Middle Eastern consumption practices in Flux: a Systematic Literature Review

Recently, the Middle East region has been characterised by periods of high environmental flux. As an important space in the global economy and with a very high youth demographic, the region is a haven for consumption. Citizens enmeshed in the events of the recent and ongoing Arab Spring are going through substantial periods of change. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to better understand what marketing themes affect consumption practices and how future research should proceed. A systematic literature review (SLR) is used in order to identify the most pertinent marketing themes in the ME. This paper contributes to the literature by reviewing the extant literature on marketing in the ME and by providing a conceptual framework with thematic areas for future research. The SLR approach used is also the first of its kind in this context. Further contributory value is grounded in the fact that the window of flux is opening and closing as the Arab Spring phenomenon continues. Therefore, it is crucial to track the progress of marketing scholarship within these particular epochs. Methodologically, the SLR is also transferrable to other contexts such as the unrest in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria