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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Middle Eastern Mezze Traditions: A Hidden Plant-Based Abundance
The Middle East is often celebrated for its rich culinary heritage, but what is less acknowledged is how deeply plant-based traditions run through its kitchens. These traditions extend across North Africa as well, where grains, legumes, and vegetables form the foundation of daily meals. Central to this is the culture of mezze, the generous spread of small dishes meant for sharing. Meals are not centered on a single protein but on abundance through variety, with hummus, tabbouleh, baba ganoush, falafel, couscous, and zaalouk forming the heart of the table. This communal approach, paired with fertile climates and a reliance on olive oil, fresh produce, and aromatic herbs, has created a cuisine where compassion and flavor coexist effortlessly.
What Travelers Should Know: Spotting Exploitation and Choosing Alternatives in the Middle East
Travel often arrives as a promise: to witness history, to meet new people, to feel the scale of places that shaped human stories. Across the Middle East, that promise can be complicated by scenes many visitors find hard to reconcile with the wonder of monuments, deserts, and coasts. At archaeological sites, desert safaris, coastal resorts, and urban promenades, animals frequently appear as part of the visitor experience, with working equids carrying people up steep paths, camels posed for photographs, dolphins performing in tanks, and animals presented for staged photos. Investigations and reports from animal‑welfare organizations, including high‑profile exposés by groups such as PETA alongside local advocates and international media, have documented animals showing signs of exhaustion, untreated injuries, and chronic neglect: bodies and behavior reveal long hours, inadequate rest, and stress from repeated handling and confinement.
How to Survive Ramadan as a Vegan While Inspiring Others
Ramadan is a month of reflection, discipline, and community. For vegans, it is also a chance to live values of compassion and sustainability while participating fully in traditions. With thoughtful planning and social engagement, it is possible not only to thrive physically and spiritually but also to inspire others through the richness of plant-based living.
Vegan Nail Care in the Middle East: Products You Can Actually Find
The beauty industry is embracing a plant‑powered future, and nail care is no exception. For salons and consumers in the Middle East, cruelty‑free and vegan nail products are no longer a distant trend. They are available right here, through regional distributors and online platforms.
Dubai: Best Vegan Deals, Dishes & Restaurants You Can’t Skip This Veganuary
Veganuary in Dubai isn’t just a passing trend — it’s an invitation. An invitation to taste creativity, to discover indulgence, and to experience how plant‑based dining can be diverse, stylish, and world‑class. This January, the city’s kitchens are opening their doors to anyone ready to take the leap: to try vegan, to feel the difference, and to explore flavours that redefine what dining can be.
100% Vegan Restaurants in Dubai to Try in 2026
While many restaurants offer vegan options, only a handful in Dubai are fully vegan. In 2026, these dedicated venues cover the full spectrum of dining experiences, from indulgent fast food to wellness‑focused cafés and fine dining. This guide highlights their menus, atmospheres, and photos, showing how plant‑based dining in Dubai meets every occasion.
Algae, Lab‑Grown Meat, and Smarter Farms: Shaping the Future of Food in MENA
MENA is entering a moment of transformation, where food is increasingly connected to ideas of health, sustainability, and more mindful consumption. Across the region, new opportunities are opening up: Gulf states are channeling major investments into cultivated meat to meet protein demand ethically, North Africa is expanding aquaculture to deliver sustainable plant‑based protein and strengthen food security, and climate‑smart agriculture is already woven into national strategies. Together, these shifts point toward a future where innovation and responsibility redefine how the region grows and consumes food, creating systems that are efficient, climate‑conscious, and aligned with a vision of healthier diets.