Manufacturers of dietary supplements should seize the opportunity and jump onto the accelerating Middle Eastern market. The dietary supplements market in the UAE and Saudi Arabia is expected to grow by an average of 8.35% per year through 2027, with an annual turnover in the region exceeding $55 million. Valeria Mingova, Founder of Virtual PR manager PRonto and CEO of PR Doctor, shares the first steps for entering the Middle Eastern dietary supplements market.
There are three main reasons why the UAE market is so attractive. First, there is a growing trend towards healthy living, and demand for health products is skyrocketing. Dietary supplements, probiotics, vitamin complexes, natural energy bars — all of these are becoming true hits. The supplements market in the Middle East and Africa has been actively growing over the past several years.
Second, taxes are very low — only 5% VAT — and customs duties on the import of dietary supplements are quite moderate. This gives suppliers the opportunity to earn good margins.
Finally, if you can successfully launch in the UAE, entering Saudi Arabia — a highly desirable market for many — becomes much easier.
Do You Need a Partner? Key Market Entry Strategies
If a business wants to test the market and study demand for several products, it can independently handle the certification of its dietary supplements and push them into pharmacy chains such as Life Pharmacy, Aster Pharmacy, Medicina Pharmacy, Boots Pharmacy, Supercare Pharmacy, Al Manara Pharmacy, Acorus Pharmacy, Docib Pharmacy, and BinSina Pharmacy — as well as onto marketplaces such as Noon.com and Amazon.ae. It is important to keep in mind that some products classified as dietary supplements in other countries may be categorized as herbal medicines here, requiring additional regulatory approval.
However, if a company is planning a large-scale market entry and has an appropriate budget, it is better to collaborate with distributors and partners who will handle the certification process.
Distributors and partners who can take care of bureaucratic formalities can be found via:
- Local B2B platforms and marketplaces: Tradeling, Alibaba Middle East, Go4WorldBusiness.
- Professional associations: Emirates Nutrition Association or Dubai Chamber of Commerce.
- Direct search: through Yellow Pages UAE or local Google.ae searches such as “dietary supplement distributors in UAE,” “wholesale health products Dubai.”
- And, of course, through social media search.
- Another practical approach is to visit fitness centers, health cafés, and pharmacies and ask for contacts of their distributors.
How to Obtain a Certification for Dietary Supplements in the UAE
Certificates of Conformity (ECAS) are issued by the Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology (ESMA). To obtain a certificate, you must:
- Register and apply for a Certificate of Conformity via the ESMA website. Only companies with a valid business license in the UAE are eligible.
- Attach the required documents through ESMA’s online platform. The list of necessary documents is available on the ESMA’s official website.
- Pay the certification fee. Certification costs start at $2,000 per item.
What a PR Strategy Should Include When Launching a Dietary Supplement in the UAE
Here’s a basic program including essential promotional tools. You can use them all at once or one by one. We have chosen not to include Instagram, as advertising costs are high there, and effective results require collaboration with large-audience influencers, who can significantly boost lead generation and enhance your brand’s image.
Content Analysis of Market Players:
A new player may commission an extensive, months-long research study to analyze communication strategies within the dietary supplement market, or conduct a quick analysis of direct and indirect competitors’ tone of voice, key messages in the media, and advertising content — sufficient for an initial launch.
In the UAE, the market is already occupied by both major international and local brands. Analyzing competitors’ PR activity reveals two main groups:
Aggressive Promotion:
Brands like Herbalife Nutrition (which hosts many events and frequently posts about its products and customer success stories) and ATOMY (which regularly organizes presentations and is very active on social media) fall into this category.
Moderate Activity:
Focused on quality, innovation, and effectiveness. Brands like Bayer AG, Amway Corporation, Vitabiotics Ltd, VITOBOX, ULTRASUPPS follow this strategy. GlaxoSmithKline PLC targets primarily the professional community. Social media activity among these players is moderate to low.
A marketing express analysis of competitors is often sufficient to formulate recommendations for building a brand communication platform, differentiating from competitors, and defining key messages.
Effective tools in a PR strategy include media relations, messaging app channel placements, targeted lead generation, influencer collaborations, and participation in professional exhibitions. Here’s how they work in the UAE:
Media Relations:
Opportunities include integration into authored articles and expert commentary from business representatives. However, a separate budget for paid media placements is advisable.
Here are approximate costs for regional media placements suitable for dietary supplement promotion:
- News outlets like Gulf Business and Emirates 24/7 — from $5,000.
- Lifestyle media for women or men, such as Grazia Middle East, Elle Arabia, or GQ Middle East — from $21,000.
- Sports and healthy lifestyle media, such as The Sports Journal, SFME Mag, or Sport360 — from $4,000.
Note: In the UAE, advertising of pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements is restricted to media outlets licensed by the Ministry of Health, ensuring that advertising content is verified for accuracy.
WhatsApp Channel Seeding:
Selecting WhatsApp channels for promoting dietary supplements should follow the same principles as selecting media: targeting channels focused on sports, beauty, and lifestyle. If part of the target audience is Russian-speaking, Telegram channels should also be used.
Placement costs in messenger apps start from $50.
Targeted Lead Generation:
If the company targets sales through distributors, email marketing can “warm up” distributors and small store owners. Despite ongoing debates, email campaigns are still effective.
Working with Influencers:
There are two effective approaches depending on the client’s budget:
- Organizing events (conferences, webinars, online streams, workshops) to invite influencers.
- Advertising and native integrations. For example, dietary supplement suppliers can sponsor and advertise at sports events. Professional sports such as football, golf, tennis, and powerboat racing, as well as traditional events like camel races and horse races, are ideal. Popular mass events include marathons and triathlons. Spectators often share photos from these events on social media, promoting the brand organically. For instance, the protein supplement brand Optimum Nutrition was one of the sponsors of the Dubai Muscle Show 2024 bodybuilding event.
Professional Exhibitions:
A specialized regional exhibition ideal for dietary supplement manufacturers is Arab Health, with participation costs starting from $3,000. Other related events include Dubai Active (health, fitness, and lifestyle products) and Arabian Travel Market (focusing on tourism, leisure, sports, and fitness). Dietary supplements, vitamins, and minerals are also featured at Beautyworld Middle East — the annual beauty industry exhibition.