The digital transformation of the UAE fast-food industry represents a paradigm shift in how brands engage with consumers. The country’s exceptional digital infrastructure has facilitated this transformation, with internet penetration exceeding 99% as of 2023 and smartphone adoption reaching 97.6%. This high connectivity has created a marketplace where social media platforms—particularly Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat—have become primary channels for brand discovery, evaluation, and purchase decisions among younger demographics (Kantar, 2023). Recent research indicates that 89% of UAE residents aged 18–25 follow at least one fast-food brand on social media, with 72% reporting that they have made a purchase decision based on content encountered on these (Kemp, 2023). From 2020 to 2023, the sector witnessed a 62% increase in digital orders, with mobile apps accounting for approximately 38% of all fast-food purchases among young adults. Fast-food brands in the UAE now allocate approximately 65% of their marketing budgets to digital channels, compared to just 30% 5 years. This shift reflects the changing consumer landscape, where younger demographics increasingly rely on social media not just for product awareness but for the entire purchase journey from discovery to decision (Ali-Alsaadi et al., 2023).

Young adults between 18 and 25 years constitute a particularly significant consumer segment in the UAE market. This demographic represents approximately 17% of the UAE population yet accounts for nearly 36% of fast-food consumption by value. This exhibits distinctive behavioral patterns characterized by high social media usage (averaging 7.4 h daily across platforms), preference for convenience, and strong responsiveness to digital marketing stimuli. The demographic is particularly important due to their significant purchasing power, with average monthly discretionary spending of AED 1,200–2,500 on food and entertainment, despite many being students or early-career professionals. Their digital nativity and formation of long-term consumption habits make them a strategic priority for fast-food brands seeking sustainable market positioning (Strategy and PwC, 2021).

Beyond marketing aspects, the operational dimension of the fast-food industry plays a crucial role in sustaining consumer satisfaction and loyalty. The efficiency of logistics operations including timely delivery, order accuracy, and product quality preservation has become increasingly important in an era where consumers expect seamless service experiences. The average delivery time expectation among UAE consumers has decreased from 45–60 min in 2018 to 25–35 min in 2023, placing significant pressure on supply chain operations (Ken Research, 2024). This operational challenge is compounded by the UAE’s unique geographical characteristics, including high-density urban centers with complex delivery routes and extreme climate conditions (with summer temperatures exceeding 45 °C) that affect food quality maintenance during transit. Despite the region’s challenging climate and import-dependent food ecosystem, companies like McDonald’s and KFC have developed sophisticated supply chain networks to ensure consistent product quality across their outlets. The rise of third-party delivery applications such as Talabat, Deliveroo, and Careem has further reshaped the industry, creating new competitive dynamics and customer service challenges while simultaneously expanding market reach (Ken Research, 2024).

While substantial research exists on consumer behavior in mature markets like North America and Europe, the unique socio-economic context of the UAE warrants specific investigation. The UAE’s distinctive characteristics including its highly diverse expatriate population (88.5% of total population), extreme wealth concentration, Islamic cultural context, and rapid technological adoption create a consumer environment that differs significantly from Western markets.

This research gap becomes particularly evident when considering the intersection of digital marketing, logistics operations, and consumer psychology in the fast-food sector. Existing literature has examined these elements in isolation, but few studies have investigated their integrated impact on consumption behavior, particularly in the context of emerging markets with high digital penetration. While the health implications of fast-food consumption have been extensively studied in Western contexts, limited research has examined how digital marketing influences nutritional awareness and consumption frequency among young adults in the Gulf region. This gap is particularly concerning given rising obesity rates among UAE youth and the potential for frictionless digital ordering to exacerbate unhealthy consumption patterns.

This study aims to bridge these knowledge gaps by examining how social media marketing attributes influence fast-food consumption behavior among young adults in the UAE, while also considering the operational implications of digitally-driven demand and potential health consequences. By focusing specifically on the 18–25 age demographic and their interactions with fried chicken and burger chains (McDonald’s, KFC, and Hardee’s), this research provides valuable insights for both academic understanding and industry application. The findings will contribute to the growing body of literature on digital consumer behavior in emerging markets while offering practical recommendations for fast-food brands operating in the region.

This study aims to evaluate the impact of social media marketing attributes on fast-food consumption behavior among young adults in the UAE, with a specific focus on fried chicken and burger chains such as McDonald’s, KFC, and Hardee’s. The research seeks to analyze how social media content influences brand preference, customer loyalty, satisfaction, and repeated purchases, while also considering how such digital engagement puts pressure on logistics and operational capabilities. The specific objectives include:

To identify the most influential social media marketing elements (e.g., advertisements, influencer content, peer engagement) in shaping fast-food preferences.

What specific social media marketing features are most influential in shaping fast-food consumption preferences among young adults in the UAE?

Social media engagement has been widely acknowledged as a driving force in shaping consumer behavior. Belanche et al. (2019), aimed to explore the psychological alignment between influencers and their audiences. Their findings revealed that engagement is most effective when the influencer’s persona aligns with consumer values, enhancing trust and response. However, the study was not region-specific and focused more broadly on psychological congruence rather than platform-based features. Rainu and Baskaran (2025), investigated Instagram content types and their roles in consumer decision-making. Their findings confirmed that stories generate more engagement than static posts, particularly during early awareness and interest stages. This study aligns closely with this thesis, although it does not extend to post-purchase behavior. Kumawat and Baskaran (2023) further supported this view, where they observed that visually engaging and interactive content significantly drives social media engagement among Gen Z users. The primary gap in their study was its focus on tourism, rather than fast food or product-based engagement.

While few studies directly explored product preference in a fast-food context, some offered relevant parallels. Gupta and Baskaran (2024) contributed insights on how Instagram aesthetics influence consumer preference. Although Cyriac and Baskaran (2021), focused on tourism, the study demonstrated that immersive and visually appealing content leads to stronger preferences, a principle that translates well to fast food marketing where visual temptation is key. Vellaichamy et al. (2022), explored how social media drives food curiosity and choice-making among young adults. Their study found that exposure to food content on social platforms heightened interest in trying new or trendy food items. The gap lies in their broad focus on all food types without isolating fast food specifically or examining brand-driven content.

The ease and efficiency of the platform used for ordering were found to be key influencers in consumer decision-making. Baskaran (2023a,b) aimed to evaluate how well tourism websites move users through the AIDA funnel. Their findings emphasized that high attention and action stages were strongly correlated with simple, intuitive digital platforms. While the context was tourism, the principle of platform usability applies directly to online food ordering environments. Rainu and Baskaran (2025) also indirectly highlighted the impact of platform interaction in their Instagram-based analysis, reinforcing that user experience with content formats (posts vs. stories) alters engagement and decision progression. The limitation here is again the lack of direct linkage to purchase platforms like apps or websites.

Brand loyalty emerged as a direct result of consistent engagement and alignment between brand identity and digital communication. Belanche et al. (2019) focused on the relational aspect of influencer-brand-consumer dynamics and found that when influencer and product identities align, consumers demonstrate increased brand trust and repeated engagement. However, this was tested across general products and not specific to service brands like fast food. Rainu and Baskaran (2025) added that higher frequency and consistency in Instagram stories directly influenced consumer loyalty by reinforcing the brand message over time. The study, while insightful, did not test actual loyalty metrics such as repeat purchase behavior.

Customer satisfaction in this context was primarily linked to the fulfillment side of the consumer journey. Baskaran (2022) addressed the AIDA model’s “Action” phase, where they found that failure to deliver a seamless final step (e.g., booking or purchase) reduced overall satisfaction. While this study was tourism-based, the implications for fast food are clear - the fulfillment phase must be frictionless. The gap in their research is the lack of direct consumer satisfaction data, relying instead on site analytics. Additionally, Kazim and Baskaran (2025) in their logistics-focused study indirectly contributed to this category by showing how efficient systems reduce breakdowns in the supply chain, supporting long-term satisfaction.

Logistics efficiency including order accuracy, speed, and product availability has been shown to play a critical role in customer retention. Kazim and Baskaran (2025) investigated how fast food chains can optimize procurement and delivery. Their findings showed that better forecasting and inventory systems lead to improved reliability. While highly relevant, the study lacked a marketing or consumer-focused dimension. Moncey and Baskaran (2020) also contributed, showing that IoT and cloud-based systems reduced spoilage and improved delivery timelines. However, the focus was operational without tying logistics performance to consumer behavior outcomes.

The UAE’s food consumption patterns have undergone significant transformation over the past decade, influenced by rapid urbanization, internationalization, and changing lifestyles among younger generations. Understanding these patterns provides essential context for examining fast-food consumption behaviors within the broader landscape of dietary choices and cultural practices.

Fast-food consumption in the UAE is shaped by demographic pressures, a modernized retail landscape, and rapid digitalization of food access. The country’s heavy reliance on food imports 86.8% of total consumption in 2023 has led to the development of highly efficient supply chains that also support the availability and expansion of global and regional fast-food brands. Between 2019 and 2024, per-capita food consumption increased by 10%, reaching 928 kg per person, a trend largely driven by the UAE’s predominantly expatriate population, which accounts for approximately 88% of all residents. This population diversity fosters strong demand for international fast-food formats and convenience-oriented dining options.

The UAE’s modern retail environment further fuels fast-food consumption. Modern trade formats accounted for 87% of the grocery market in 2023, reflecting a mature retail infrastructure that enhances accessibility to fast-food outlets, branded products, and ready-to-eat options. Retail expansion remains significant, with modern store openings increasing by 86% since 2020, including 147 new stores in 2023 alone. These retail developments are complemented by widespread digital adoption: the on-demand grocery market is projected to grow from USD 1.7 billion in 2023 to USD 5.2 billion by 2028, mirroring parallel growth in app-based food delivery platforms and cloud-kitchen ecosystems (Ardent Advisory & Accounting, 2025).

The UAE is the regional leader in food sector growth, digital transformation, logistics, and innovation. While the entire GCC food sector is expanding, the UAE stands out for its higher per capita consumption, advanced infrastructure, and proactive sustainability and food security strategies. The UAE’s food service market is growing faster than the GCC average, and its digital adoption rates are the highest in the region. Regional trends mirror those in the UAE, but the UAE is often cited as the benchmark for modernization and innovation in the food sector (Ardent Advisory & Accounting, 2025).

Recent studies have highlighted a dramatic shift in eating habits among UAE residents, particularly young adults. Cheikh Ismail et al. (2023) study revealed over 80% of UAE adults surveyed reported using social media for more than 2 h per day. Greater time spent on social media, being female, younger age, following influencers, and more leisure screen time were all associated with a higher influence of social media on eating behaviors. Participants who had been infected with COVID-19, or who reported increased screen time, food intake, body weight, and number of meals per day during the pandemic, also showed a stronger association between social media use and eating behaviors. Not eating breakfast and spending more time on screens for leisure were linked to a greater effect of social media on eating behavior. Lower social media influence scores were found among older adults, males, those spending less time on social media, and those not following influencers. The findings suggest that social media is significantly associated with dietary habits among UAE adults, particularly among women and those with higher screen time (Choudhary and Baskaran, 2022). The study highlights the need for targeted awareness programs to promote healthy lifestyle choices in the context of high social media use. The frequency of fast-food consumption among UAE youth has increased by approximately 47% since 2015, a rate of change that exceeds most other food categories including traditional Emirati cuisine, home-cooked meals, and casual dining. This acceleration has been attributed to multiple factors including increased time constraints due to academic and professional obligations, growing availability of delivery services, and the normalization of fast food through social media exposure (Cheikh Ismail et al., 2023).

Al Sabbah et al. (2024) study aimed to investigate the associations between lifestyle, eating habits, food preferences, consumption patterns, and obesity among female university students in the UAE. The findings revealed that there was a notable correlation between the intake of high-sugar beverages (such as milk, juices, soft drinks, and energy drinks) and an increased risk of overweight and obesity among both Emirati and non-Emirati populations. Milk consumption was particularly associated with obesity in non-Emirati students a significant preference for fruits and vegetables was observed among overweight and obese students, indicating a trend toward healthier food choices. However, there was also a clear preference for high-calorie, low-nutrient foods like processed meats, sweets, and salty snacks. Fast food items, especially shawarma, were significantly correlated with increased body weight status, with shawarma showing a notably high correlation with both obesity and overweight statuses. Factors such as physical activity, sleep patterns, and eating habits (including eating speed and quantity) were also linked to weight status. For instance, engaging in physical activity was associated with a reduced likelihood of being overweight or obese. Al-Rethaiaa et al. (2010) study assessed the prevalence of overweight and obesity among male college students in Saudi Arabia and to correlate their body weight status and composition with their eating habits. Most students reported eating irregular meals, with 55.7% consuming only two meals per day. Frequent consumption of snacks and fried foods was highlighted, while vegetables and fruits were not commonly consumed, except for dates. Significant correlations were found between body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF%), and visceral fat level (VFL) with eating habits, indicating that eating with family and the frequency of snacks had a negative effect on BMI. There is a high prevalence of overweight and obesity among male college students in Saudi Arabia, highlighting the need for strategies to promote healthier eating habits.

The framework shown in Figure 1 integrates key components of social media marketing, consumer behavior, sales platform, and operational performance to examine how digital engagement influences fast-food consumption patterns among young adults in the UAE. Specifically, it proposes that social media engagement, product preference, and the use of various sales platforms act as independent variables that directly affect brand loyalty, customer satisfaction and repeat purchases, and logistics efficiency, respectively. These pathways are influenced by demographic characteristics, which mediate the strength and nature of these relationships. The cumulative effect of these linkages ultimately contributes to understanding the broader impact of social media attributes on fast-food consumption behavior in a digitally driven marketplace.

To ensure measurement reliability, Cronbach’s alpha was calculated for all multi-item scales. The results showed acceptable to excellent reliability:

Social media marketing attributes (α = 0.88)

These values exceed the commonly recommended threshold of 0.70 indicating strong internal consistency of the measurement items.

The hypothesis tested in this section was whether different components of social media marketing-such as advertisements, influencer content, promotions, and interactive engagement-have a significant influence on fast-food purchase behavior. The model tested in Table 2 demonstrated a strong positive relationship between these predictors and consumer purchase behavior, with an R value of 0.669 indicating a substantial correlation. The R² value of 0.448 signifies that approximately 44.8% of the variance in fast food purchase behavior is explained by the selected marketing attributes, while the Adjusted R² of 0.425 adjusts this estimate based on the number of predictors, making it more generalizable across the population. Further support for the model’s reliability is seen in Table 3, where the F-statistic (19.256) with a significance level of p < 0.001 confirms that the overall regression model is statistically significant. This suggests that the independent variables, when taken together, meaningfully predict the likelihood of fast-food purchases.

Detailed coefficients are presented in Table 4, where the standardized beta (β) values represent the relative influence of each variable on the dependent outcome. The hypothesis stating that social media advertisements positively influence fast-food purchase behavior was accepted. The regression output showed a significant positive relationship (β = 0.260, p = 0.028), confirming that advertisements are a strong predictor of purchasing intent. This aligns with findings from Belanche et al. (2021), who argued that psychological congruence between digital content and consumer identity enhances purchase motivation. On the other hand, the hypothesis that influencer content significantly influences fast-food choices was rejected, despite a positive beta value (β = 0.218) that fell just short of statistical significance (p = 0.068). This partially diverges from Rainu and Baskaran (2025), who found influencer content impactful at the initial decision-making stage. However, in the context of fast food, consumers may place more trust in direct brand engagement rather than third-party endorsements. The hypothesis that online promotions drive purchase decisions was also rejected, with a weak coefficient (β = 0.033, p = 0.754). While this contrasts with general findings in digital marketing literature such as Prathapan et al. (2018), who found that discounts attract attention, the lack of significance in this study suggests that impulse offers may not outweigh habitual or trust-based decisions in the food sector. The hypothesis that interactive engagement (e.g., polls, comment responses) increases purchase likelihood was accepted. This variable showed a significant influence on purchase behavior (β = 0.264, p = 0.019), supporting the argument that two-way communication and active digital presence boost consumer trust and conversion. This is consistent with the work of both Belanche et al. (2021) and Rainu and Baskaran (2025), who emphasized the role of conversational engagement in building loyalty and increasing intent to purchase.

This hypothesis was tested through bivariate correlation analysis using five Likert-scale variables that captured aspects of engagement and consumer loyalty. As shown in Table 5, strong correlations were observed between positive interactions (r = 0.648), frequent updates (r = 0.655), promotional posts (r = 0.583), and repurchase intentions. These findings support Role of Social Media Engagement in Driving Brand Loyalty and align with literature that emphasizes the importance of social media engagement in influencing brand loyalty. The Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated several strong positive relationships between social media engagement strategies and consumer loyalty outcomes. A significant correlation was observed between positive social media interactions and repurchase intentions (r = 0.648, p < 0.001), suggesting that responsiveness and brand-customer interaction directly influence brand loyalty. Frequent brand updates also showed a strong correlation with repurchase likelihood (r = 0.655, p < 0.001), followed by engaging content (r = 0.547, p < 0.001), and promotional posts (r = 0.583, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that consistent, engaging, and interactive digital communication enhances brand trust and repeat purchase behavior among fast food consumers. These results confirm that social media engagement strategies such as frequent updates, promotional posts, and responsive communication significantly enhance brand loyalty and the likelihood of repeat purchases. The findings strongly support Role of Social Media Engagement in driving brand loyalty and align with previous literature emphasizing the role of engagement in fostering consumer retention and trust (Baskaran and Rajavelu, 2020).

The hypothesis was tested using one-way ANOVA, evaluating whether customer satisfaction and repeat purchase behavior significantly differ across levels of perceived logistics efficiency. Table 6 shows statistically significant differences, particularly with timely delivery (F = 11.462, p < 0.001) and order accuracy (F = 19.682, p < 0.001), both of which positively influenced customer satisfaction and retention. The ANOVA analysis showed that trust in fast food brands was significantly influenced by logistics-related variables, particularly the timeliness and accuracy of order delivery. The effect of timely delivery on trust was statistically significant (F = 11.462, p < 0.001), as was the accuracy of the order (F = 19.682, p < 0.001), indicating that efficient fulfillment strongly enhances consumer trust. Furthermore, the likelihood to reorder from the same brand was also significantly impacted by two key logistics factors: the availability of favorite menu items (F = 11.462, p < 0.001) and timely delivery. These findings support the conclusion that logistics efficiency plays a critical role in shaping customer satisfaction and driving repeat purchase behavior. These results suggest that logistics efficiency is a key driver of customer satisfaction and repeat purchase behavior in the fast-food sector. Consumers who consistently receive their orders correctly and on time and can depend on availability are more likely to trust and repurchase from the same brand (Cyriac and Baskaran, 2020). The strength of the findings supports Impact of Logistics Efficiency on Customer Satisfaction and Retention and aligns with established service quality models, where reliability, timeliness, and order accuracy are foundational to building long-term customer relationships (Ahmed et al., 2020).

The chi-square tests evaluated the association between consumers’ likelihood to order from different platforms and their perceived convenience of using each platform. As detailed in the above Table 7, all four platforms tested (Instagram/Facebook, mobile app, third-party apps, official website) yielded significant results (p < 0.001), confirming that usability significantly influences ordering behavior. The chi-square test revealed significant associations between the sales platforms used and the likelihood of consumers ordering fast food. For Instagram/Facebook, the association was statistically significant, χ²(16) = 87.104, p < 0.001, suggesting that platform usability may influence purchase behavior. Similarly as per Table 8, the brand’s mobile app showed a strong association, χ²(16) = 90.794, p < 0.001, indicating that consumers are more likely to place orders through user-friendly brand-specific applications. Table 9 states that third-party delivery apps such as Talabat and Deliveroo also yielded a significant result, χ²(16) = 85.811, p < 0.001, highlighting their continued relevance in consumer decision-making. Likewise in Table 10, the brand’s official website demonstrated a significant association with ordering behavior, χ²(16) = 85.352, p < 0.001. Collectively, these results indicate that the convenience and accessibility of sales platforms significantly influence purchase decisions in the fast food industry. The chi-square test examined the relationship between sales platforms (IV) and fast food purchase behavior (DV), focusing on how platform convenience influences consumers’ likelihood to order. For Instagram/Facebook Shop, χ²(16) = 87.104, p < 0.001. This indicates that convenience plays a significant role in whether consumers use these social media shops. Higher ease of use corresponds with higher likelihood of ordering, confirming that social commerce success relies on user-friendly design. For the brand’s mobile app, χ²(16) = 90.794, p < 0.001. This result suggests that well-designed, intuitive apps lead to higher engagement, while clunky or confusing apps discourage usage. App convenience clearly drives order behavior. For third-party apps like Talabat or Deliveroo, χ²(16) = 85.811, p < 0.001. Consumers are more likely to use platforms that offer a fast, seamless experience. Differences in platform usability significantly affect consumer preference and usage. For the brand’s official website, χ²(16) = 85.352, p < 0.001. Even on a brand’s own site, consumers expect convenience (Moncey and Baskaran, 2020). A slow or outdated interface lowers the likelihood of ordering, showing that brand identity alone is not enough to retain customers. All results support Hypothesis 4. Platform convenience has a clear and statistically significant effect on fast food ordering behavior, reinforcing the importance of digital usability in consumer decision-making.

The results extend the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework in the context of digitally-mediated food purchasing. The varying impact of different stimuli (advertisements, interactive content, influencer marketing, promotions) suggests that the S-O-R framework may need refinement to account for stimulus-specific processing pathways. The findings contribute to emerging theoretical perspectives on multi-platform consumer journeys. The significant impact of different ordering platforms suggests that contemporary consumer behavior involves complex navigation across interconnected digital touchpoints rather than linear pathways.

The findings from this research offer several actionable insights for fast-food brands operating in the UAE market, particularly those targeting the 18–25 demographic. The findings from this research offer several actionable insights for fast-food brands operating in the UAE market, particularly those targeting the 18–25 demographic. For marketing strategy, brands should prioritize direct brand communications and interactive content over influencer partnerships, given the significant impact of brand advertisements (β = 0.262, p = 0.028) and interactive engagement (β = 0.284, p = 0.019) compared to the marginal effect of influencer content (β = 0.217, p = 0.068). The strong correlation between frequent updates and repurchase likelihood (r = 0.655, p < 0.001) suggests that maintaining consistent presence across digital platforms should be prioritized over periodic campaign activities. Additionally, the weak effect of promotions (β = 0.033, p = 0.754) indicates that brands may benefit from shifting resources from discount-driven marketing to experience-focused content.

For operations management, the significant impact of logistics efficiency (F = 11.462, p < 0.001) highlights the need for continuous optimization of delivery operations and robust order verification systems. The comparable strength of marketing and operational factors suggests that resource allocation should be balanced rather than skewed toward customer acquisition, with operational excellence representing a sustainable competitive advantage that justifies substantial investment. For platform strategy, the strong association between mobile app convenience and purchase behavior (χ²(16) = 90.794, p < 0.001) emphasizes the need for exceptional mobile experiences, while the significant effect of Instagram/Facebook Shop convenience (χ²(16) = 87.104, p < 0.001) supports investment in direct purchasing capabilities within social platforms. Brands should optimize their presence on major delivery aggregators while simultaneously developing competitive direct ordering channels to balance reach and margin considerations.

While appropriate for exploratory research, this study’s non-probability convenience sampling approach limits generalizability beyond the specific demographic studied. The sample size of 100 respondents provides a margin of error of ±9.8% at a 95% confidence level, which is higher than the ideal ±5% threshold for conclusive research. The sample showed some demographic imbalances, with greater representation of respondents from Dubai (46%) and Sharjah (31%) relative to other emirates, potentially skewing results toward patterns specific to these urban centers.

The study’s focus on quantitative methodology, while providing statistical validation, lacks the depth and contextual understanding that qualitative approaches might offer. Without accompanying qualitative insights, the underlying motivations, decision processes, and emotional factors influencing consumption choices remain partially unexplored.

The findings’ applicability to contexts beyond the UAE is limited by the country’s unique characteristics, including its high per capita income, exceptional digital infrastructure, multicultural population composition, and distinctive cultural values. Even within the GCC region, significant variations in market development, consumer preferences, and digital adoption may restrict the transferability of specific findings.

Future research would benefit from employing probability sampling techniques with larger sample sizes (400 + respondents) to achieve greater statistical power and representativeness.

Participants were fully informed about the purpose of the research, participated on a voluntary basis, and retained the right to withdraw at any stage. Informed consent was obtained from all respondents, and measures were taken to ensure confidentiality and anonymity. Only data provided by consenting participants were included in the study.