A new report from Future Market Insights (FMI) entitled ‘Frozen Food Market: Middle East and North Africa Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2014 – 2020’, highlights strong growth in the frozen food sector in the Middle East in the lead up to 2020.
Convenience is the key factor driving the growth of frozen food consumption in the region, with increasing disposable income and a rise in the number of women working, other important factors listed.
The report segments the frozen food market into vegetables, meat, fish, potatoes, meals and soup, with geographies covered being Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Algeria, Israel and Iraq.
In Egypt, the frozen food market continues to grow, with sales of frozen meat increasing due to a shortage of fresh meat and the related price hikes.
In Saudi Arabia, frozen food is becoming more popular due to a demand for convenience as more and more women enter the workforce.
Meanwhile, Algeria has seen growth in the consumption of frozen food because of rising prices of fresh vegetables and seafood.
An important trend highlighted in the report is the expansion of distribution networks for frozen food in supermarkets and hypermarkets in the region.
Poultry processing is the leading player in the frozen food market in Egypt, with products such as nuggets, wings, crispy chicken and burgers offered by Koki and American brands of Cairo Poultry Processing.
The company has adopted several strategies for Koki brands, such as strong distribution networks, a wide range of pack sizes and competitive pricing.
Cascade Marine LLC is the leading player in the frozen food market in United Arab Emirates and has wide distribution channels. Its products are easily accessible in hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores.
It also has a broad product portfolio in sub-segments, such as frozen red meat, frozen poultry, frozen potatoes, frozen fish and vegetarian products.
Cascade Marine LLC has also adopted a price differentiation strategy by offering products at nominal prices, focusing on high- and low-income consumers.
Future Market Insights evaluates countries in the GCC to identify potential market opportunities.
The firm has gained extensive experience in different industry verticals in the GCC region, including oil and gas, chemicals, construction materials, metals and mining, banking and finance, and telecom.
