Market Trends of UAE Ophthalmic Devices Industry
Contact Lenses Segment is Expected to Register a High CAGR Over the Forecast Period
Contact or corrective lenses aid and improve vision for those with common refractive errors like myopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. These visual impairments result in low vision in most of the UAE population. Moreover, the prevalence of these conditions among the population is expected to grow, owing to increased screen timing, the rising geriatric population, and other chronic diseases which lead to loss of vision.
The article published by the Journal of Opthalmology mentioned the prevalence of presenting mild, moderate, and severe visual impairment was 4.7%, 1.8%, and 0% for Emiratis. Such vision-related disorders are expected to drive the growth of the market studied in the country.
Innovative product launches are expected to contribute to the market's growth. For instance, the Rivioli group launched Riviolo vision, a dedicated division for its eyewear business, to offer its GCC customers the highest quality vision care.
Such increasing demand for corrective lenses for aesthetic appearance and the rising prevalence of various ocular disorders are expected to contribute to the market's growth over the forecast period.
Laser is Expected to Hold Notable Share in the Market Over the Forecast Period
Lasers are used in preventing and treating eye diseases. The transparency of the front of the eye, the cornea, allows the laser to reach almost the entire tissue of the eye, thus helpful in treating various ophthalmic disorders.
The prevalence of various ophthalmologic diseases among the UAE population is expected to drive the demand for laser surgical devices, thereby contributing to the market's growth. As per the NCBI article published in May 2021, the prevalence of dry eyes in Dubai was estimated to be 62.6%, with severely dry eyes being the most prevalent (42%). Such a high prevalence of ophthalmic diseases is expected to fuel the growth of the studied segment, thereby contributing to the development of the market.
Additionally, the launch of various advanced products is expected to drive the growth of the studied segment over the forecast period. For instance, in November 2022, the Lasik and Eye surgery center in Dubai launched the ZIESS SMILE Pro, eye surgery using ZEISS Visumax 800 technology. ZEISS SMILE is the standard for laser eye surgery as a non-invasive and painless procedure.
Thus, the prevalence of various ophthalmic diseases and a rise in the launch of different laser eye surgeries in the UAE are expected to drive the segment growth over the forecast period.
