For marketers in the Gulf, understanding the consumer is becoming more complicated. A shopper may be hunting for discounts on groceries, paying a premium for a restaurant experience, checking product reviews through artificial intelligence (AI) and completing a purchase on social media — all in the same week.
The challenge for brands is to understand these apparently contradictory behaviours. Consumers across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are increasingly conscious of costs, but they have not abandoned convenience, lifestyle spending or their appetite for new experiences. Digital tools are also changing how they discover products, compare prices and decide which brands deserve their trust.
The findings of PwC Middle East’s Voice of the Consumer 2025 study, which surveyed 2,624 consumers across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Egypt, offer a window into these changing priorities. Although the sample does not cover all six GCC countries, it points to trends with implications for marketers across the region.
Value matters, but price is not everything
Cost consciousness is emerging as a defining feature of consumer behaviour. PwC found that 49% of surveyed Middle Eastern consumers identified the cost of living as a potential threat with a major impact on their country over the following 12 months.
The pressure is translating into shopping decisions. Consumers are switching brands, looking for promotions, shopping at discount retailers and buying in bulk. Yet affordability is only one part of the equation.
According to PwC, 44% of regional respondents cited price among their leading considerations when choosing food, while 36% prioritised taste and 34% identified brand trust. The findings suggest that a lower price alone may not be enough to persuade shoppers to abandon familiar brands.
For advertisers, the implication is clear: value needs to be demonstrated, not simply claimed. Brands can make a stronger case through quality, reliability, product performance and relevant offers rather than relying exclusively on price cuts.
Saudi Arabia illustrates this balancing act. In PwC’s 2025 Saudi consumer findings, 47% of respondents identified cost of living among the leading threats facing the Kingdom. Price was the top consideration for 47% when selecting food, followed by brand trust at 35% and taste at 34%.
For marketers, this creates room for different propositions within the same category: affordable everyday products for budget-conscious households, alongside premium alternatives that justify their prices through quality or experience.
Convenience has become part of the product
Even as consumers watch their spending, they continue to pay for convenience. PwC found that 53% of Middle Eastern respondents purchased prepared food or ordered takeaway at least once a week, compared with just over 30% globally. Another 40% dined out one to three times weekly, against a global average of 25%.
Meal kits are also gaining traction. Some 28% of surveyed consumers in the Middle East used meal-kit services, nearly twice the global average of 15%.
These findings reveal an important distinction: consumers may economise in some areas without wanting to sacrifice time or lifestyle in others.
For food and beverage brands, restaurants, delivery platforms and retailers, convenience can therefore be a competitive advantage in its own right. Faster fulfilment, straightforward ordering, flexible payment options and useful loyalty programmes can strengthen the consumer proposition even when competitors offer similar products.
The opportunity is not limited to food. Across retail, travel, financial services and personal care, brands that remove friction from everyday transactions can build stronger relationships with consumers.
Shopping is becoming digital-first
The shift towards digital commerce is also changing the path from product discovery to purchase. Consumers are increasingly using mobile devices to research products, compare prices and complete transactions, placing greater pressure on brands to deliver consistent experiences across channels.
A 2025 Global Digital Shopping Index study commissioned by Visa Acceptance Solutions, based on a survey of 1,679 UAE consumers and 329 merchants, found that 67% of consumers had used their phones as part of their most recent retail purchase. The UAE also recorded the highest rate of online shopping through mobile devices among the markets compared in the study, at 37%.
The findings underline the importance of mobile-friendly product pages, clear pricing, easy navigation and a checkout process that does not drive customers away at the final step.
Payment preferences are evolving alongside shopping habits. Visa’s 2025 research into cash usage across the GCC, based on a survey of 2,800 people across the region, found that cash continued to account for around 23% of transactions among surveyed UAE consumers. Digital adoption, however, was already well established.
More recent research reinforces the direction of travel. Visa’s 2026 update on digital payments in the UAE reported that eight in 10 payments were being made digitally, while 68% of surveyed UAE consumers were largely non-cash users.
For brands, digital convenience is no longer simply a technology investment. It is part of the customer experience, shaping whether a purchase is completed and whether consumers return.
AI is influencing what consumers buy
Artificial intelligence is beginning to influence consumer decisions before shoppers reach a retailer’s website or store. From product research and price comparisons to personalised recommendations, AI tools are becoming another route through which consumers discover and evaluate brands.
Visa’s June 2026 Stay Secure study found that 85% of surveyed UAE consumers had used AI to assist with shopping. Some 60% had used it to check reviews or product ratings, while 59% had used AI to compare prices.
Social commerce is also expanding. The same survey found that 69% of respondents had purchased products directly through social media platforms.
These developments create new opportunities for marketers to reach consumers with relevant content at the moment they are researching or considering a purchase. They also raise the importance of credible product information, customer reviews and consistent brand messaging across digital platforms.
But adoption does not automatically translate into trust. Only 32% of respondents in the Visa study said they would trust AI agents to complete checkout on their behalf.
For brands, the message is that AI can help consumers discover products and make decisions, but businesses still need to earn confidence at the point of purchase. Transparency, secure transactions and accessible customer support remain essential.
Health and trust are shaping brand choices
Consumers are also becoming more attentive to the relationship between products and personal wellbeing. PwC’s 2025 Middle East study found that more than 60% of regional respondents were very or extremely concerned about the risks associated with ultra-processed foods and pesticides. More than 60% also planned to increase their consumption of fresh produce over the following six months.
The findings point to opportunities for food, beverage, wellness and healthcare brands, particularly those able to substantiate their health-related claims. However, the gap between consumer aspirations and actual purchasing decisions remains important: a product may appeal to shoppers in principle but still need to meet expectations on price, taste and convenience.
Trust is equally relevant in digital commerce. Visa’s 2026 study found that 46% of surveyed UAE consumers had experienced a financial scam in the preceding 12 months. Among those who had experienced a scam, 38% said it occurred on social media.
As shopping increasingly takes place across digital platforms, brands must protect their reputations as well as their customers. Clear return policies, transparent pricing, reliable customer service and secure payment experiences can help differentiate legitimate businesses in a crowded marketplace.
From reach to relevance
For marketers across the GCC, the emerging consumer picture is not one of a uniform regional audience. Spending priorities and shopping habits vary by country, category, household and individual circumstances. Findings from the UAE or Saudi Arabia should therefore inform, rather than substitute for, country-specific research elsewhere in the Gulf.
Yet the broader direction is evident: consumers want value without sacrificing quality, convenience without unnecessary friction, personalisation without compromising trust, and healthier choices that fit their budgets and lifestyles.
That puts greater emphasis on understanding consumer motivations rather than relying on demographic profiles alone. Brands will need to combine research, first-party customer insights and campaign performance data to understand when consumers respond to discounts, when they are willing to pay more and which messages actually influence purchase decisions.
In an increasingly crowded market, the advantage may not go to the brand with the loudest campaign or the greatest number of digital touchpoints. It may go to the one that best understands what consumers value — and delivers it consistently.
