The fashion retail industry in the UAE has seen a major shift since the increasing usage of technology. More online purchases are being made by both the local vs expat population in UAE which has significantly helped the fashion industry sales to boom.

We have thoughtfully researched the 2024 UAE fashion trends and market statistics that provide you with helpful insights for what may be coming in the next few years.

By Market Trends, Size and Growth

  1. After electronics, fashion e-commerce in MENA was labeled as the second largest category with a worth of $1.6 billion in 2018. (Reference from Think with Google)
  2. The growth rate of MENA’s fashion e-commerce industry is 3.5x faster than the overall fashion industry of MENA which has an annual growth rate of 8%. (Reference from Think with Google)
  3. The fashion e-commerce market of UAE reaches a worth of US$2,027.2 million in 2024 and this accounts for 30.2% of the total e-commerce market of UAE. It is also expected to increase with CAGR until 2028 by 5.3% with a projected market volume of US$2,493.4 million. (Reference from ECDB)
  4. The online share in the fashion retail market of UAE is 8.2% which is predicted to increase by an average of  20.9% to 17.5% by the year 2027. (Reference from ECDB)
  5. The year 2025 is expected to bring about 6.1 M users in the UAE’s fashion market with an ARPU ( average revenue per user) of $936.80. (Reference from Unicommerce)
  6. 9% of the UAE’s fashion purchases take place online. (Reference from Majidalfuttaim)
  7. UAE's Fashion market revenue in 2024 is US $23.54bn which is expected to grow by US$41.00bn by 2029. (Reference from Statista).
  8. UAE is ranked 46th in terms of having the largest share in the e-commerce market sizes with the fashion industry accounting for 30.2% of this share. (Reference from Economy Middle East).
  9. During the pandemic, the UAE’s fashion industry sales experienced a drop of 12%. (Reference from Majidalfuttaim)

By Consumer Behavior and Purchasing Patterns

  1. 34% of the UAE consumers shop without looking at the cost. (Reference from Wordbank)
  2. Exclusive rewards and benefits attract 69% of Emirati shoppers which results in more shopping. (Reference from PWC)
  3. 43% of the population in UAE is encouraged to spend more if they have a personal shopping advisor by their side. (Reference from Khaleej times)
  4. Emiratis view shopping as a leisure activity. (Reference from EmiratesWoman)
  5. Shopping habits including the reasons for shopping, how much and how often shopping is done are kept private by almost 42% of the UAE women. (Reference from EmiratesWoman)
  6. Each month, 60% or more of their income is spent on shopping by Emirati women. (Reference from EmiratesWoman).
  7. 73% of UAE consumers report shopping online more after the global pandemic. (Reference from MasterCard Study)
  8. Free shipping is considered the major reason behind the purchases made online in the fashion industry by 50% of UAE shoppers. (Reference from Pymnts)

By Categories

  1. In the retail fashion industry of UAE, consumers spend 55% on fashion and accessories while 45% is spent on watches and jewelry. (Reference From Statista)
  2. Among the virtual shopping lists in UAE, consumers report shopping at least 66% on clothing only. (Reference from MasterCard Study)
  3. Three sub-markets that include apparel, footwear, bags, and accessories are the leading ones in the Fashion market industry of UAE. (Reference from ECDB)

By Popular Fashion Platforms and Brands

  1. Single-brand website is preferred by over 75% of the customers in the Middle East as opposed to a multi-brand website. (Reference from PWC)
  2. Five or more shopping apps are installed on the phones of almost 27% of the UAE residents. (Reference from Zawya)
  3. 31% of the UAE population opt to use the shopping apps of the retail brands themselves. (Reference from Zawya)
  4. Zara and Nike are among the most favorite brands in the Middle Eastern countries. (Reference from Istitutomarangoni)
  5. An UAE-based online retailer Awok.com had a 500% Y-o-Y increase in revenues in 2015.(Reference from Ardent Advisory)
  6. Amazon.ae (formerly Souq.com) made a revenue growth in the MENA region of 10 fold in the year 2012-2014 with 40% of the purchases made from mobile. (Reference from Ardent Advisory)
  7. With sales in the UAE Fashion market, namshi generated a revenue of US$238.2 million in 2023, which means it is the leading online store in this market. (Reference from ECDB)

By Demographics

  1. Almost 80% of the spending on fashion purchases is made by women in Dubai, UAE. (Reference from Arabian Business)
  2. The younger generation aged between 18-34 years is more inclined towards shopping through e-commerce and social media platforms prioritizing fashion products. (Reference from Naviforce)
  3. Most abundant online sales are made by the age group 26-35 years. (Reference from Ardent Advisory)

By Major Fashion Events and Exhibitions

  1. Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is considered one of the major driving forces behind the excellence of the UAE fashion industry. (Reference from Commitbiz)
  2. More than one million visitors attended the three-day Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience (VFDE) in 2014. (Reference from IJMS)

By Local vs International Brands

  1. The global visibility of Dubai leads to many international brands choosing it as a preferred destination for major fashion sales. (Reference from Economictimes)
  2. The market share of international brands in UAE fashion's retail sector accounts for 65%. (Reference from Euromonitor International)
  3. Total UAE retail sales in 2021 through local e-commerce websites accounts for 73% while the international has a share of only 27%. (Reference from Dubai Chamber)
  4. The expected growth of international e-commerce platforms from 2022-2026 is 19.2% which accounts for a 3.4% gain in market share. (Reference from Dubai Chamber)
  5. Dubai ranks second to London in terms of having the highest percentage of international retailers. (Reference from Ardent Advisory)

By Region and GCC Comparison

  1. The annual fashion sales revenue in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries including United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar approximates $50 billion which shines light on the region's market for fashion. (Reference from FIIB)
  2. Per year $1,000 is spent by consumers in UAE and Saudi Arabia on fashion only. (Reference from Istitutomarangoni)
  3. Consumer reports that 40% of their fashion budget is spent outside their home countries while 20% is spent outside the Middle East. (Reference from Istitutomarangoni)
  4. The fashion sales in GCC account for $50 billion annually with spending per capita of $500 in the US and $1600 in UAE per person. (Reference from McKinsey)
  5. 80% of the total GCC retail market share is made up of UAE and KSA. (Reference from Ardent Advisory)
  6. Online purchases outside of their region are made by almost 68% of the Middle Eastern population. (Reference from Ecommerce Phaedra Solutions)
  7. Dubai accounts for 55-65% of the country's retail sales in the fashion industry. (Reference from Ardent Advisory)

By Popular Fashion Culture Type

  1. In UAE, only the Emirati fashion takes up over 70% of the UAE's market with an estimated size of over 10 billion AED (approx. $2.7 billion) in 2024. (Reference from Business of Fashion)
  2. For modest fashion, the UAE is ranked first among the 10 contenders. (Reference from EJBMR)
  3. Only 27% of the fashion budget is spent on local traditional clothing by UAE consumers. (Reference from Istitutomarangoni)

By Local vs Expat Shopping Behavior

  1. Only 15% of the UAE's total population is local while 80% is expatriates. (Reference from Digital Gravity)
  2. Female Emiratis spent 43% of their income on shopping which is 3x more than expats. (Reference from EmiratesWoman).
  3. Social networking is the first factor followed by social media that influences the shopping behavior of expats in UAE. (Reference from British University In Dubai)
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