Consumer behavior across the UAE is shifting rapidly as economic uncertainty, digital acceleration, and changing consumer expectations reshape how people engage, spend, and make purchasing decisions. Presented by IPSOS during ABG’s closed-door CMO Forum, this session explored the emerging patterns influencing consumer sentiment, brand trust, digital behavior, and value perception across the region.

Based on research conducted among 800 UAE residents aged 15+, the findings reveal a growing move toward value-driven and digitally led behaviors that consumers increasingly expect to become long-term habits rather than short-term reactions. The session examined how caution, optimism, trust, convenience, and financial sensitivity are simultaneously shaping purchasing decisions in today’s environment.

The discussion highlighted several important shifts marketers should be paying close attention to:

• Increased digital engagement across social, messaging, and news platforms
• Greater focus on essential spending, value offers, and promotional discovery
• Rising consumer preference for local and regional brands
• Stronger reliance on trust, transparency, and word-of-mouth recommendations
• Growing demand for contextual and authentic influencer content
• Expanding online shopping and digitally enabled decision-making behaviors
• The importance of balancing performance marketing with long-term brand trust

The session also reinforced the evolving role of marketers in a more volatile environment, where brands must compete not only for attention but for relevance, credibility, and consumer confidence. The findings point toward a more control-driven, digitally connected consumer landscape where trust, transparency, and perceived value increasingly influence long-term brand relationships.