"Boycott campaigns over Gaza war hit Western brands in some Arab countries", Nov 23 2023

On a recent evening in Cairo, a worker cleaned tables in an empty McDonald's restaurant. Branches of other Western fast-food chains in the Egyptian capital also appeared deserted.

All have been hit by a largely spontaneous, grassroots boycott campaign...

Western brands are feeling the impact in Egypt and Jordan, and there are signs the campaign is spreading in some other Arab countries including Kuwait and Morocco. Participation has been uneven with only minor effects seen in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Some of [the] companies the campaign is directed at are perceived to have taken pro-Israeli stances, and some are alleged to have financial ties to Israel or investments there.

...boycott calls circulated on social media have expanded to list dozens of companies and products, prompting shoppers to shift to local alternatives.

In Egypt, where there is little chance of people taking to the streets because of security restrictions, some see the boycott as the best or only way to make their voices heard.

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In Jordan, pro-boycott residents sometimes enter McDonald's and Starbucks branches to encourage scarce customers to take their business elsewhere. Videos have circulated of what appear to be Israeli troops washing clothes with well-known detergent brands which viewers are urged to boycott.

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McDonald's Corp said in a statement last month that it was "dismayed" by disinformation regarding its position on the conflict and that its doors were open to all. Its Egyptian franchise has underlined its Egyptian ownership and pledged 20 million Egyptian pounds ($650,000) in aid to Gaza.

Asked for comment, Starbucks referred to a statement on its website about its operations in the Middle East that was updated in October. The statement said the company was a non-political organisation and dismissed rumours that it had provided support to the Israeli government or army. Starbucks, which earlier this month reported record revenues for the fourth quarter, said it had nothing further to share on its business.

Other Western companies did not immediately respond to requests by Reuters for comment.

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Some campaigners have singled out Starbucks for suing its workers' union over a post on the Israel-Hamas conflict, and McDonald's after its Israeli franchise said it gave free meals to Israeli military personnel.

An employee at McDonald's corporate offices in Egypt who asked not to be named said the Egyptian franchise's October and November sales fell by at least 70% compared to the same months last year.

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Sameh El Sadat, an Egyptian politician and co-founder of TBS Holding, a supplier to Starbucks and McDonald's, said he had noticed a drop or slowdown of about 50% in demand from his clients.

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