Valentine's Day in UAE: Popular gift items for this year revealed
According to the UAE-based gifting marketplace Flowwow, UAE shoppers were the second highest spenders on Valentine's Day gifts after Kuwait ($126 or Dh460) across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.
Beauty, car products and toys are the other most popular items that UAE shoppers buy on Valentine's Day to gift to their loved ones.
'The UAE and Mena region stand out for their deep-rooted culture of expressing love through meaningful gestures… This year, we predict a significant 15 per cent rise in gifting sales for Valentine's Day, one of the biggest shopping peaks of the year, with a notable 10 per cent increase specifically in the confectionery category,' said Slava Bogdan, CEO of Flowwow.
'As long as people love, the gifting business will continue to thrive – especially on occasions like Valentine's Day, where expressions of affection matter most,' he said.
Valentine's Day is one of the busiest shopping seasons in the UAE when a large number of people buy gifts for their loved ones. Across the Mena, consumers are expected to spend a record Dh101 billion on Valentine's Day, according to the National Retail Federation.
In the UAE, large bouquets in shades of red, pink and white, composed of classic and peony roses, remained one of the top choices of customers in 2024. Luxurious bouquets with 101 or 109 roses have become bestsellers in the Emirates, often selected for special occasions, including Valentine's Day. The average order value for the flower bouquets in the UAE stood at Dh275.
Valentine's Day appears to be losing its charm for local Mena audiences, as total sales in 2024 have decreased by 5 per cent in the week of the holiday compared to the previous year as residents will be spending during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan as well, for gifts.
'Consumers have been less active in making Valentine's Day purchases compared to, for example, the month of Ramadan. However, the situation will improve with the overall growth of e-commerce in the region, which is projected to increase by 5 per cent in the total number of orders by the end of 2025,' said Anna Gidirim, CEO of Admitad.
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