Ramadan is a time of self-reflection, generosity, community and family, but it is also a period of intense consumer spending. Even as people fast from morning until dusk, spending rises across food and retail.

In 2026, how people spend is shifting, with more people staying home, ordering in, and buying not only products but experiences too.

Overall Ramadan Economy & Spending Growth

  1. Redseer Strategy Consultants estimates the UAE Ramadan economy will grow from about $15 billion in 2025 to $16.4 billion this year. thenationalnews
  2. At the market level, retail consultancy Redseer Strategy Consultants estimates Ramadan retail sales in the UAE will approach $10 billion in 2026. Gulfnews
  3. The consumer’s share planning to spend less has risen to 10% (from 4%).  Redseer
  4. Transaction volumes are projected to rise 35-50% compared to baseline months. Linkedin
  5. Shopping activity rises by around 46 per cent during the holy month. Khaleejtimes
  6. Order numbers surged 173 per cent and gross merchandise value climbed 195 per cent during the first two weeks alone. Khaleejtimes
  7. Over the full Ramadan period last year, online sales of local brands in the UAE rose by 203.7 per cent, while gift purchases increased by 152.8 per cent compared with the same period in 2024. Khaleejtimes
  8. Growth in Tech and Durables E-commerce during Ramdan is 45.4 per cent. Campaignme
  9. E-commerce maintained its momentum, contributing 30 per cent of total T&D revenue during Ramadan 2025 across MENA, reinforcing the need for fully integrated omni-channel strategies during key seasonal moments. Campaignme
  10. Ramadan contributed approximately 15% of annual T&D sales across MENA, with the UAE (16.2%) and Saudi Arabia (16.3%) seeing the highest share. mid-east

Channel Preferences & Shifts (Online vs Offline)

  1. In 2025 to 2026, online-only rose from 13% to 23%, while omnichannel fell from 66% to 56%. Offline-only remained broadly flat (from 22% to 21%). redseer
  2. 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. campaignme
  3. Mobile devices accounting for 47 per cent of online orders. Khaleejtimes
  4. Online marketplace spending skyrockets by 143% during Ramadan in the UAE. Khaleejtimes
  5. In the week leading up to Ramadan, shopping app downloads grew by 40% and purchases with shopping apps increased by 35%. creative971
  6. E-commerce rises 30–50% during Ramadan compared to baseline months. memob
  7. Shopping app sessions across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar rose by over 20 per cent year on year, reaching 682 million this year. khaleejtimes
  8. The bulk of digital browsing, shopping, and decision-making happens between 8 PM and 2 AM. memob
  9. Non-organic installs nearly doubled for shopping apps, growing 97 per cent year on year. khaleejtimes
  10. In-app purchase revenue in the Middle East climbed by 18.6 per cent year on year to reach $1.70 billion during the holy month of Ramadan. khaleejtimes

Product Categories & Sector Growth

  1. Electronics typically accounts for 15 per cent of online purchases. khaleejtimes
  2. Home essentials accounts for 14 per cent for online purchases. khaleejtimes
  3. Food category grew by 20.9%, and Non-Food category grew by 16.8% mid-east
  4. Groceries, daily essentials and gifts topping spending priorities. About 57 per cent of consumers focus on food and essentials. khaleejtimes
  5. 48 per cent prioritise gifting and hospitality-related purchases. khaleejtimes
  6. Flowwow expects overall gross merchandise value across its UAE marketplace to double during the holy month, with demand for curated hampers and food-related items likely to rise by about 70 per cent. Khaleejtimes
  7. Innovation remained central to Ramadan performance, with 500 to over 4,000 new Food and Non-Food SKUs launched across MEA markets. Campaignme
  8. Air conditioners delivered the strongest revenue growth in several markets, rising 41 percent in the UAE. communicateonline
  9. Fashion typically accounts for around 22 per cent of online purchases. Khaleejtimes

Consumer Intent & Spending Plans

  1. Around two-thirds in the UAE, 68% expect to spend more time with family during Ramadan 2026. Yougov
  2. Roughly 90% of consumers now discover products digitally. linkedin
  3. Nearly three-quarters actively tune out traditional advertising. linkedin
  4. 3 in 5 shoppers across the UAE & KSA say their shopping behavior changes during Ramadan. ipsos
  5. TikTok users are 1.3x more likely to purchase during Ramadan. ipsos
  6. Approximately 61% of Gulf consumers prefer to do their Ramadan shopping through social platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Linkedin
  7. 48% of users engage with ads late at night after Iftar, with a second peak of 24% during Suhoor. Linkedin
  8. Pre-Ramadan shoppers show around 20% higher retention across Day 7, 14, and 30. retailmanagementmiddleeast

Timing & Daily Behavior Shifts

  1. E-commerce activity spikes as midnight Surge happens between 11:00 PM and 3:00 AM. Linkedin
  2. Shopping patterns shift dramatically. Consumer behaviors like watching TV, browsing and many more shifts to late at night after Iftar. Dmidigitalmarketing
  3. First week of Ramadan concentrates the highest share of sessions and revenue. appsflyer
  4. Engagement remains relatively stable after the initial surge, pointing to repeat visits and incremental purchases. Retailmanagementmiddleeast
  5. App install activity peaked in the second half of the holy month (103 per cent). Khaleejtimes

Gifting & Hospitality Trends

  1. Demand for curated hampers and food-related items likely to rise by about 70 per cent. khaleejtimes
  2. Overall gross merchandise value across its UAE marketplace to double during the holy month. khaleejtimes
  3. Ecommerce and Retail activity centres on gifting and generosity. Tahawultech
  4. 150% increase is seen in gift demand. Khaleejtimes
  5. There is forecasted 10 per cent increase in online sales and a 30 per cent rise in GMV for Eid al-Fitr. Khaleejtimes
  6. Mena gifting market is projected to grow from $6.36 billion in 2025 to $8.47 billion by 2032. Khaleejtimes
  7. Gross merchandise value increased by up to 40 per cent compared with January levels, driven by early corporate gifting. Khaleejtimes
  8. Order volumes rose by as much as 30 per cent, driven by early corporate gifting and family preparations. Khaleejtimes

Emerging Trends & Future Outlook

  1. Ramadan 2026 will be more mobile-driven, more e-commerce-heavy, and more digitally active than ever. memob
  2. Content is no longer a support function layered onto Ramadan strategies. It is the strategy itself. linkedin
  3. 71% reporting ad fatigue during the Holy Month. linkedin
  4. Total retail impact across MENA is projected to reach $80 billion, building on the $75 billion record set in 2025. linkedin
  5. Saudi Arabia and the UAE continue to act as the region’s primary engines, collectively driving more than half of this total spend. linkedin
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