UAE florists absorb 120% supply cost spike before Mother's Day

By AI, Created 10:31 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – UAE Flowers says Dubai florists and suppliers kept Mother’s Day orders moving despite a March 2026 supply-chain shock that sent some floral inputs up 120% and forced rerouted shipments through Oman and Saudi Arabia. Flower prices have mostly returned near 2025 levels, but imported supplies like Oasis Foam remain under pressure as the May 10 holiday approaches.

Why it matters: - UAE florists avoided a pricing shock for Mother’s Day customers even as supply costs surged, helping keep bouquet prices stable for one of the industry’s biggest demand periods. - The episode shows how dependent the UAE floral market is on imported flowers and accessories, and how quickly logistics disruptions can hit availability and margins. - The May 10 holiday is a key sales window in the UAE, where many residents observe Mother’s Day on that date in addition to the March 21 Arab-world observance.

What happened: - UAE Flowers, a Dubai-based florist serving customers across the Emirates, said the UAE floral industry navigated one of its most disruptive supply-chain periods in recent years, with March 2026 marking the peak of the pressure. - Essential floral supplies rose 120% at the peak, while several imported flower varieties saw sharp but temporary price spikes. - Suppliers and florists stabilized operations in time for Mother’s Day on May 10. - Most flower categories are now trading close to 2025 levels. - UAE Flowers continued flower delivery in Dubai and across the Emirates without delays. - The company said it saw a notable share of Mother’s Day pre-orders placed earlier than in previous years.

The details: - Oasis Foam, the floral foam used as the structural base for nearly every standing arrangement, rose from 34 AED to 75 AED per box. - Oasis Foam and related floral accessories, including ribbons, wraps and packaging materials, are predominantly imported from China. - Supply pressure on those accessory categories has remained persistent. - Kenya-grown roses rose from 1.8 AED per stem in 2025 to 2.4 AED to 2.6 AED at the March 2026 peak, then eased to about 2 AED for May. - Colombia-grown hydrangeas moved from a 2025 wholesale band of 9 AED to 13 AED to a peak of 15 AED to 19 AED. - Holland-grown lilies climbed from 10.5 AED to 14 AED to 16 AED, then softened to 11.5 AED to 13 AED. - Filler greens followed a similar pattern and are now mostly back within last year’s range. - Imported floral shipments were held in airports during the first two weeks of March. - Freight charges on the relevant air-cargo routes rose sharply. - Suppliers rerouted shipments by road through Oman and Saudi Arabia to keep stock moving. - That alternative route added cost and time. - Several international suppliers tightened commercial terms during the peak weeks and required cash on delivery instead of the credit terms that had previously been standard. - The UAE imports most cut flowers from a small set of source countries, mainly Kenya for roses, Holland for lilies and premium varieties, and Colombia for hydrangeas.

Between the lines: - Flowers recovered faster than supplies, which suggests the market absorbed the shock in product pricing before it fully absorbed the cost spike in consumables. - The persistence of higher accessory costs points to a margin squeeze for florists, even where retail prices remained stable. - The company adjusted arrangements to protect customer-facing pricing, which shifted the burden of the disruption onto operations rather than buyers. - The March 2026 peak overlapped with the Arab-world Mother’s Day, creating a real-time stress test for supplier flexibility and logistics planning. - UAE Flowers expanded reusable arrangement mechanics, prioritized rose bouquets and seasonal styles that require less foam, and modified some Mother’s Day designs to reduce reliance on imported supplies. - Those adjustments were absorbed operationally rather than passed on to customers. - Aman Arora, Managing Director of UAE Flowers, said customers placing Mother’s Day orders this week are not seeing the supply story behind the bouquet by design. - Arora said suppliers worked through a difficult March so the May 10 weekend would feel like any other Mother’s Day.

What’s next: - Oasis Foam and related accessories remain the main unresolved pressure point as Mother’s Day approaches. - UAE Flowers is continuing to fulfill Mother’s Day orders across the Emirates while relying more on reusable mechanics and lower-foam designs. - The company pointed readers to the Dubai Chamber of Commerce for more context on UAE trade and logistics during the period: More information. - The UAE’s dual Mother’s Day calendar means florists will likely keep planning for two demand peaks each year.