Consumption of dairy products in the UAE: A comparison of nationals and expatriates

The variables: age, income, education, number of children, and a dichotomous dummyvariable for nationality were used to explain the consumption behavior of dairy products: freshmilk, butter, cheese, yoghurt, powdered milk, condensed milk, cream, and ice cream in the urbancenters of al-ain, dubai, and abu dhabi. results suggest different determinants for consumptionbehaviors of nationals and expatriates as well as different determinants along the income range ofthe sample. estimates for the expenditure elasticity were relatively higher for lower income groupswhen unreported income is taken into consideration in interpreting the results. differences in consumptionbehavior bear an important implication to marketing and promotion of dairy products:different strategies that incorporate the different consumption determinants are perhaps necessaryfor the different ethnic groups.