Ramadan remains one of the most commercially significant periods in the Middle East and Africa. NielsenIQ data shows that Ramadan contributes nearly 19 per cent of annual FMCG sales and 15 per cent of annual Tech & Durables (T&D) sales across the Middle East and North Africa regions.
To better understand the daily market and consumer behaviour, NielsenIQ has released its Ramadan Advent Calendar 2026, where it will unveil daily insights across the MENA region. This initiative aims to deepen understanding of consumer behaviour during Ramadan and guide businesses across MEA in optimising their commercial strategies for the year’s most influential retail period.
Ramadan 2026
The calendar reports daily data points delivered throughout the month to help brands, retailers, and manufacturers unlock regional opportunities, plan better, and grow faster.
It covers 10 key Middle East and North Africa markets including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Morocco
During Ramadan 2025, the market witnessed strong momentum across sectors FMCG, tech and durables and
FMCG: Food categories lead exceptional growth
Ramadan 2025 demonstrated significant year‑on‑year gains:
- +20.2 per cent value growth and +7.9 per cent unit growth vs. Ramadan 2024
- Food categories accounted for 81.7 per cent of sales value, with Non-Food contributing 18.3 per cent
Value growth by category:
- Food: +20.9 per cent
- Non-Food: +16.8 per cent
Growth was strong across all channels:
- E-commerce: +45.4 per cent
- Traditional Trade: +24.4 per cent
- Modern Trade: +16.9 per cent
Innovation remained central to Ramadan performance, with 500 to over 4,000 new Food and Non-Food SKUs launched across MEA markets. Private label continued to rise regionally, with growth observed in all countries except Kuwait, Jordan, and Lebanon.
Top-selling categories remained consistent, with 75 per cent of Ramadan FMCG sales driven by Grocery, Beverages, Dairy, and Confectionery.
Tech & Durables: Telecom and cooling products lead Ramadan demand
Across the MENA 6 markets (UAE, KSA, Türkiye, Morocco, Oman, Egypt), T&D sales grew by 7.4 per cent in 2025 compared to the previous year.
Sector Highlights
- Telecom (+9.4 per cent), Major Domestic Appliances (+1.4 per cent), and IT (+5.6 per cent) drove the strongest revenue gains.
- Smartphones alone generated an additional $290M during Ramadan 2025.
- Seasonal demand boosted home climate categories, especially:
- Air Conditioners (+$104M)
- Vacuum Cleaners (+$50M)
- Steam Cleaners (+$17M)
Ramadan contributed approximately 15 per cent of annual T&D sales across MENA, with the UAE (16.2 per cent) and Saudi Arabia (16.3 per cent) seeing the highest share.
Omni-channel transformation
E-commerce maintained its momentum, contributing 30 per cent of total T&D revenue during Ramadan 2025 across MENA6 — reinforcing the need for fully integrated omni-channel strategies during key seasonal moments.
Market-Specific Trends
Air Conditioners delivered the strongest revenue growth, particularly in:
- UAE (+41 per cent)
- Türkiye (+44 per cent)
- Saudi Arabia (+19 per cent)
Telecom delivered gains:
- +$200M in Türkiye
- +$72M in Saudi Arabia
- +$52M in UAE
Oman showed a distinct shift toward wellness and connectivity, with Smart Watches, Media Tablets, and Laptops outperforming all other categories.
For brands and retailers, the message remains consistent: early planning and data-led strategies are key to staying competitive during one of the region’s most important commercial periods.
