Overall regional growth slowed in the apparel and footwear market in Middle East and Africa in 2024, with a number of countries experiencing economic difficulties, putting pressure on consumer spending. Saudi Arabia continued to perform strongly, benefiting from significant investments under its Vision 2030 programme. This economic shift is fostering a rise in consumer spending power, particularly among the Kingdom’s youth, who are at the forefront of shaping the fashion landscape.
This report comes in PPT.
Several key macroeconomic factors continue to support the increasing sales in the United Arab Emirates: population growth; record-high tourist arrivals; and a high GDP per capita. Premium and luxury items are performing well, fuelled by an influx of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), who are visiting or relocating to the United Arab Emirates.
Shein – as elsewhere in the region – has been gaining share from local players since its entry to the South African market in 2021, gaining traction among price-sensitive local consumers. In 2024, Shein opened a pop-up store in the Mall of Africa in a bid to promote its fashion items and entice new consumers who were previously unsure about the quality of its products.
The weak Nigerian economy heavily impacted sales in apparel and footwear in 2024. High inflation hit consumer purchasing power, while the strong depreciation of the local currency led to high price increases for all apparel and footwear products. Consumers cut their spending on non-essentials and resorted to using second-hand marketplaces for their cheaper products.
Retail infrastructure is undergoing a major transformation in Saudi Arabia, with the opening of new malls and the expansion of established shopping destinations. Recent notable developments include VIA Riyadh, Jeddah Park and Riyadh Boulevard City, while Mukaab, a massive 400-metre-tall skyscraper in Riyadh is slated to further redefine the retail, leisure and entertainment landscape when completed by 2030.
Apparel is the aggregation of clothing and footwear. This dataset covers retail sales of apparel through both store-based retailers and non-store retailers. Excludes black market sales (i.e. untaxed, generated within informal retailing)and duty free sales (travel retail). Items must be new when sold to the consumer; second-hand/used items are excluded. Antique and/or vintage clothing and footwear is also excluded.
See all of our definitionsIf you purchase a report that is updated in the next 60 days, we will send you the new edition and data extraction Free!