Animetrics Research on Türkiye: Motivations and Barriers Toward Plant‑Forward Diets
In 2026, Animetrics published its Türkiye Profile study, surveying 2,499 adults across the country to explore how consumers perceive plant‑forward diets, what motivates them to reduce animal consumption, and what barriers stand in the way. The report situates Türkiye within global debates on industrial animal agriculture, emphasizing how health, affordability, and cultural identity shape dietary choices. While meat continues to hold a central place in tradition and social identity, the study reveals a growing curiosity about plant‑based eating, particularly among younger and urban populations who are exposed to global food trends and sustainability narratives.
Lactose Intolerance and Dairy Alternatives in the Middle East: Market and Medical Perspectives
Lactose intolerance is one of the most prevalent food sensitivities in the Middle East, with recent peer‑reviewed studies in Saudi Arabia confirming prevalence rates ranging from 7% to over 45% depending on diagnostic methods. A cross‑sectional study in Riyadh found that nearly half of participants tested positive for lactose intolerance, highlighting the widespread nature of the condition. This medical evidence provides a clear explanation for the rapid expansion of lactose‑free and plant‑based dairy alternatives across the region. The IndexBox report on the Middle East food intolerance products market further demonstrates how this health reality has translated into consumer demand, with dairy alternatives now representing the largest segment of intolerance‑related products.
Research by Animetrics on Kuwait: Protecting Farm Animals and Changing Consumer Attitudes
In 2026, Animetrics published its Kuwait study as part of a regional project exploring food systems and farmed animal welfare in Muslim‑majority societies. The Kuwait report provides insight into how cultural traditions, religious values, and modern consumer attitudes shape the country’s relationship with animals and food. Meat remains a central feature of Kuwaiti identity, symbolizing generosity, hospitality, and social belonging, especially during religious and family occasions. At the same time, the research shows that many consumers, particularly younger and urban respondents, are increasingly open to plant‑based diets and alternative proteins, viewing them as healthy and aligned with global sustainability efforts.
Vegan Cat Food in the Middle East: A Quiet Market Finding Its Place
Across the Middle East, vegan cat food remains a small but emerging niche. The market is concentrated in the United Arab Emirates, which accounts for nearly half of regional sales, while Saudi Arabia is showing the fastest growth. Qatar also records high per‑capita demand. Although vegan cat food represents less than one percent of total pet food sales, annual growth rates of fifteen to twenty percent highlight its steady expansion.
How to Navigate Eid al‑Adha as a Vegan: Compassionate Ways to Honor Tradition
Eid al‑Adha is a time of profound spiritual meaning, family gatherings, and acts of charity. For many, it is a celebration rooted in tradition, but for vegans it can also be emotionally challenging because of the central role animal sacrifice plays in Eid. Yet it is possible to honor the spirit of Eid while staying true to values of compassion and mercy, while inspiring others by showing that celebration can be rooted in kindness as well as faith.
The Expansion of Plant‑Based Protein Beverages Across the Middle East: Market Outlook to 2035
The Middle East plant‑based protein beverages market is in an early high‑growth phase, with retail volumes projected to expand at a mid‑to‑high teens compound annual growth rate over the 2026–2035 period. This expansion is being driven by health‑conscious urban populations, rising disposable incomes, and a shift toward convenient, dairy‑free nutrition. According to the IndexBox report on the Middle East plant‑based protein beverages market, these trends highlight both the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.
Research by Animetrics on Qatar: Protecting Farmed Animals and Changing Consumer Attitudes
In 2026, Animetrics released its research on Qatar as part of a regional series examining food systems and animal welfare in Muslim‑majority societies. This study highlights how Qatar’s rapid development, cultural traditions, and global exposure are shaping consumer perspectives on food and the protection of farmed animals. By situating Qatar within the broader Gulf context, the research reveals both the persistence of hospitality rituals centered on meat and the growing openness among younger generations to plant‑based diets and welfare‑oriented practices.
Countdown to 2028: Australia’s Ban on Live Sheep Exports and the Middle East’s Dilemma
Australia’s landmark decision to legislate the end of live sheep exports by May 2028 marks one of the most significant animal welfare reforms in modern history. For decades, millions of sheep have been shipped across oceans in overcrowded vessels, enduring extreme heat and high mortality before facing slaughter abroad. The Middle East has been among the largest destinations for these shipments, with countries such as Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar continuing to import live animals. As the countdown to 2028 begins, the question is no longer whether this trade will end in Australia but how Middle Eastern markets will respond to a global shift away from live animal transport.
Pathways to Protecting Farmed Animals in the United Arab Emirates: Consumer Perspectives and Shifting Food Systems
In early 2026, Animetrics released its study on the United Arab Emirates as part of a regional series examining food systems in Muslim‑majority contexts. Building on Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye, this project explores how affluence, rapid modernization, and religious traditions intersect in the Emirates to shape consumer attitudes toward food and animal welfare. The UAE’s position as a global hub of commerce and culture makes it a revealing case, where traditional practices remain central to identity while exposure to international trends and sustainability concerns is reshaping perspectives.
Almond Milk Rising: Market Momentum and Consumer Trends Across the Middle East
The almond milk market in the Middle East has expanded rapidly in recent years, reflecting both changing consumer preferences and broader lifestyle shifts. In 2026, the market is valued between USD 320 and 380 million, with forecasts projecting growth to USD 1.1–1.4 billion by 2035. This represents a compound annual growth rate of 12–14%, underscoring almond milk’s position as a leading product within the plant-based beverage category.
Animetrics Research Examines Türkiye’s Food System Amid Cultural Heritage and Modern Shifts
In early 2026, Animetrics finalized a series of projects exploring how cultural traditions, economic realities, and institutional frameworks shape food systems across Muslim‑majority societies. Covering Lebanon, the Gulf, and Türkiye, these studies provide a comparative lens on resilience and transformation in the region. In Türkiye, the research highlights how a rich culinary heritage, rapid urbanization, and shifting consumer demographics intersect to shape food choices
Meat, Masculinity, and Justification: Insights from Recent Studies in Turkey
A study published in BMC Psychology in 2025 validated Turkish versions of meat‑eating justification scales, showing how individuals rationalize consumption through frameworks such as the “4Ns” (Natural, Necessary, Normal, and Nice) and linking these rationalizations to attitudes like social dominance orientation, speciesism, and masculinity. Complementing this, research conducted at Istanbul University in 2019 examined how male athletes perceive meat as indispensable to performance, reflecting entrenched ideals of strength, dominance, and virility. Taken together, these studies reveal how meat is elevated not only through structured rationalizations but also through symbolic associations, exposing the persistence of norms that reinforce its status rather than questioning its necessity.
Animetrics Research Examines Saudi Arabia’s Food System Amid Tradition and Transformation
From January to March 2026, Animetrics published a set of finalized projects that investigate how cultural traditions, economic pressures, and institutional frameworks shape food systems across Muslim‑majority societies. Covering Lebanon, the Gulf, and Türkiye, these studies provide a regional lens on the shifting dynamics of consumption and resilience. In Saudi Arabia, the research highlights how rapid modernization, shifting demographics, and religious traditions intersect to shape food consumption.
Morocco’s Plant‑Based Milk Industry: Rising Against the Dairy Current
When Jaouda launched Nabatlé in 2025, it marked a turning point for Morocco: the country’s first locally made plant‑based milk brand. With oat, almond, and coconut varieties fortified with calcium and free from gluten, lactose, added sugars, and preservatives, Nabatlé quickly became a symbol of innovation and sustainability. Yet its rise comes at a time when Morocco is also expanding conventional dairy, most recently with a US$10.8 million milk plant investment in Kenitra, underscoring the challenge plant‑based alternatives face in a market still dominated by traditional production.
Will Saudi Arabia’s Single‑Cell Protein Innovation Reduce or Intensify Animal Suffering?
Saudi Arabia’s plan to build the world’s largest single‑cell protein (SCP) plant marks a significant moment in the evolution of global food systems. Developed in partnership with Denmark’s Unibio International, the facility will use methane to cultivate microbial protein at unprecedented scale. This raises a pressing ethical question: will such innovation reduce the suffering of animals by displacing fishmeal and soy, or will it reinforce the structures of factory farming by serving primarily as feed within the same intensive systems?
Animetrics Research Examines Lebanon’s Food System Amid Crisis and Cultural Traditions
Between January and March 2026, Animetrics released a series of finalized projects examining how cultural traditions, economic realities, and institutional structures shape food systems in Muslim‑majority contexts, covering Lebanon, the Gulf, and Türkiye. In Lebanon, the research captures a nation in crisis: economic collapse, currency devaluation, and the strain of hosting large refugee populations have reshaped everyday food choices.
Vegan Startups Driving the Gulf’s Sustainable Protein Shift: Local Brands Leading a Regional Food Revolution
Across the Gulf, a new generation of vegan startups is transforming the food landscape. Driven by youthful demographics, sustainability agendas, and rising awareness of food security, these companies are pioneering plant‑based proteins that honor tradition while embracing innovation. Awareness of vegan products is now nearly universal in the UAE (94%) and Saudi Arabia (89%), with many consumers willing to pay a premium for food that aligns with health, ethics, and environmental stewardship.
Clean Labels, Cultural Roots: How Plant-Based Flavors Shape Saudi Arabia’s Food Future
Saudi Arabia’s natural food flavors sector is entering a dynamic phase, shaped by consumer demand for preservative‑free products and a growing emphasis on health‑conscious choices. Plant‑based sources already dominate the market, with dates, saffron, rose water, and spice blends anchoring the region’s culinary identity. At the same time, new product launches, such as Milaf Cola, a date‑based soft drink, illustrate how traditional ingredients are being reimagined for modern tastes. This transformation aligns with the country’s Vision 2030 strategy, which prioritizes food security, sustainability, and local manufacturing, positioning natural flavors at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s evolving food future.
Denied Entry in Turkey, A Voyage of Suffering and Death: The Spiridon II Live Export Tragedy
The Spiridon II livestock carrier became a symbol of suffering earlier this year after nearly 340 cattle perished during a voyage that stretched on for weeks. Denied entry at several ports, including Turkey, the vessel remained stranded at sea while conditions on board deteriorated rapidly. Calves were born mid-journey, many unable to survive; animals collapsed in overcrowded pens; and mothers struggled to nurse their young. The tragedy has drawn international scrutiny, exposing the inherent cruelty of the live export trade, a system that treats sentient beings as cargo, vulnerable to delays, outdated vessels, and profit-driven decisions.
A Night Under the Levantine Sky: A Vegan Fundraising Event Supporting HEAL Palestine
On March 14, at the Appalachian Collegiate Center in the University Union, Binghamton University, New York, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) partnered with the Food Co-op to host “A Night Under the Levantine Sky”. The fundraiser blended Palestinian cultural heritage with the Co-op’s vegan philosophy, offering guests a taste of Palestine through food, music, and community. Fifty percent of the event’s proceeds were donated to HEAL Palestine, an apolitical nonprofit that delivers aid to Palestinian children and families, ensuring the evening carried both cultural and humanitarian impact.