to connect and engage with the football audience during the lockdown. This helped Adidas achieve engagement across social media in UAE and KSA.

In the medium term, it is expected that the major players will compete based on sustainable product launches, investment in technologies such as Virtual reality, and expanding online presence.

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