Analyzing Oral Care Market in Middle East: Strategies for New Brands

The Middle East oral care market is expected to grow due to increased awareness of oral hygiene, increased purchasing power, and an increasing number of dentists. The market is predicted to reach USD 1.7 billion by 2023.

Running Head: Market Overview
DENTAL MARKET
OVERVIEW IN MIDDLE
EAST

Market Overview
Table of Contents
1. Dental Market Overview Middle East, 2018...............................................................................4
1.1 Drivers...................................................................................................................................4
1.2 Restraints...............................................................................................................................4
1.3 Opportunities.........................................................................................................................4
1.4 Challenges..............................................................................................................................5
2. Demographic Insights (2018)......................................................................................................5
2.1 Number of Dentists................................................................................................................5
2.1.1 Dentistry in Saudi Arabia...............................................................................................5
2.1.2 Dentistry in Israel...........................................................................................................8
2.1.3 Dentistry in Iran..............................................................................................................8
2.1.4 Dentistry in UAE............................................................................................................8
2.1.5 Dentistry in Iraq..............................................................................................................8
2.2 Number of Dental Clinics..........................................................................................................8
2.2.1 Saudi Arabia.......................................................................................................................9
2.2.2 Iran................................................................................................................................10
2.3 Number of Pharmacies............................................................................................................10
2.4 Number of dental Schools & Universities...............................................................................11
3. Middle East Oral Care Market (Byproduct)..............................................................................12
3.1 Toothbrush...........................................................................................................................13
3.2 Toothpaste............................................................................................................................13
3.3 Mouthwash..........................................................................................................................13
3.4 Top Big 5 Players at the Market and forecast to 2022........................................................13
4. Market Strategy.........................................................................................................................14
4.1 S.W.O.T Analysis................................................................................................................14

Market Overview
4.2 Porter 5 Forces.....................................................................................................................14
4.3 Conclusion & Recommendation..............................................................................................15
References:....................................................................................................................................17
List of Tables
Table 1: Distribution of dentistry professionals in Saudi Arabia....................................................5
Table 2: Dental Care in Iran..........................................................................................................10
Table 3: Number of dental schools in the Middle East.................................................................11
Table 4: SWOT analysis................................................................................................................14
Table 5: Porter's five forces analysis.............................................................................................15
List of Figures
Figure 1: Different dentistry specialists in Saudi Arabia.................................................................7
Figure 2: Year of establishment wise distribution of private dental clinics in Riyadh....................9
Figure 3: Category-wise distribution of pharmacist......................................................................11
Figure 4: Product-wise distribution of Middle-East and Africa Oral care market........................12

Market Overview
1. Dental Market Overview Middle East, 2018
1.1 Drivers
The key drivers of oral care market growth in the Middle East are—
 Increased awareness on Oral hygiene-- The routine of brushing teeth twice is being
prevalent in the Middle East countries. As an impact, the use of oral care products such as
toothpaste, toothbrush and mouthwash is increasing. Increased purchasing power-- The purchasing power of the people in the Middle East is
increasing. As a result, the spending onthe oral care products is also increasing.
 Use of approved ingredients in oral care products-- Use of natural ingredients in the
toothpaste comply with the religious belief of consumers in Middle-East. Use of natural
ingredients facilitate the consumers to use such products any time even during fast also.
The alternative ingredients also increased the use of oral care items.
1.2 Restraints
The Middle- East Oral care market is already dominated by big players of the industry
(Chidzonga et al., 2015). So, acquiring customers can be difficult for new brands.
1.3 Opportunities
 The Middle East oral care market is still growing. The new brands can focus on the
untapped portion of the market.
 The tendency of purchasing manual toothbrush is high among the Middle East
consumers. Launching of modern electric toothbrushes can create new opportunities for
new brands.
 The modern retail supermarkets are increasing in the Middle East. The new brands can
reach customers through these supermarkets. Reaching the customers through online
shops can create new opportunities for the new brands.
 The number of dentists is increasing in the Middle-East countries. So, use of the
medicated products can also increase accordingly.

Market Overview
1.4 Challenges
The oral care practices are being popular among the consumers although the practices are not
widely accepted among all of the users. Promoting the importance of oral healthcare can be
challenging forthe new brands.
2. Demographic Insights (2018)
2.1 Number of Dentists
The number of dentists in a country can be considered as an indicator of the current status of the
dental health services in the nation. In this section, the information on a number of dentists in
different countries of the Middle East is discussed.
2.1.1 Dentistry in Saudi Arabia
The number of dentist in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was 16887 in 2016. A large portion of the
professionals is General practitioners.
Table 1: Distribution of dentistry professionals in Saudi Arabia

Market Overview
Source: (Source: AlBaker et al., 2017)
Table 2: Registration-wise distribution of dentists in Saudi
Source: (Source: AlBaker et al., 2017)

Market Overview
Figure 1: Different dentistry specialists in Saudi Arabia
(Source: AlBaker et al., 2017)
The table 1,2 and figure 1 indicates that the current status of dental health in the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia. Both Saudi and non-Saudi dentists operate in the country. Among the dentists with
Saudi originality, a large portion of the professionals operate in public organizations whereas
most of the dentists with non-Saudi background are working in private organizations. In case of
both Saudi and non-Saudi population, both male professionals constitute the larger portion. The
data also shows that most of the Saudi and Non-Saudi dentists are registered as General Dentist
practitioners. In addition, the dentists operate in different regions of the country including the
Makkah, Madinah and the Northern Borders.

Market Overview
2.1.2 Dentistry in Israel
In 2017, the predicted number of dentists in Israel was 6090 (Vered et al., 2010). It included both
the Israeli and immigrants. It was also assumed that a negligible number of professionals is
leaving the country.
2.1.3 Dentistry in Iran
In 2017, approximately 25000 dentists were practising in different parts of Iran (Iran-daily.com,
2018). The country has a comparatively higher proportion of dentists than other nations of the
Middle East. Due to the presence of higher number of dentists, Iran has better opportunities to
boost dental tourism.
2.1.4 Dentistry in UAE
In UAE, the number of dentists in 2007 was 566 (Data.bayanat.ae.,2018). In 2015, the number
of dentists increased to 4205 (Data.bayanat.ae.,2018). It indicates that the number of dentists in
UAE is increasing gradually.
2.1.5 Dentistry in Iraq
The Oral Health services have been developed significantly in Iraq after 2003. In 2003, the total
number of dentists registered to Iraqi Dental Association (IDA) was 3000. In 2010, the number
of dentists increased to 4863 which indicates 1.7 dentists were available per 10000 people. In
2015, the number further increased to7277 and in 2017, about 8500 dentists were practising in
the country.
The analysis of the data available on a number of dentists in different countries of middle-east
indicates that most of the nations do not have an adequate number of professionals. However, in
some countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, the availability of dentists is comparatively
higher. On the contrary, nations like UAE and Israel have a lower number of dentists.
2.2 Number of Dental Clinics
The current section deals with country-wise analysis of the dental clinics in Middle-East
countries.

Market Overview
2.2.1 Saudi Arabia
The number of dental clinics in Saudi Arabia is increasing at a rapid rate. As per the Ministry of
Health (MOH), approximately 5000 dental clinics will be operating in the Kingdom in next two
or three years (Saudigazette, 2018). In next 10 years, the number of clinics will be more than
6700. Currently there are 24 large dentistry centers in Saudi Arabia along with 11 other centers
with limited resources (Saudigazette, 2018). The MOH also focuses on working in collaboration
with the private partners to promote oral health and incorporate international standards in Saudi.
Both the private and public dental clinics are available in different cities of Saudi Arabia. For
instance, in Riyadh, there are 236 private dental clinics are running (Alsalleeh et al., 2018).
However, the clinics are concentrated in some areas such as Olaya and Rawdha.
Distribution of private dental clinics as per year-of-establishment
From 1984
to 1990 From 1991
to 1995 From 1996
to 2000 From 2001
to 2005 From 2006
to 2010 From 2011
to 2016
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Number of clinics
Number of clinics
Figure 2: Year of establishment wise distribution of private dental clinics in Riyadh
Source: Created by the Researcher
The above figure indicates that the number of private dental clinics is increasing in Riyadh
gradually. The increased consciousness of oral health can be one of the key reasons behind the

Market Overview
boost in number of private dental clinics. However, the growth of private dental clinics indicates
that the demand of medicated oral healthcare products can increase in Saudi.
2.2.2 Iran
Table 2: Dental Care in Iran
(Source: Pakshir, 2004)
The above table indicates that the dental healthcare in Iran is delivered in four levels. At the
primary level, the preventive services are provided. At the second level, the services related to
oral hygiene are offered. The management and treatment of oral health issues are provided by the
dentists and technicians. The specialists conduct the tasks such as research, education and
implant related services.
2.3 Number of Pharmacies
The current section discusses the country-wise analysis of pharmacies in the Middle-East. The
MOH in Saudi is emphasizing on promotion of pharmacy education. Currently there are 21
Government College of pharmacy and 7 private colleges of pharmacy (www.moh.gov.sa., 2018).
The rate of pharmacists is 7.9 professionals per 10,000 people in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
(www.moh.gov.sa, 2018).
The pharmacists available in Saudi can be categorized as the MOH- enlisted pharmacists,
professionals in other government sectors and the professionals in private sector.

Market Overview
MOH-registered
professionals Government sector
professionals Private sector
professionals
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
Categorization of Saudi Pharmacists
Categorization of Saudi
Pharmacists
Figure 3: Category-wise distribution of pharmacist
(Source: www.moh.gov.sa, 2018)
The above figure indicates that most of pharmacists in Saudi work in the private sector. The
increased focus of MOH on development of pharmacists can be favorable for growth of oral
healthcare market in Saudi.
2.4 Number of dental Schools & Universities
Country Number of Dental School and Universities
Saudi Arabia 2 in 2018
Israel 2 in 2018
Iran 18 in 2003
Iraq 30 in 2016
Table 3: Number of dental schools in the Middle East
Source: Created by the researcher

Market Overview
In Saudi Arabia, the total number of graduating students from dental colleges is 1500 (Al-
Shalan, 2018). Iran has made significant progress in the field of dentistry education. Before
1979, only 5 undergraduate dentistry schools were present in Iran (HR, 2003). In 2003, there
were 18 dental schools and the postgraduate programs started being offered. By 2003, the
number of dentists increased to approximately 11,000 (HR, 2003). Currently, there are 25000
dentists practising in Iran (HR, 2003). Similarly in Iraq also, significant progress has been made
in dentistry education. In 2003, there were only 4 colleges in Iran and in 2016, the number of
colleges increased to 30 (Ammar NH ALBUJEER, 2018). It, in turn, results in, a significant
increase in the number of dentists in Iraq.
3. Middle East Oral Care Market (Byproduct)
The current section deals with analysis on the oral care market in middle-east. The section covers
the status of different products such as Toothbrush, Toothpaste and Mouthwash in different
countries of Middle-East.
Figure 4: Product-wise distribution of Middle-East and Africa Oral care market
(Source: Mordorintelligence.com., 2018)

Market Overview
The above figure indicates that the oral care market in Middle-East is dominated by toothpaste,
toothbrush and mouthwashes. However, a significant portion of the market is also acquired by
products such as the denture cure, dental floss related products and breath fresheners. The
product-wise distribution indicates that the dental care in Middle-East is still at its basic level.
3.1 Toothbrush
The use of the manual toothbrush is high among the consumers of Middle East. However, with
the increasing purchasing power, the demand for electric toothbrushes is also increasing. The
sale of electric toothbrush increased at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 8.6% in
2016-2017 (Mordorintelligence.com., 2018).
3.2 Toothpaste
The use of Toothpaste in the oral care market is increasing gradually. By 2023, the demand for
specialist toothpaste is expected to increase more than that of cosmetic toothpaste (Chidzonga et
al., 2015).
3.3 Mouthwash
The awareness of dental hygiene is increasing among consumers. As an effect, the use of
mouthwash is also expected to increase. The use of medicated mouthwash can increase due to
the rise of dentists in the middle-east countries.
3.4 Top Big 5 Players at the Market and forecast to 2022
The Oral care market of Middle-East is an increasing rise in the use of oral care products. By
2023, the market is predicted to reach USD 1.7 billion (Mordorintelligence.com., 2018).
The top big five players of oral care market are –
 Colgate-Palmolive Company
 Procter & Gamble Co
 GlaxoSmithKline Plc
 Johnson & Johnson Services Inc

Market Overview
 Unilever Plc
4. Market Strategy
The marketing strategies are developed on basis of the SWOT and Porter’s analysis.
4.1 S.W.O.T Analysis
Strengths
 Increased awareness of oral
care hygiene
 The increased purchasing
power of customers and
increased availability of
products
Weaknesses
 Presence of big brands can
have adverse effects on the
new brands with low brand
awareness
Opportunities
 The increasing demand for oral
care products
 Increased number of dentists
 Increased growth of
supermarkets and online
markets
Threats
 Lack of oral hygiene related
awareness among a huge
number of customers
Table 4: SWOT analysis
Source: Created by Researcher
4.2 Porter 5 Forces
Bargaining power of consumers The consumers in the Middle East have strong
preferences for the products that match their
lifestyle and religious beliefs. So, the bargaining
power of the consumers is high.
Bargaining power of suppliers The oral care market is still emerging in the

Market Overview
Middle East (Mumghamba et al., 2015). The
number of suppliers in the industry is limited. So,
the bargaining power of suppliers is also high.
The threat of substitute products The Middle East market is dominated by manual
products. The demand for advanced and special
products is increasing gradually (Chidzonga et al.,
2015). So, the threat of substitute products is
moderate.
The threat of new entrants A huge portion of the oral care market is still
untapped. Additionally, the market shows signs of
steady growth. So, the threat of new entrants is also
high.
Market rivalry The middle east oral care market is dominated by
large global players. So, the competitive rivalry is
also high.
Table 5: Porter's five forces analysis
Source: Created by the researcher
4.3 Conclusion & Recommendation
The discussion on Middle East oral care market indicates that the market shows signs of steady
growth due to increased awareness of oral hygiene, increased purchasing power, increased
product availability and an increasing number of dentists. However, the high bargaining power
of buyers, suppliers and increased competition makes entry of the new brands difficult. Although
the awareness on oral hygiene is increasing in the Middle –East, the growth of oral care industry
is not equal in all the nations. The growth of oral care industry is the highest in Saudi Arabia.
The following recommendations can be effective for entering the oral care market of the Middle
East of new brands—
Offering advanced products—The new brands can launch advanced products such as electric
toothbrush in the Middle East market. Launching new products can be effective to attract
customers.

Market Overview
Offering products through dentist dispensaries—The number of dentists in Middle East
countries is increasing. So, the new brands can focus on offering medicated products through the
dentist dispensaries to attract customers.
Increased focus on Saudi Market-- The growth of oral care market in Saudi is high. The
initiatives taken by the MOH is boosting the growth further. New brands can focus on tapping
the Saudi market first to increase the profit. The dental care services are not equally available in
all parts of the nation. The new brands can give importance on promoting oral hygiene and their
products in the areas where the services are less available.
Working in collaboration with oral hygienists in Iran— In Iran, a multi-level system is
incorporated to deliver the oral healthcare services. The new brands can work with the oral
hygienists and promote their products among the users.

Market Overview
References:
AlBaker, A. A., Al-Ruthia, Y. S. H., AlShehri, M., & Alshuwairikh, S. (2017). The
characteristics and distribution of the dentist workforce in Saudi Arabia: A descriptive cross-
sectional study. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 25(8), 1208-1216.
Alsalleeh, F., Alohali, M., Alzeer, M., Aloseimi, M., Almuflehi, N. and Alshiha, S., 2018.
Analyzing private dental clinics in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Dental Journal, 30(1),
pp.70-73.
Al-Shalan, T. (2018). Dental education in Saudi Arabia: Areas of attention. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6128310/
Ammar NH ALBUJEER, A. (2018). Dental Education and Oral Health Service in Iraq.
Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5442288/
Chidzonga, M. M., Carneiro, L. C., Kalyanyama, B. M., Kwamin, F., & Oginni, F. O. (2015).
Determinants of oral diseases in the African and Middle East region. Advances in dental
research, 27(1), 26-31.
Data.bayanat.ae. (2018). Number of Dentists - Number of Dentists - UAE Open Data Portal.
Retrieved from http://data.bayanat.ae/en_GB/dataset/number-of-dentists/resource/9d947a65-
38e1-4cad-a6ec-d0f9c6034594
HR, P. (2003). Dental education and dentistry system in Iran. - PubMed - NCBI. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12707502
Iran-daily.com. (2018). Iran’s health tourism potentials high in dentistry. Retrieved from
http://www.iran-daily.com/News/198136.html
Marketsandmarkets.com. (2018). Oral Care Market by Product, Distribution Channel & Region -
2022 | MarketsandMarkets. Retrieved from https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-
Reports/oral-care-market-80546246.html