Exploring UAE Consumers’ Shift Toward Sustainability

Key insights:

• Sustainable brands win preference: Two-thirds of UAE consumers (66%) now prefer brands that prioritise sustainability, signalling a strong market shift.
  
• Influence grows with age: Sustainability drives purchase decisions for 73% of consumers aged 45+, compared with 61% of 18–24s.
  
• High willingness to pay more: 73% of sustainability-minded consumers are willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly products, reinforcing strong commercial potential.

Sustainability has become a national and corporate priority in the UAE, especially in the wake of COP28 and the UAE Net Zero 2050 strategy. As the country invests heavily in renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, and waste reduction, it is important to understand how consumers themselves are responding to this shift. New YouGov data provides a clear view of how sustainability is reflected in consumer attitudes and behaviours across the UAE.

According to data from YouGov Profiles, sustainability is already shaping consumer brand preferences, with more than two-third of UAE consumers (66%) say they prefer brands that are sustainable.

When asked how much sustainability influences their product choices, two-thirds of consumers who prefer sustainable brands (67%) say it plays a role in what they buy. However, this influence varies across age groups. Younger adults aged 18-24 report the lowest level of influence (61%), with 25-34s also slightly below the overall figure (64%). Influence rises above the subgroup average among those aged 35-44 (70%) and reaches its highest level among consumers aged 45 and above (73%). Younger adults also show a higher share of “no Influence” compared with older groups. When viewed by gender, male consumers fall slightly below the overall figure (64%), while female consumers report a notably higher level of sustainability influence (75%).

So are consumers willing to pay more ?

Among those who prefer sustainable brands, three-quarters agree with statement ‘I don’t mind paying more for products that are good for the environment’ (73%). Only a small percentage (7%) disagree.

Sustainability is indeed influencing what UAE consumers prefer, buy and change in their daily routines. This is reflected in the market, where retailers are adopting sustainability frameworks such as Chalhoub Group’s Unity for Change, and where communities including The Sustainable City, Sharjah Sustainable City and Yas Sustainable City, reflecting alignment between public choices and ongoing national sustainability initiatives on a wider scale.

Methodology:

YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. Figures are drawn from responses collected between November 2024 and November 2025 using a 52-week dataset updated weekly. Data for UAE is urban representative sample weighted by age and gender.

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