Middle East & North Africa Disposable Gloves Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Material (Nitrile, Neoprene, Vinyl), By Product (Powdered, Powder-free), By End-use (Medical, Non-medical), And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027

Report Overview

The Middle East and North Africa disposable gloves market size was valued at USD 298.5 million in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.3% from 2020 to 2027. Rising awareness among the industry players pertaining to labor safety at workplaces is expected to drive the demand for disposable gloves in the region. On account of their low prices and chemical resilience, vinyl or polyvinyl chloride gloves have gained significance in food processing, medical, and healthcare sectors. The growing demand for antimicrobial and FDA-certified gloves is anticipated to fuel the disposable gloves demand in the MENA region over the forecast period. The changing dynamics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is expected to augment the growth in the KSA healthcare industry. Rapid growth in the country’s population, rising occurrence of chronic and lifestyle-related diseases, and an increasing percentage of population above 65 years from 3.2% to 7.5% by 2030 are anticipated to positively contribute toward the increasing investments in the healthcare sector.

The local manufacturers of disposable gloves, such as Gulf East Paper and Plastic Industries LLC, United Medical Industries Co., Ltd., and The National Medical Products Co., Ltd. (Damad), are engaged in designing, producing, and supplying the products to end-use industries by utilizing innovative technologies.

Natural rubber latex has recently gained prominence in the disposable gloves market owing to its lower price. Materials acquired from petrochemical derivatives include nitrile, vinyl, and neoprene, which were among the secondary options for latex glove manufacturers. However, the plummeting oil prices in the region have created opportunities to encourage the adoption of nitrile and vinyl gloves that find significance in similar applications as those of latex gloves.

Supply constraints such as the restricted capacity of manufacturers, long duration required for setting up new plants, and limited availability of workforce are anticipated to widen the demand-supply gap of disposable gloves. Furthermore, the ban on exports in various countries for ensuring the domestic supply of gloves in the respective countries has resulted in limiting the supply of these products to the MENA region.

Material Insights

The natural rubber segment is projected to hold the largest revenue share of around 40% in 2019, predominantly driven by the rising demand for the material in various medical applications such as examination, surgical, and laboratory. Natural rubber gloves are used for protecting protection against hand injuries and infections common across various industries, including medical and healthcare, food processing, oil and gas, and chemicals.

The nitrile segment is expected to witness a CAGR of 16.3% over the forecast period on account of the high puncture resistance offered by the material and increasing use in the chemical and petrochemical industry to prevent chemical burns. Furthermore, the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the increasing demand for all-types of disposable gloves in the region.

Vinyl gloves are very cost-effective as compared to latex and nitrile gloves. Owing to their low price and chemical resilience, vinyl or polyvinyl chloride gloves have gained significance in food processing, medical, and healthcare sectors. These gloves are ideal for short-term use, as they do not provide the reliability needed for long-term applications.

Neoprene (polychloroprene) is a synthetic rubber material that is produced by the polymerization of chloroprene. Neoprene gloves offer protection against several liquids and chemicals. These gloves are majorly used by food preparation staff, laboratory workers, and medical professionals among others.

Product Insights

Powder-free disposable gloves accounted for 56.9% of the revenue share in 2019 owing to increasing preference for powder-free gloves across numerous industries, including medical, chemical, and food processing. Furthermore, stringent regulations on powdered gloves by many governments across the globe are anticipated to have a positive impact on the non-powdered gloves market over the forecast period.

The downside of the chlorination process, which helps in increasing the usability of the gloves is that powder-free gloves can be harder to don quickly and may also decrease the glove’s grip. These gloves are costlier compared to powdered gloves due to the involvement of the additional chlorination process.

The demand for powdered disposable gloves is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period on account of the increasing application in end-use industries such as oil & gas, petrochemical and chemical, and automotive. However, allergies caused by powdered gloves during long-term use are expected to restrain the growth over the forecast period.

Powdered disposable gloves are majorly used in industrial applications as opposed to the medical and healthcare sector owing to skin allergies, infections, and inflammation caused by powdered gloves to patients during post-conducting surgeries or during treatments is expected to hamper the demand for the product in the MENA region.

End-use Insights

The medical and healthcare segment held the largest revenue share of over 70% in 2019. The segment is also projected to register the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. The non-medical disposable gloves segment is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.0% on account of the increasing use of gloves for handling volatile chemicals in the laboratory, pharmaceutical, and cleanroom applications. In addition, growing concerns about employee safety and initiatives for reducing injury rates in industrial and commercial sectors are expected to drive the demand for disposable gloves in non-medical applications.

Examination gloves are used by doctors, nurses, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals for non-invasive physical examination applications. The rapid spread of the COVID-19 across the MENA region is anticipated to increase the demand for examination gloves used by frontline healthcare workers for testing and examination purposes.

Nitrile disposable gloves offer high puncture resistance, excellent barrier protection, and durability owing to which they are preferred in environments where exposure to blood-borne pathogens and other contaminants is a primary concern. Furthermore, natural rubber or latex gloves are tactile owing to which they are highly preferred in sensitive applications such as medical procedures and surgeries.

Disposable gloves are majorly used in food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries to provide protection. The different types of disposable gloves include nitrile, neoprene, natural rubber, and vinyl. Each of these glove variants renders unique benefits over conventional gloves. These gloves are used across various end-use industries including cleanroom, food service, and general industries.

Country Insights

UAE disposable gloves market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 14.4% over the forecast period. Growing domestic demand for natural gas coupled with the deployment of advanced techniques, such as Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), is expected to further drive natural gas production in the region, which is anticipated to stimulate the demand for disposable gloves in UAE.

The presence of vast oil and gas reserves along with a robust infrastructure for oil processing is anticipated to propel the growth of the petrochemical industry thereby boosting the demand for disposable gloves in Saudi Arabia over the forecast period. In addition, growing concerns regarding employee health and safety in several industries are expected to play a significant role in driving the demand in the country.

Food services and restaurants are among the fastest-growing industries in the Middle East on account of the growing middle-class population and increasing tourism in the region. Upcoming projects such as the opening of food and beverage outlets at the new terminal at Bahrain International Airport (BIA), as well as upcoming shopping malls and hotels, are likely to create demand for disposable gloves in the Middle East in the forthcoming years.

Tourism is one of the major industries contributing to Egypt’s economic growth. The country’s tourism industry is on a path of recovery after years of political instability and security concerns. Thus, the expanding tourism sector is expected to drive investments in the hospitality and food service sector, which is further anticipated to benefit the growth of the disposable gloves market in Egypt.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

In order to cater to the increasing demand for gloves in the medical and healthcare sectors and other non-medical sectors, such as oil and gas, cleanroom, and pharmaceuticals, companies have started expanding their businesses through mergers, acquisitions, the establishment of new production plants, and geographic expansion strategies. Integration by disposable glove manufacturers across the value chain is likely to limit growth opportunities and avenues for new entrants. However, increasing demand for disposable gloves from the healthcare sector on account of the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to attract new players. Thus, the threat of new entrants is expected to be low to moderate over the forecast period. Some of the prominent players in the Middle East and North Africa disposable gloves market include:

• Top Glove Corporation Bhd

• Cardinal Health

• Ansell Ltd.

• Kimberly-Clark Corporation

• PAUL HARTMANN Middle East FZE

• Gulf East Paper and Plastic Industries LLC

• United Medical Industries Co. Ltd.

• O&M Halyard

Middle East & North Africa Disposable Gloves Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, 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 and North Africa disposable gloves market report on the basis of material, product, end-use, and country:

• Material Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Natural Rubber

  • Nitrile

  • Vinyl

  • Neoprene

  • Polyethylene

  • Others

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Powdered

  • Non-Powdered

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Medical & healthcare

    • Examination

      • Dental

      • Veterinary

      • Hospital

      • EMS

      • Others

    • Surgical

      • Dental

      • Veterinary

      • Hospital

      • EMS

      • Others

  • Non-medical

    • Automotive Finishing

    • Automotive Aftermarket

    • O&G and Mining

    • F&B Processing

    • F&B Service

    • Metal & Machinery

    • Chemical & Petrochemical

    • Pharmaceutical

    • Cleanroom

    • Academic R&D

    • Industrial R&D

    • Others

• Country Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • MENA

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE

    • Egypt

    • Qatar

    • Kuwait