UAE consumers spend billions on beauty & personal care

The retail value of the GCC’s beauty and personal care market was $9.3 billion in 2016, a 10% rise over 2015, indicates research firm Euromonitor International. Strong growth is expected over the next four years, as consumers look to collectively spend $13.6 billion on their personal well-being in 2020, defying any notion of a market readjustment.

In the UAE, particularly, consumers spent $2.1 billion on beauty and personal care in 2016, with this set to rise to $2.7 billion by 2020. The top five categories are fragrances ($642 million), colour cosmetics ($400 million), skin care and men’s grooming (both $300 million) and hair care ($283 million).

The vibrant market sets the tone and lays the foundation for the 22^nd edition of Beautyworld Middle East, which will take place from May 14-16 May at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, expected to feature more than 1,500 exhibitors from 60 countries.

“Beautyworld Middle East’s internationality is integral to the overall success of the show, which is why we’re seeing participating exhibitors and visitors from every corner of the world,” says Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of organiser Messe Frankfurt Middle East. “While half of the 37,000-plus beauty professionals and trade buyers are from the GCC, more and more are coming from Iran, Africa, Europe, and as far away as Australia and North and South America.

“Almost all spheres of the industry are represented, which makes it a far-reaching platform that caters to all needs, whether its niche players looking to establish themselves, or large-scale multinationals eager to consolidate their presence,” he adds.

This year the strong international flavour will be underlined by 21 country pavilions from Argentina, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Korea, Morocco, Pakistan, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, the UK and the US.