Although considered as a luxury, demand for air purifiers is steadily growing in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and is estimated to reach US$ 85.2 Mn by 2020.

According to majority of air purifier manufacturers and distributors/retailers around the world, the HEPA technology will expand at an annual growth rate of 5%-10% between 2015 and 2020. The brand value and purification capacity is considered to be the two most important features that buyers look for while purchasing an air purifier.

The single-point retail outlet accounts for 0%-20% of the total air purifier sales in GCC. Air purifier sales through shopping malls are estimated to be between 41% and 60%. The increasing amount of pollution and health-related problems are the key factors fuelling the demand for air purifiers in GCC. The growing per capita income will have a reasonable impact on the sales of air purifiers in GCC during the forecast period.

The key players in the GCC air purifiers market include Sharp Corporation, LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Hitachi Ltd., and Panasonic Corporation.

Sharp Corporation is marketing its air purifiers to consumers in UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar markets. Sharp is using its patented PlasmaCluster Ion Technology and incorporating it in different home appliances, including air purifiers.

LG Electronics, in collaboration with Saudi Arabia-based Al-Hassan Ghazi Ibrahim Shaker Co. recently launched a new range of air purifiers with five-stage filtration system. LG air purifiers in UAE are sold through AL Yosuf Electronics. The company has also made its products available on shopping websites, such as Carrefour UAE and SharafDG UAE.

Samsung Electronics operates in GCC through its home appliances sales group, “Samsung Gulf Electronics”. The business strategy of Samsung is aimed at collaboration and partnering with prominent local players to capture a larger share of the market.

Demand for air purifiers is robust in Saudi Arabia and UAE. These two countries collectively held a share of over 60% of the GCC air purifiers market in 2014. The two countries are expected to account for bulk of the demand for air purifiers during the forecast period.

Saudi Arabia & UAE Account for Bulk of the Demand

The Saudi Arabia air purifiers market, valued at US$ 14.85 Mn in 2014, is anticipated to be worth US$ 41.33 Mn by 2020. The key factors fuelling the demand for air purifiers in Saudi Arabia include focus on medical tourism and increased investment in infrastructure activities.

The UAE air purifiers market is expected to be worth US$ 26.10 Mn by 2020. Like Saudi Arabia, UAE is projected to develop its medical infrastructure in a bid to develop non-oil based sectors. Owing to the focus on medical tourism, construction of a number of hospitals is in the pipeline.

The air purifiers market in rest of GCC (Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar) is projected to reach a valuation of US$ 17.79 Mn. The air purifiers market in these countries is still at a nascent stage, and it will take a while before they are adopted on a large scale.