GCC shoppers are set to make Eid al-Adha 2026 one of the most locally driven holiday seasons, with spending concentrating around household, gifting, and domestic experiences.
According to a new report by Udora (formerly Flowwow), a UAE-based gifting marketplace, in collaboration with Admitad, an international performance marketing company, regional e-commerce spending is expected to grow by 10%, driven by mature digital infrastructure and a clear consumer tilt toward homegrown businesses.
The findings are based on an analysis of first-party e-commerce data, including 400,000 orders across the GCC on Admitad and 100,000 Udora gifting orders in the UAE.
A strong 2025 sets the baseline
The forecast follows a particularly strong 2025 season across the GCC, where Eid al-Adha generated a significant economic effect. Last year, e-commerce turnover grew 27% year-on-year, with average order value (AOV) rising from $67 to $85 (+27%). The UAE and Saudi Arabia drove this performance, with GMV up 23% and 29%, respectively, but the two markets behaved differently. Saudi shoppers placed a higher volume of smaller-ticket orders (AOV $59); UAE shoppers made fewer but substantially larger purchases, reaching an average basket of $103.
Consumer basket: practical and intentional
According to Admitad data, the category split during Eid al-Adha 2025 shows festive spending shifting toward considered, higher-value purchases. The sharpest growth came from categories tied to lasting value and family occasions: plane tickets (+31%), jewellery and accessories (+25%), toys and hobbies (+23%), and car-related products (+22%). Analysts note that these are categories where shoppers typically spend more time comparing options, researching quality, and evaluating value before making a purchase.
The country breakdown reinforced this more selective behaviour. UAE shoppers leaned more heavily into car products, fashion, and toys and hobbies. Saudi shoppers prioritised car products and home goods.
For Eid al-Adha 2026, the study expects the same pattern with strong demand for categories tied to household upgrades, family gatherings, gifting, and products with perceived long-term value, while emotional and cultural relevance during the festive season also remains a central factor in what residents buy.
Locally crafted products led double-digit growth in the UAE gifting
The gifting segment in the UAE further mirrors the significant role of Eid al-Adha for e-commerce growth. During last year’s window (5th-9th of June), Udora recorded a 102% spike in demand for gifts by small entrepreneurs and an 84% rise in the number of transactions over the same period.
“Digitalisation has created new growth opportunities for SMEs, and on Udora we’ve seen many local brands double their business within just a few years. But there is something else — changing consumer behaviour: shoppers are becoming more intentional, value authenticity, and increasingly support homegrown brands during culturally significant moments like Eid al-Adha. We believe this trend still has strong long-term growth potential for local businesses,”
— says Slava Bogdan, CEO and founder of Udora.
Among categories, flowers emerged as the most in-demand category with a 132% GMV growth and the highest AOV of 297 AED ($81) and a share of 85% of all gifting orders. Confectionery and pastry followed as the second-strongest category, with 118% GMV growth, reflecting the significant role of traditions and culture.
Such behavior indicates that residents tend to choose gifts that carry culture, traditions, and personal meaning, reinforcing the role of homegrown UAE businesses in shaping how the country shops for Eid.
Eid al-Adha 2026 outlook
For the wider GCC, the Admitad experts project 8–10% GMV growth during the festive window. In the UAE gifting segment, Udora forecasts 40% GMV growth.
Firstly, there is the GCC's digital backbone: during Eid al-Adha 2025, marketplaces accounted for 75% of e-commerce activity and mobile commerce for 47%, and both channels are positioned to capture more of the 2026 demand. The second is a likely shift towards in-country spending, caused by ongoing uncertainty and the rising cost of international travel. For local brands and SMEs, this creates a favourable environment, as GCC consumers increasingly gravitate toward businesses and products that feel more personal, familiar, and culturally relevant.
Why local commerce gains long-term momentum across the Gulf
The shift toward local commerce aligns with broader economic priorities across the GCC. In the UAE, initiatives such as Operation 300bn and We the UAE 2031 place SMEs at the center of non-oil economic growth, while Saudi Vision 2030 aims to increase SME contribution to GDP to 35% by 2030.
Initiatives such as access to offline retail space inside Majid Al Futtaim shopping malls are also helping smaller regional brands scale their physical presence, while online platforms like Udora serve as the bridge between homegrown SMEs and audiences beyond major urban hubs to customers across the country.
Against this backdrop, Eid al-Adha 2026 reflects more than a seasonal spike in spending. The combination of policy support for SMEs, rising trust in e-commerce, and growing consumer preference for culturally relevant and locally rooted businesses points to a deeper structural change in how GCC shoppers choose where to spend their money.
News Source: Udora
