Middle East & Africa Breakfast Cereals Market Outlook, 2027

Breakfast cereal is a type of processed food made of grains and intended to be eaten with milk as the main course during the morning meal. The two main types of breakfast cereals are defined by the way they’re eaten. Hot cereal, for example, requires only a short cooking time but is less popular than cold, ready-to-eat cereal. Hot cereal recipes have existed, in one form or another, since ancient times, when people would grind whole grains and cook them in water to create various forms of gruel or porridge. Despite MEA having the lowest per capita consumption after Asia Pacific and an average market size, there is much room for growth, with the region having one of the youngest populations worldwide and with increased urbanization across sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the report, Middle East and Africa Breakfast Cereal Market Outlook, 2027 the market has grown with around 4% during the historic time period. Growth is being driven by innovation in the health and wellness arena, with brands competing to deliver healthier, fortified, and natural breakfast cereals. While the Middle East region has a culturally entrenched set of menu items that have been historically consumed for breakfast, this seems to be slowly transitioning from traditional to modern, westernized dishes. As consumers become more budget-conscious, private label sales are increasing. Countries such as South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Cameroon, and Israel have seen the increasing prominence of private label products across retail shelves.

Also, with established distribution chains across multiple territories, the private label share will only increase in the forecast period. With improved infrastructure across the region and increased urbanization, consumers are becoming accustomed to the convenience and wide choice available through modern retail outlets and are slowly abandoning traditional retailers in the main cities. On the other hand, residents in rural areas still prefer traditional retailers for their proximity and economic prices. The increased obese population in the region, mainly in the Middle East, is demanding healthy cereal alternatives to bakery products, such as biscuits and other snacks. Indulgence remains the key trend in confectionery sales, which drive the cereal bar market.

In the Middle East and Africa, a vast majority of adults consume cereal bars, with two-thirds of these interested in nutritionally beneficial bars. At present, stores are heavily flooded with all types of snack bars, like protein-rich bars, nutritious bars, gluten-free bars, and sugar-free bars, which attract various groups of consumers. Moreover, in the energy/nutrition bar category, companies are coming up with new flavour and ingredient introductions, along with improvements in taste and mouth-feel, which have made the future of these products, look a lot more interesting. Increasing disposable income coupled with the rising standard of living is driving the Middle East Cereal Breakfast Market's growth. Additionally, increasing awareness about breakfast as a vital meal is also driving the demand for breakfast meals. Changing food habits, backed by the adoption of western culture, are adding to the Middle East breakfast cereal market share.

In addition to that, rising interest in quick dinner choices is driving the utilization of cereal bars, just like biscuits, across the Middle East and Africa region. The market is additionally watching the rise in the reception of cereal bars among kids. Among the key components energizing its interest are appealing packaging, compelling publicizing systems, and improved taste. In any case, as of late, the interest has eased back down because of the high sugar content and addictive substances in cereal bars. Based on these factors, the Middle East breakfast cereal market is anticipated to gain momentum in the forthcoming years, backed by an increase in the growth of the health-conscious population. Moreover, the rising obesity rate across the region is leading to high sales revenues underpinned by increased consumption of healthy nutrition-based foods, whereby breakfast cereals have proven efficient and are estimated to bolster the substantial growth of the Middle East breakfast cereal market in the forthcoming years.

Recent Developments

• In May 2022, General Mills Inc. agreed to acquire TNT Crust, a manufacturer of high-quality frozen pizza crusts for regional and national pizza chains, foodservice distributors, and retail outlets. This acquisition will help the company expand its operations in the market.
• In 2020, Kellogg’s Co. was named one of America’s Most Trusted Brands (Morning Consult). This has improved the company's reputation in the Middle East and Africa.
• In March 2018, Cascadian Farm, a subsidiary of General Mills, invested in soil health research on organic oat farms to help advance environmental and efficient outcomes. In April 2017, Abbott Nutrition launched two new science-based drinks, Ensure Surgery Immunonutrition Shake and Ensure Pre-Surgery Clear Nutrition Drink, for a speedy recovery from the surgeries.
• In December 2017, Kellogg’s launched a new cereal made up of probiotics, Special K Nourish, to have rich iron and vitamin foods for breakfast.
• In September 2016, Attune Foods, LLC, introduced unique flavours for granola, cereals, and snacks at the Natural Products Expo East trade show.

Covid-19 Impacts:

Across the Middle East and Africa region, the outbreak of the novel coronavirus led to double-digit growth in the sales of breakfast cereals, which has been a proliferation factor for the product. Owing to the rising consciousness about health and nutrition and a healthy breakfast intake to sustain good health and immunity during pandemic times, breakfast cereals have registered high growth prospects amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.

Major Companies present in the market:

PepsiCo, Inc., Nestlé S.A., Marico Limited, General Mills, Inc., The Kellogg Company, Associated British Foods plc, Dr. Oetker, Family Cereal (Custom Food Group).

Considered in this report

• Geography: Middle East & Africa
• Historic year: 2016
• Base year: 2021
• Estimated year: 2022
• Forecast year: 2027

Aspects covered in this report

• Middle East & Africa Breakfast Cereal market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Country-wise Breakfast Cereal market analysis
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

Countries covered in the report

• UAE
• Saudi Arabia
• South Africa

By Product Type

• Hot Cereals
• Ready-to-Eat (RTE)

By Ingredient type

• Wheat
• Rice
• Corn
• Barley
• Oats
• Others

By Distribution Channel

• Supermarkets & Hypermarkets
• Convenience Stores
• E-commerce/Online
• Others

By Nature Type

• Conventional
• Organic

Intended audience

This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to food & beverage industry, government bodies and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.