Snacks in the United Arab Emirates

Snacks in 2025: The big picture

Snacks in the United Arab Emirates is projected to register positive retail current value growth across the board and retail volume growth in most categories over 2025. Snacks in the market is being shaped by several key trends that reflect changing consumer lifestyles and preferences. Health and wellness continues to be a major influence, with a growing demand for clean label, allergen-free and naturally formulated products across categories like savoury snacks, ice cream, and sweet biscuits. Consumers are increasingly seeking snacks that offer functional benefits without compromising on taste, leading to innovation in product areas like vegetable chips, trail mixes and reduced sugar or preservative-free ice creams. This shift is also evident in the rise of premium ingredients like pistachios, which are gaining popularity due to their association with both indulgence and nutrition, particularly in products like Dubai chocolate.

Key trends in 2025

Intentional indulgence is emerging as a defining theme in snacks the United Arab Emirates towards the end of the review period. As a result, snacks is capturing the intersection of shared impulse, novel consumption occasions and evolving consumer channel preferences. As snacking becomes more experience-driven with regard to local consumers, brand owners are tapping into moments of spontaneous enjoyment, whether through bold new flavours, limited-edition formats or culturally resonant launches like Metro-shaped ice creams. These innovations are designed not just for individual consumption but for sharing, celebrations and social media appeal, reflecting a shift toward more intentional, emotionally resonant indulgence.

Competitive landscape

Overall, Mars GCC FZE is projected to grow its retail value share, albeit marginally, over 2025 to maintain its leadership of a fragmented competitive landscape in snacks in the United Arab Emirates. The player’s leading position is largely due to its strength in confectionery, which holds the largest share of retail value sales in snacks in the market. The company dominates gum and is a strong leader in chocolate confectionery, while also having a significant presence in sugar confectionery. The player offers highly recognised and consumed global brands in the United Arab Emirates, such as Snickers, M&M’s, Twix and Galaxy. Such brands enjoy strong consumer loyalty in the market, supported by their consistent quality, wide availability across retail formats and deep-rooted brand recognition. Mars has also remained responsive to evolving consumer preferences in the United Arab Emirates, introducing healthier product variations and supporting its portfolio with engaging marketing and omnichannel visibility. Such company activities and strategies have enabled Mars to reinforce its presence and importance in the highly competitive landscape of snacks in the market.

Channel developments

Hypermarkets is projected to remain the leading channel for snacks in the United Arab Emirates in retail value share terms in 2025. This type of large modern grocery retailer is held to offer unmatched visibility, variety and convenience aspects for local consumers. The expansive shelf space available in such outlets allows brand owners to showcase a broad assortment of products, from indulgence confectionery and savoury snacks to health-positioned options like trail mixes and reduced sugar biscuits. Hypermarkets cater to both planned purchases and impulse buys, with in-store promotions, eye-catching displays and new product launches playing a key role in driving engagement. As a result, at the end of the review period, hypermarkets continued to be a strategic priority for snacks manufacturers aiming to reach a wide and diverse consumer base across the country. While hypermarkets is expected to see a marginal drop in retail value share in snacks overall in 2025, as supermarkets, convenience stores and e-commerce gain momentum, it is set to remain the clear leading channel.

What next for snacks?

Over the forecast period, snacks in the United Arab Emirates is expected to see healthy growth in retail value (constant 2025 prices) sales, largely in line with the projected 2025 performance. Steady growth is set to be supported by rising consumer demand for both indulgence and health-orientated products. Local growth drivers are likely to include increasing product variety, greater consumer awareness and evolving lifestyle trends that favour convenient, on-the-go snacking. While snacks is maturing in core categories like areas of confectionery and potato chips, emerging areas like plant-based snacks, functional snacks and clean label offerings are expected to inject fresh momentum. These trends reflect a shift toward more intentional snacking, where consumers seek both enjoyment and nutritional value, particularly in urban centres with younger, more health-conscious populations.