Ipsos Launches Fourth Wave of COVID-19 MENA Consumer Sentiment Tracker

• Financial concerns and fear of job losses among MENA residents are prevalent
• The virus is most seriously taken as a threat in the UAE
• Seriousness about the virus is rising in Jordan and Lebanon
• E-commerce is reaching new heights, mostly in KSA

April 20, 2020 – Ipsos, has released the fourth wave of COVID-19 MENA Consumer Sentiment Tracker from April 10 to April 13, 2020; a report on understanding attitudes, behaviors and future expectations in KSA, UAE, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and Lebanon. The tracker monitors a multitude of aspects in light of the Coronavirus outbreak, including, but not limited to concerns about the virus, expectations from authorities, changes in behaviors, and perceived impact.

With this week’s results, the Coronavirus effect on one’s personal health is seen as quite serious in the region, particularly in KSA and UAE. Seriousness in Jordan and Lebanon is rising back, as opposed to the previous week, while declining in Morocco.

On a country level, Morocco is now most likely to perceive the virus as a threat to the country, with Lebanon falling behind since last week.

When it comes to the global impact, respondents believe that the Coronavirus will have a long-lasting effect on the financial and global economy. As for personal finance, the region’s agreement of the outbreak having an ongoing financial impact, has been declining since last week, with the exception of the UAE. Both in the UAE and Lebanon, the concerns about losing jobs, providing to their families and paying the bills are on the rise; but this is not the case in Morocco and Jordan.

With the respect to industries, the popularity of e-commerce is progressively reaching new heights in the MENA region, most notably in Saudi Arabia where it reached 63%.

About seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, Lebanon persists with pessimistic future prospects in relation to the other countries in the region. The locals in Lebanon do not believe that things will go back to normal by June.

Key Highlights

1. As a Disease, the Virus is Taken Very Seriously in The Region – About half think the virus will be a serious threat to their health if they were infected, most noticeably in Saudi and UAE.
2. Pessimism Reaching an All Time High on Things Returning to Normal – Coming closer to June, a witnessed unanimous decline in all countries on positivity towards things going back to normal by then. Moreover, many expect to continue wearing face masks even after the pandemic is over.
3. Financial Concerns Disturbing the MENA Region – The great majority believe the virus will leave a lasting financial burden on the global economy. Many are concerned they will soon lose their jobs and be unable to fulfill the basic needs of their families, particularly in UAE and Lebanon.
4. New Habits Bound to Emerge in the Region Following the Pandemic’s End – E-commerce is on the rise with more people doing their shopping online more frequently.