Middle East Poultry Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecast (2022 - 2027)

The Middle Eastern poultry market is projected to register a CAGR of 6.08% during the forecast period (2022-2027).

The COVID-19 pandemic hampered the sale and consumption of poultry and other food and beverage products in Middle Eastern countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as most foodservices shut down or reduced their operations. However, the sales of food products, including poultry, through e-commerce supported the market penetration during the pandemic. An online survey conducted by Dubai-based Choueiri Group revealed that, in April 2020, 55% of the population purchased grocery items via online channels. On the contrary, only 6% used to practice online buying before the outbreak, which depicts the vast transformation of the country technologically.

Over the medium term, the increasing demand for animal protein and the increasing preference for low-fat and high-protein diets among consumers may lead to remarkable growth in the consumption of poultry meat. As modern trade channels continue to expand, the demand for chilled and frozen poultry meat is expected to increase rapidly during the forecast period.

In recent years, there has been a rise in preferences for poultry meat cuts, especially whole legs, breast with bone and no bones, minced, drumsticks, etc., across various foodservice channels for use in famous dishes, which is expected to drive the market’s growth during the forecast period.

Key Market Trends

Growing Demand for Poultry in the Foodservice Sector

The food sector has been prominent internationally and has witnessed a strong acceptance among Middle Eastern consumers. The foodservice sector surfaced as one of the most promising sectors in the region and grew exponentially over the past few years with increasing investments, indicating the potential for future growth. The growing demand for poultry meat, including processed burgers and sausages, is expected to significantly penetrate the foodservice sector. Moreover, global brands and international chefs, particularly across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, and Doha, have contributed to making the entire GCC region a gastronomical hub. On the other hand, technology has paved a novel ground for consumers to delve into different cuisines, while online ordering platforms have helped QSR reach a diverse set of consumers, thus driving sales.

Increasing Domestic Poultry Production

Though most of the demand in this region is met through imports, governments in the Middle East are providing various types of assistance to domestic poultry farms. For instance, Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation signed four new poultry investment contracts with producers, totaling USD 84.5 million, to establish five new projects in Upper and Western Egypt. The projects are expected to produce an annual output of 62 million broiler chicks, 4.2 million chickens, and 30 million table eggs for export and domestic consumption. Further, as a solution to the high poultry import dependence of Qatar, and other Middle Eastern countries, especially during Ramadan and the tourist season when the demand surges to record levels, the government has been striving to boost domestic poultry production to achieve self-sufficiency by providing technological, financial, and other support to poultry farms. Thus, the poultry production in Qatar increased from 26,000 ton to 34,790 ton from 2018 to 2020, i.e., up by 33.8%, as per FAO data.

Competitive Landscape

The Middle Eastern poultry market is competitive, with numerous domestic and regional players distributing their meat offerings. Leading market players strongly compete in product portfolios, quality, and certifications, with competitive strategies like expansions and partnerships. The market depicts a wide presence of unorganized butchers and meat shops catering to the market on a domestic level. The poultry meat market is dominated by key organized players operating on a large scale in the Middle East. Al-Watania Poultry, Fakieh Farms (Fakieh Group), Almarai Company, and Tanmiah Food Group are the leading market players. To widen their scope of operations and expand business opportunities, leading meat manufacturers are expanding their meat business in the region by increasing their production units and launching new product lines to gain a competitive advantage.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

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