Attitudes towards Farmed Animals and Plant-Based Diets in the Middle East and North Africa Region

The study, conducted jointly by Middle East Vegan Society, Animetrics, and Sezin Ekinci, examines attitudes toward farmed animals, animal-based foods, and potential pathways for reducing harm, including dietary change, policy and regulatory interventions, advocacy, and emerging alternatives such as cultivated meat across several MENA countries. Building on previous international research (Hopwood et al. ,2021), we employ both adapted validated scales and newly developed culturally-specific measures to explore these attitudes in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, and Lebanon. By grounding the analysis in local social and cultural realities, the study aims to support advocates, policymakers, and researchers in developing context-sensitive strategies to improve farmed animal protection in Muslim-majority societies.