Ramadan remains one of the most commercially significant periods in the Middle East and Africa, accounting for nearly one-fifth of annual fast-moving consumer goods sales and driving seasonal spikes in technology purchases, according to new data from NielsenIQ.
The data comes as NielsenIQ launches its Ramadan Advent Calendar 2026, an initiative that will deliver daily market insights throughout the holy month across 10 Middle East and North Africa markets: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Morocco. The program aims to help brands, retailers, and manufacturers better understand consumer behavior and optimize commercial strategies during what it describes as the year’s most influential retail period.
Ramadan contributes nearly 19 percent of annual FMCG sales and 15 percent of annual Tech & Durables (T&D) sales across MENA, the company said.
FMCG: Food dominates as e-commerce accelerates
During Ramadan 2025, FMCG recorded strong year-on-year gains, with value growth of 20.2 percent and unit growth of 7.9 percent compared with Ramadan 2024.
Food categories accounted for 81.7 percent of total sales value, while non-food contributed 18.3 percent. Value growth reached 20.9 percent in food and 16.8 percent in non-food.
Growth was recorded across all channels. E-commerce led with a 45.4 percent increase, followed by traditional trade at 24.4 percent and modern trade at 16.9 percent.
Innovation also played a central role in seasonal performance, with between 500 and more than 4,000 new food and non-food SKUs launched across MEA markets. Private label continued to expand regionally, with growth in all countries except Kuwait, Jordan, and Lebanon.
Spending remained concentrated in core categories, with grocery, beverages, dairy, and confectionery accounting for 75 percent of Ramadan FMCG sales.
Tech & Durables: telecom and cooling products surge
In technology and durable goods, sales across the MENA6 markets — UAE, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Morocco, Oman, and Egypt — grew 7.4 percent during Ramadan 2025 compared with the previous year.
Telecom led revenue gains with 9.4 percent growth, followed by IT at 5.6 percent and major domestic appliances at 1.4 percent.
Smartphones alone generated an additional $290 million during Ramadan 2025.
Seasonal demand also boosted home climate and cleaning categories. Air conditioners added $104 million in revenue, vacuum cleaners $50 million, and steam cleaners $17 million.
Ramadan accounted for approximately 15 percent of annual T&D sales across MENA, with the UAE at 16.2 percent and Saudi Arabia at 16.3 percent representing the highest shares.
E-commerce and market-specific trends
E-commerce contributed 30 percent of total T&D revenue during Ramadan 2025 across MENA6 markets, underscoring the continued shift toward integrated omni-channel strategies during peak retail periods.
Air conditioners delivered the strongest revenue growth in several markets, rising 41 percent in the UAE, 44 percent in Türkiye, and 19 percent in Saudi Arabia.
Telecom generated significant absolute gains, adding $200 million in Türkiye, $72 million in Saudi Arabia, and $52 million in the UAE.
Oman stood out for its shift toward wellness and connectivity products, with smartwatches, media tablets, and laptops outperforming other categories.
With daily insights planned throughout Ramadan 2026, NielsenIQ’s initiative aims to track these behavioral patterns in real time, offering a window into how consumer spending continues to evolve during one of the region’s most important commercial seasons.
