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The Middle East, known for its long tradition of intensive beauty rituals, is a growing market for international beauty brands. But those offering a universal or European ideal of beauty are being encouraged to rethink their approach.
This is the recommendation from a new report by Chalhoub Group, the retail operator and distributor that represents more than 300 fashion brands in the Middle East, which surveyed more than 2,600 beauty consumers across the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman). It identifies areas of opportunity for international brands, including tapping into a new Arabic beauty standard; Middle Eastern consumers’ love of layering and mixing scents; and a shift to lighter makeup that crosses over into skincare.
Euromonitor International has valued the beauty and personal care market in the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to be worth over $46 billion and estimates it will go up to around $60 billion by 2025, making it one of the most lucrative beauty and wellness markets in the world. The GCC beauty market was worth over $10 billion in 2022, according to Chalhoub Group.
Since 2020, the GCC beauty market has undergone a ”major shift, becoming more dynamic than ever”, says Chalhoub’s chief strategy officer Jasmina Banda. She estimates that it grew by 6-8 per cent in 2022, and by 10 per cent for prestige brands. This was partly driven by a blurring of the lines between beauty and wellness, in line with most global markets since the pandemic. “This has paved the way for a new generation of brands that prioritise more than just traditional product effectiveness,” says Banda.
“As with many other parts of the world, the pandemic really accelerated the wellness trend with consumers prioritising both mental and physical health,” she adds. “We also saw the rapid growth of TikTok and a continued use of other social media platforms which facilitated the dissemination of education on wellness topics.”
The new Arabic beauty standard
Chalhoub’s report, ‘Decoding The Beauty Consumer in the GCC’, finds that Arabic consumers have shifted from accepting “universal or European ideals” to defining ideal beauty as specifically Arabic beauty. Women are now looking to highlight their Middle Eastern features, such as dark hair, thick eyebrows and large dark eyes — and they want beauty products that enhance the factors that make them unique. Banda points to the rise of influencers such as Dubai-based beauty mogul Huda Kattan, who promote Middle Eastern beauty.
Although always popular in the region, cosmetics such as felt-tip liners, neutral shades of eyeshadow, neutral lip liners and sheer texture lipsticks are now must-haves for local women, as tools to enhance their Arabic features, says Banda.
The report shows that, for daily use, women are also looking for lighter makeup solutions such as BB creams. “This move away from previous reliance on heavy foundation coverage to hide any imperfections means there is a significant opportunity within the skincare category, with consumers increasingly looking to care for their skin in order to achieve a flawless complexion,” says Banda.
Women in the Gulf spend an average of $63 on makeup and $52 on skincare per month (while men spend an average of $16 on skincare products). This presents the industry with an opportunity. “We see very strong growth in skincare year over year, but yet a lower penetration in beauty versus other markets,” says Banda. “There are opportunities to increase basket size and add further products to the routine, providing solutions for different skin concerns.”
Consumers have turned to the skincare category to find products that can help them achieve a naturally flawless complexion, she continues. “Brands that have strong science-backed efficacy claims are likely benefitting from this trend.” There are also growth opportunities for serums, toners and eye care, which currently have lower usage amongst GCC consumers compared to other global markets, the report shows.
Consumers in the Middle East still use injectables, but the look women are trying to achieve through these means has moved towards an enhancement of their natural Arabic features, rather than a “transformation” towards traditional European beauty ideals, observes Banda. The report finds that women in Saudi Arabia put a stronger emphasis on eye makeup, while Kuwaiti women tend to be more concerned about skin and are the most open to injectables.
While spend on haircare is lower than body care, there is a premiumisation opportunity here too, as the report indicates that Gen Z tends to “show increasing preference towards masstige brands”.
The report recommends that brands tailor their products to showcase Arab beauty ideals and take a “self-care first” approach to their messaging. Charlotte Tilbury and Urban Decay are examples of brands that have used their social media and in-store promotions to showcase makeup looks on Arabic women, and have in-store advisors to educate consumers on how to achieve a look using techniques to enhance the eyes and lining the lips.
Sniffing out the gaps in fragrance
Fragrance is an integral part of Arab culture. Many fragrances feature oud, an intensely fragrant oil extracted from tropical agar trees, which gives an earthy base note. The Chalhoub report finds that men in the GCC spend $83 per month on average on fragrance, and women $74 — making it the highest spend category.
While brands from Tom Ford to Dior have come out with oud-based perfumes, this is a category with many layers to it. “Consumers are looking for uniqueness,” says Banda. “As such, they are layering and mixing scents to create their own individual fragrances.” She adds: “With oud being such a heavy scent it is likely that consumers will opt for this more during the winter seasons, and a lighter scent during summer.”
Arabs approach perfuming as a regime: it starts with shower gel and soaps, then comes the body lotion. Scented hair products such as conditioners and hair mists also play an important role. Finally comes the actual perfume.
The report finds body mists are a preferred form of scent, providing an opportunity for premium skincare brands. For fragrance brands there may be the fear of “cannibalisation”, says Banda, while for skincare brands body mists can have a dual function: to moisturise the skin, and provide scent. Only a few skincare brands offer a luxury body mist: for example, La Prairie has a version that retails for AED 650 ($175). There is room for further premiumisation of this category, Banda observes.
The report summarises the three key areas that GCC consumers want from their beauty purchases today: multi-purpose products that help them to simplify their routines; clean and natural ingredients; and efficacy. “From fragrances that last all day, to skincare that eliminates dark circles longer term, consumers are eager to see innovations that offer highly targeted, effective solutions and provide long-lasting results,” it concludes.
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