Middle East Integrative Health Or Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Intervention, By Distribution Channel, By Application, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027

Report Overview

The Middle East integrative health or complementary and alternative medicine market size was valued at USD 4.52 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.75% from 2020 to 2027. The market is set to gain momentum in the coming years owing to the increasing use of integrative medicine in the treatment of chronic ailments, such as respiratory diseases and oncology disorders. The concept of botanical treatment or herbal medicine is deeply rooted in traditional Arabic medicine, wherein the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) intervention plays a pivotal role in the local medical culture. In addition, the use of CAM is considered to be a safe and non-invasive approach, which has led to increasing utilization of such services.

The Middle East region has witnessed significant social and economic impact due to the coronavirus pandemic; however, the key aspect that helps Middle Eastern countries in the effective management of Covid-19 is the fairly large population of youth. Additionally, an increase in the self-prescribed use of alternative therapies and complementary medicine, during the lockdown period across the Middle Eastern countries, supported the market growth.

Key challenges faced by the Middle Eastern population using complementary and alternative medicine, are lack of well-documented data pertaining to the efficacy of CAM therapeutic interventions, lack of robust support from doctors, physicians, and professionals toward incorporation of CAM in conventional treatment options, and fewer number of CAM training programs.

On the other hand, body healing interventions, particularly, yoga, reflexology, and acupuncture, are expected to gain significant traction in the coming years due to the rise in wellness tourism. Several countries in the Middle East region prominently encourage the expansion of the wellness tourism industry by promoting it on their national tourism websites, which, in turn, boosts the adoption of CAM services.

Intervention Insights

The traditional alternative medicine & botanicals intervention segment dominated the overall market with a share of 34.29% in 2019. Regional communities have a long history of using various spiritual techniques along with the utilization of herbal medicines for the treatment of several disorders, which has contributed to the segment’s dominance. Traditional medicine practitioners have become an important part of disease management in the region. These practitioners favor the use of spiritual techniques as well as herbal medicines based on the principles of Unani Medicine.

However, body healing is estimated to be the fastest-growing intervention segment from 2020 to 2027. Body healing techniques have been gaining significant recognition by the medical and scientific communities. These techniques include acupuncture, reflexology, kinesiology, yoga, and chiropractic treatments. Acupuncture, in particular, has gained popularity in the Middle Eastern countries, such as UAE and Saudi Arabia. A rising number of specialty clinics offering body healing CAM services is also contributing to the segment’s growth.

Application Insights

The diabetes application segment led the market in 2019 and accounted for the largest revenue share of over 27%. Diabetes has emerged as a critical health issue across the region and accurate population mapping for the same is imperative to design policies as well as a framework to ensure effective management of diabetes. CAM botanical/herbal intervention is the most adopted intervention among the diabetic population in Saudi Arabia, particularly, in Taif city. However, it is imperative to ensure safe usage of CAM and appropriate efforts from the government with regard to the integration of CAM modalities with conventional diabetic therapies. Ginger, cinnamon, fenugreek, black seeds, and garlic are the most adopted CAM products.

Obesity is the second-largest application segment due to the rising prevalence of obesity across the Middle Eastern countries reportedly ranging from 5% to 14%, among adolescents, children, and males; and from 3% to 18% in females. The infertility segment is estimated to register the fastest CAGR from 2020 to 2027. Timely estimations pertaining to infertility rates in the population are crucial to designing favorable economic and social policies. Increasing cases of infertility create demographic challenges with respect to educational, social, and health planning for any region or country. This has spiked the interest of researchers in the Middle East region, contributing to the segment growth.

Distribution Channel Insights

Direct distribution channels emerged as the dominant segment and accounted for over 63% of the total revenue share in 2019. This is attributed to the high rates of self-prescribed use of CAM products, particularly, traditional medicine and botanicals. Health professionals and pharmacists are recommended to conduct community-based programs aimed at spreading awareness about botanicals, which has spiked the use of CAM services accessed directly by the practitioners, doctors, and physicians. Moreover, in Saudi Arabia, botanicals/herbal medicines are available at affordable costs across both herbal remedy shops, including unregistered products; and pharmacies, including, registered products. This promotes the adoption of herbal medicines in the communities of Saudi Arabia.

In addition, the wellness tourism industry in the Gulf countries is largely dominated by secondary wellness travelers, who travel to Gulf countries seeking extensive fitness and spa facilities in resorts as well as city hotels. The countries are also working toward expanding their offerings to address the needs of primary wellness travelers. This has made significant contributions to the segment’s revenue-generation capacity. However, the e-distribution segment is projected to register the fastest CAGR of more than 23% from 2020 to 2027 due to the rising demand for complementary and alternative medicines through online channels. Several Middle Eastern countries, such as Jordan, Egypt, and Palestine, imposed curfews and lockdowns due to the global pandemic, which resulted in the shutting down of fitness and wellness centers, thereby augmenting the product demand through online platforms.

Regional Insights

Saudi Arabia was the largest revenue-generating segment in 2019 and accounted for a share of over 27% in 2019. High adoption of traditional alternative medicine & botanicals along with increasing awareness regarding body healing techniques has collaboratively contributed to the dominance of Saudi Arabia in the regional market. Herbal medicine, acupuncture, bloodletting, honey-based products, cauterization, medical massage, and traditional bone setting are among the most popular CAM therapies in the country.

On the other hand, UAE is expected to be the fastest-growing market owing to significant elevations in the adoption of CAM services. UAE has observed a significant increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, which has compelled professionals to integrate CAM services to ensure immediate and effective management of diabetes and related conditions, contributing to the highest growth rate registered by the UAE.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Increasing recognition to the CAM practitioners in the Middle East region has been observed, which has strengthened the pool of local operational entities. For instance, a professional license is provided to healthcare professionals in the field of naturopathic medicine in the UAE, which has led to a substantial number of clinics offering naturopathic medicine services. Owing to the growing popularity of traditional Arabic medicines, service providers are undertaking various initiatives to cope with the changing market demands. For instance, Zulal Wellness Resort, Qatar, has become the first center for Traditional Arabic and Islamic Medicine in the world. It is a dedicated center for traditional Arabic medicine. Some of the key companies in the Middle East integrative health or CAM market include:

• Arab Yoga Foundation (AYF)

• Soul Warrior

• Sukoun

• Aura Wellness

• Intouch Clinic

• Landmark Fitness Ltd.

• Osana Family Wellness

• Cairo Osteopathy

• Blue Tree Clinics

• House of Nature Medical Center

• Zen Yoga

• Salmiya SKY Meditation Centre

• Jordan Chiropractic & Acupuncture

Middle East Integrative Health Or Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at regional and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2027. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the Middle East integrative health or complementary and alternative medicine market report on the basis of intervention, application, distribution channel, and region:

• Intervention Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2027)

  • Traditional Alternative Medicine & Botanicals

    • Naturopathic Medicine

    • Traditional Chinese Medicine

    • Traditional Arabic Medicine

  • Mind Healing

    • Hypnotherapy

    • Neurolinguistic Programming

    • Transcendental Meditation

  • Body Healing

    • Acupuncture

    • Chiropractic

    • Kinesiology

    • Reflexology

    • Yoga

  • External Energy Healing

    • Electromagnetic Therapy

    • Reiki

    • Chakra Healing

  • Sensory Healing

    • Aromatherapy

    • Sound Healing

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2027)

  • Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

  • Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs)

  • Obesity

  • Diabetes

  • Infertility

  • Others

• Distribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2027)

  • Direct Distribution

  • E-distribution

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2027)

  • Saudi Arabia

  • Egypt

  • UAE

  • Kuwait