Automobiles
According to the consumer data analyst firm Statista (2020), the most popular automobile brands in Saudi Arabia by market share are Toyota, Hyundai, and Mazda. The data by Statista (2020) shows that 27.7 percent of Saudi Arabian car buyers prefer the Toyota brand, 23.2 of them prefer the Hyundai brand, while the Mazda brand is a favorite of 8.8 percent. These three brands sell the most because they are considered to be affordable both in terms of purchasing and maintenance. Other relatively popular brands include BMW, Land Rover, Mercedes Benz, and Nissan. These brands sell differently across distinct economic groups.
The average annual income of a Saudi Arabian, according to Statista (2020), is 203,416 SAR. The price of a 2020 model Toyota Camry on the car seller YallaMotor website is 68,775 SAR; this is a medium-sized saloon car that can move a family of five comfortably. It is one of the more affordable brands alongside others like the Toyota Yaris and the Toyota Rush. On the higher end, a 2020 Mercedes Benz E-class saloon goes for 264,778 SAR while a 2020 BMW X7 retails at 430,000 SAR at YallaMotors. These are for the deep pockets who earn above the average income.
This data shows that to afford to own a new car in Saudi Arabia comfortably, you will need to have an annual income close to or beyond the average national income. For an average earner looking for a simple car with basic options such as the Camry, I think the valuation is fair, and I would be willing to part with 50,000 SAR to 80,000 SAR for a mid-size saloon car with sustainable maintenance cost. For a more luxurious vehicle, the BMW X7 seems a little bit expensive. I would be willing to pay 200,000 to 350,000 SAR.
Frozen Dinner
Frozen dinner, a quick go-to option for a meal, is gaining popularity by day in Saudi Arabia. Notably, it is convenient for tight schedules, and it is available for various types of specialized diets. Carrefour, a multinational supermarket store, offers online frozen food sales and deliveries to customer locations. At Carrefour, the price of a 400-gram chicken nugget pack goes for 21.50 SAR while 800 grams frozen chicken pack costs 12.50 SAR. A two-kilogram package of French fries at Carrefour costs 18.95 SAR while a 350-gram pack of beef meatballs costs 8.25 SAR. Fruits are also available with a 1-kilogram pack of American frozen mango pulp retailing at 11.75 SAR.
If you were to rely on frozen food for on a three-meal basis; breakfast, lunch, and dinner, ordering a beef burger for breakfast, some French fries and chicken for lunch then some pineapple chunks and beef meatballs for dinner to balance the diet, one would have to spend around 50 SAR daily. This cost amounts to approximately 1,500 SAR monthly and 18,000 SAR annually, which is quite costly. Thus, I would prefer to eat out in an affordable restaurant if I am unable to cook. Frozen food is quite expensive because most of it is offered in multiple servings, and only a few retailers are willing to break it down to just one or two servings per pack. I would however willingly spend no more than 35 SAR on a single person’s frozen food daily.
Jeans
The Saudi Arabian clothing market is vast. Both local and international brands compete to grab the buyer’s attention. Just like automobiles, the price of jeans in Saudi Arabia is dependent on the brand. Buyers can choose whatever works for them from the wide variety of brands available. Some of the jeans brands available in the stores and supermarkets include Calvin Klein, Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Burberry, Dunhill, Covernex, Tendyol, Zoot, Moreau Laurent and Decalac. Online retailer, Souq, has a long list of brands from which to select. At Souq, a Levi’s slim-fit men’s jeans pant retails at 279 SAR while a Tommy Hilfiger pant for girls goes for 206.99 SAR. Tendyol jeans for men cost 128 SAR while the Calvin Klein brand sells at 379 SAR.
While clothing tastes and preferences vary widely among different people, the price trends remain similar to many other products. For a simple, beautiful look, an affordable brand such as Tendyol or New Look would work. These brands are designed to provide a simple, nice, and respectable look at an affordable price for all types of pockets. But for the more sophisticated buyer, expensive brands such as Versace, Calvin Klein, and Burberry would be the go-to as these brands are designed specifically for the wealthier part of the population using expensive material and highly skilled workers. Some of the high-end brands seem quite overpriced, though the designs bare close similarities to the cheaper ones. It would be tough to tell the difference just by looking at them. Dressing well is about how you look and appear before people, and sometimes it is hard to tell by looking, the difference between a blue Versace denim and blue Tendyol denim. For this reason, I would only pay a maximum of 160 SAR for jeans, knowing that would give me standard quality.
Athletic Shoes
Some of the athletic shoe brands that are available in the Saudi Arabian market include Asics, Adidas, Difeno, Nike, Reebok, and Puma. These brands have designed various types of sneakers and sports shoes, targeting different markets. Asics, for instance, has the GEL-QUaNTUM, which retails at 471.48 SAR on Souq as well as the GEL-BND, which goes for a much lower price of 259.49 SAR. The Adidas ZX flux retails at 226.49 SAR while the Reebok Princess costs 204.98 SAR. Just like the jeans and cars, these shoes have been designed for specific markets. By developing two different designs with different retailing prices, a brand like Asics is trying to be appealing to both the wealthy buyer and the average spender. Although the quality may differ, they have been designed to serve the same purpose. For an excellent athletic pair of shoes, I would be willing to spend between 250 to 350 SAR.