United Arab Emirates (UAE) Container Glass Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 - 2026)

The market was valued at AED 820.4 million in 2020 and is expected to reach a value of AED 942.086 million by 2026, at a CAGR of 2.31%, over the forecast period 2021 - 2026. With high and increasing disposable incomes, the spending of UAE population on different goods is also growing. According to the World Bank, the share of urban population in the United Arab Emirates increased from 84.42% in 2011 to 86.80% in 2019. The number of expats in the United Arab Emirates is also growing, which is expected to positively impact the market growth

• The United Arab Emirates has the highest consumption rates of bottled water in the world. According to ITC Calculations based on Federal Competitveness and Statistics Authority & UN, the import value of glass increases in 2018 with USD 81224 thousands compare to 2017. Consumers in the country use glass to hold food and beverages for hygienic reasons, as well as to protect the environment against plastic bottles. Moreover, customers in the country prefer to drink juices, flavored drinks, and other beverages from glass bottles. Glass containers can be reused for many purposes, compared to other materials.
• Also demand from end-user industries drives the market. A wide range of food is packed in glass containers. Liquid and solid foods can be stored in glass packages for long periods of time, without any adverse effects on the quality or flavor of the product. The packaging is an essential part of pharmaceutical products and the drug delivery system in the pharmaceutical industry, as it should protect products from physical damage, biological contamination, and all the adverse external influences. Also the cosmetics industry is also witnessing higher demand for glass bottles and containers, owing to a more premium appearance of glass packaging.
• Moreover, hotels operating in this region are also planning to limit the use of plastic bottles. For instance, in 2018, the Hilton group in the United Arab Emirates had planned to remove plastic water bottles from events in its regional facilities across the Middle East & Africa (MEA), as part of its global ‘Meet with Purpose’ program, in order to conduct socially- and environmentally-responsible meetings.

Key Market Trends

Beverage has the Largest Share in the Market Presently

• Glass, being a versatile material for packaging, preserves the original taste of the drink, without altering its quality. According to Government of Dubai, the market size for beverages was 11 Billion AED in 2017 and it is estimated to increase to 14 Billion AED in 2021 in UAE. Also, the markets with greatest potential for United Arab Emirates` exports of Beverages are Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Iraq. This factor drives the demand for the market.
• However, the availability of alcoholic beverages is very limited, if not non-existent, owing to the Islamic Sharia Law, followed in the region, which prohibits the use or consumption of alcohol for spiritual reasoning.
• Moreover, the non-alcoholic beverage segment includes packaging solutions for juice, soda, milk, ready-to-drink coffee and tea, carbonated drinks, and sports and energy drinks. Flavored beverages are gaining popularity in the region, as health and wellness consumers are more interested in a variety of different taste options. According to Government of Dubai, Non-alcoholic beverages will continue to grow well over the next five years to 2021, at 5.9% in UAE.
• Also, consumers are trading down to smaller size bottles. With this trend set to continue over the forecast period, consumer demand for price-sensitive container glass packaging products also increases.
• However, the glass containers market is also facing fierce competition from plastic in the non-alcoholic beverage industry. However, returnable glass bottles remain an essential form of product delivery for all major companies in the non-alcoholic beverage industry, as they provide a cost-effective packaging method.
• This has helped glass packaging solutions to maintain its market share and has been driving the adoption due to its sustainability features. Additionally, technological advancements have also reduced the weight of glass packaging by 30% in the last five years, while providing equivalent strength. This has dramatically boosted the glass bottle and container market, especially in the non-alcoholic beverage sector.

Pharmaceutical has Significant Share in the Market

• The Middle Eastern region significantly depends on pharmaceuticals and medical drugs. The United Arab Emirates shares similar climatic and geographic features and follows a similar trend. In September 2018, the UAE Cabinet approved a Federal Budget of AED 60.3 billion for 2019, of which the healthcare sector is expected to receive AED 4.40 billion.
• Light and UV penetration concerns have led to the high use of amber bottles in the pharmaceutical industry. For instance, amber-colored bottles provide maximum protection from all different wavelengths of light and are mandated in case of many drugs.
• Besides, government initiatives in the field have further propelled the market. With the collaboration of supply chain members and government, a proper chain for recycling is created, which may assist the vendors in the market and is expected to cut the cost.
• Moreover, in UAE patented drugs provide maximum percentage of sales. According to Government of Dubai, Patented drugs make approx 67% of total sales yearly and pharma sector focuses to innovate new drugs. For instance, in June 2017, the MoH signed a memorandum of understanding with Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (Jafza) for the development of the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector, with focus on reducing the regulatory barriers. As part of the agreement, the United Arab Emirates is aiming to attract 75 innovative drug makers to the Jebel Ali free zone by 2021. Thus, it indicates that the MoH intends to work with local companies, to improve the licensing policy for existing drug manufacturers, owing to which the market is expected to gain momentum, during the forecast period.
• Further, generic drugs adoption is on rising in the region and it has the highest adoption of glass packing in the region. According to Government of Dubai Generic drugs (Drugs who have the same active ingredients as an expired patent) make approx19% of the total sales. Dr. Ameen Hussain Al Amiri, the Ministry’s Assistant Under-Secretary for Public Health and Licensing, said in comments published by news agency WAM that the country is also planning to increase the number of manufacturing facilities to 30 by 2020.

Competitive Landscape

The level of market concentration is low, while the advertising expense is moderate. The power of competitive strategy is also supportive, while firm concentration is moderate. Competition to capture the best geographic position and lowest costs is high in the market studied. Exiting the market is also difficult, as the investment made by the companies active in the market is high and can result in sunk cost if they wish to exit. Overall, the intensity of competitive rivalry is high. Some of the key players in the market include Frigoglass SAIC, Middle East Glass Manufacturing Company SAE, Saverglass SAS among others. Some key recent developments in the market are:

• March 2019 - SAVERGLASS released new glass packaging, the Heritage Collection, to celebrate the essence of the Grands Crus, the Heritage Collection presents top-of-the-range glassware, whose silhouettes hail back to the values of authenticity seen in the historical archives.
• December 2018 - Frigoglass announced to invest EUR 25-30 million to expand its furnace capacity at the Beta Glass Guinea plant, located in Agbara, Ogun state. The investment will increase capacity at the plant by 35,000 metric ton per year. It includes a new furnace which will replace an existing one, which has reached the end of its life, an additional production line, upgrades to existing production lines, as well as, new quality inspection equipment to strengthen the plant’s capabilities.

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