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There is a lot of pressure on governments around the world to commit to becoming carbon neutral – the Middle East is no exception. Reducing the number of petrol-driven cars on the road is integral to this mission. As a result, we’ve seen steady growth both in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and also worldwide in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) being purchased, and car manufacturers are constantly releasing different models to cater for this broadening market.

Almost two-thirds of consumers globally have become more health- and hygiene-conscious as a result of the pandemic. The Middle East certainly leads this trend with over three-quarters of Saudi and UAE consumers feeling an increased awareness of the need to look after their physical well-being.

Of the many changes the world has gone through in the past year since the start of the pandemic, consumer behaviour and evolving expectations from brands is an important one that is also critical for marketers and advertisers.

Of the many changes the world has gone through in the past year since the start of the pandemic, consumer behaviour and evolving expectations from brands is an important one that is also critical for marketers and advertisers.

Of the many changes the world has gone through in the past year since the start of the pandemic, consumer behaviour and evolving expectations from brands is an important one that is also critical for marketers and advertisers.

In the Middle East, when we look at brand and advertising reach, digital media sources strike a hard punch than the traditional avenues of radio and television. The move to digital platforms is more widespread in this region (looking specifically at the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia) than it is in other areas of the world.

The year 2020 has been an anomaly in all senses. This also applies to people’s interaction with various media platforms, both digital and traditional. The fact that for the first time a large section of the global population is spending a lot more time indoors compared to before most likely has had an impact on how we are consuming advertisements and other product and brand messaging.

Shops and stores have been mostly open across Germany and the UK since the last few months when lockdown measures were relaxed. However, it has not been business as usual for most shop owners. As per a report, there were “no lines” and “no crowds” when an Ikea branch in the Germany city of Cologne opened. According to experts, consumers’ mindsets have changed from a “gain” to a “maintain” mentality during the pandemic. In other words, people are avoiding stepping out of the house unless necessary to lower the risk of catching the virus.

In the United States, the response to the coronavirus has varied from state to state. Over the last 6 months, most stores and shops have opened up for businesses but subjected to change based on the situation, as explained in this report. At the same time, the pandemic has also had an impact on how people shop.

The words “job loss” have been used quite frequently with the word pandemic in 2020. The pandemic has also dramatically changed the way people work. Telecommuting has become the new normal and it is likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future. In this scenario, we conducted an online study in the US, and other parts of the world, to learn how the pandemic and the accompanying lockdown have affected the work-life of white-collar working professionals. The results of the study give us a good idea about the current state of work-life compared to the rest of the world.