Middle East and Africa Active and Intelligent Packaging - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

The Middle East and Africa Active and Intelligent Packaging Market is expected to register a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period.

Key Highlights

• Intelligent packaging is enabled to sense and measure some variables of the food that it encloses or the environment in which it is kept. This feature enables it to inform the stakeholders (manufacturer, retailer, and consumer) of the state of the food through measured properties.
• An intelligent packaging system contains smart devices that are small, inexpensive labels or tags, capable of acquiring, storing, and transferring information about the parameters, functions, and properties of the food contained inside the package.
• Active packaging absorbs food chemicals derived from the food or the environment within the packaging that surrounds the food or releases substances, such as preservatives, antioxidants, and flavoring, into the food or the food's surrounding environment.
• However, safety concerns related to the adoption of sachet-type oxygen scavenging in food, such as accidental ingestion of the sachet by consumers and spill/leak of the sachet contents into food, can be harmful. They are the major factors challenging the growing use of oxygen scavengers in the market.
• The average Egyptian's interest in food and the curiosity to experience unfamiliar cuisines has led to an increase in the number of food outlets. However, due to increasing fresh food prices and decreasing disposable income, people are shifting toward consuming frozen foods. This shift in trend may boost the expansion of the market studied.
• The per capita income in Qatar is increasing, thus raising the purchasing power, which is driving the expansion of the packaging sector. The increasing demand for packaged products, as an outcome of changing lifestyles, and the demand from manufacturers for longer shelf life are driving the growth of the market studied.
• Moreover, the governments' strict regulations with regard to food packaging and safety standards are one of the few other factors aiding the growth of the packaging market in Qatar. Active and intelligent packaging is also being altered to cater to the needs of fast-food consumers, who are rapidly moving toward packaged food.

MEA Active & Intelligent Packaging Market Trends

Personal Care is One of the Factor Driving the Market

• An increased focus on natural skincare treatments, non-invasive beauty procedures, and the growing influence of beauty and lifestyle bloggers has contributed to steady growth in the Middle Eastern personal care sector. Many experts opine the upswing in the UAE's personal care segment is fueled by the lifestyle that it is associated with. Medical specialists recommend proper skincare and personal care products to both genders, especially in the harsh climate of the UAE.
• Moreover, according to Zawaya, Saudi women are the biggest spenders for beauty and personal care products globally, who rack up USD 909 (3,350 UAE dirhams) in yearly bills. The increasing adoption of personal care products due to the increase in disposable income in the country is further expected to stimulate the value of the aesthetic value and safety of these products. Also, the increasing penetration of social media and e-commerce websites in the country is proliferating the demand for personal goods products, hence, stimulating the adoption of personal care product packaging using the active and intelligent packaging.
• However, sophisticated cosmetics, such as special oils, vitamins, and herbal compounds, need high protection from light and contamination. These products also require to have an extended shelf life. Thus, flexible and multi-layer barrier packaging films are used, often incorporating aluminum foil that involves active packaging processes.
• Moreover, consumers' demand for natural and organic products has now been shifted past the grocery store and has found its way toward beauty products, as the all-natural, better-for-you movement is becoming a demand in the personal care department. In Oman, the Sacra brand, which is dedicated to making the best of products using the country's finest ingredients. The company's natural-products-only principle extends to its packaging also, where consumers can see tons of beautiful adornments, herbs, clay, roots, and flowers, that are adding a hint of vibrancy while maintaining the earthy palette that the brand is known for.
• Therefore, such demands drive the need for active and intelligent packaging as consumers are increasingly particular on understanding the type of packaging, the travel history of products especially post COVID-19 impact, to make sure the products are safe to consume.

Active Packaging is Observing a Significant Increase

• The concept of active packaging is completely associated with the quality of the packaged content. Active packaging interacts directly with the packaged product, as it is in direct contact with the product and can interact chemically or biologically with the packaged product.
• In order to improve the shelf life of the product, certain components are incorporated into packaging that releases or absorb from or into the packed substance to prolong its shelf life and sustain the quality of the product. This process is termed active packaging. For this purpose, various technologies are used, which include oxygen scavengers, microwave susceptors, odor absorbers/emitters, moisture/ humidity absorbers, and anti-microbial packaging.
• In this disinfecting process, the N95 mask and the small strip of ActivShield are placed inside a one-gallon plastic bag. The strip releases a controlled amount of chlorine dioxide inside the sealed bag to decontaminate the N95 mask. The process takes only three hours until the mask is ready to wear again. It can be performed on-site at the local hospital where the mask is being.
• The rising demand for packaged food is boosting the active packaging market. The growing inclination of customers toward packaged and ready-to-eat foodstuffs is propelling the active packaging market, and this trend is expected to continue within the forecast period. Chopped and packaged fruits and vegetables employ active packaging to a large extent, as they release gases within the packaging used.
• Moreover, the Middle Eastern region is growing towards adopting flat-rolled aluminum for product packaging that demands an active packaging process.

MEA Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Overview

The Middle East and Africa Active and Intelligent Packaging market are moderately consolidated, with a few major companies like BASF SE, Amcor Ltd, Honeywell International Inc., Landec Corporation, Bemis Company Inc., Crown Holdings Inc.Ball Corporation, Timestrip UK Ltd are some players. The companies are continuously investing in making strategic partnerships and product developments to gain more market share. Some of the recent developments in the market are:

• May 2021 - A new thermoforming packaging solution has been developed by Sealed Air. When compared to commonly used laminates, Sealed Air claims that the new CRYOVAC brand LID830R is a thin, high abuse resistance, anti-fog top lid film that can reduce packing weight by up to 50%.
• August 2021 - Amcor, one of the global pioneers in developing and producing a diverse range of reliable packaging solutions, today announced the debut of a proprietary healthcare lidding technology that will be used for combination products containing two or more regulated components (device, drug, or biologic). Amcor's most recent invention is based on patented inert film development and laminate design. It offers a lidding solution that can endure heat sterilization, which conserves and sterilizes products while preventing drug uptake into the package. Such developments enhance the requirement of an active packaging process

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support