Just over 35 years after its inception — and with net sales reaching $2.8 billion in Q2 2025 — Ulta Beauty is entering its next phase of international growth. Following its acquisition of Space NK in the UK and a joint venture in Mexico, the US beauty giant is bringing its distinctive retail model of blending high-end and mass-market beauty to the Middle East, in partnership with Kuwait-based retail operator The Alshaya Group.
“What excites me the most about this partnership is that we’re going to be able to bring our brand globally to the Middle East,” says Kecia Steelman, Ulta president and CEO. “Social media has brought the world closer together, and we’ve consistently heard from this strong, beauty-loving consumer that they want our brand to come here.”
The beauty powerhouse is betting big on the region’s highly exposed, educated and evolving customer base. With plans to open the first store in Kuwait’s The Avenues mall, followed by a sprawling store in Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates and then Dubai Mall, the strategy is to move aggressively and quickly establish a foothold in the market. “We’re coming into this market with a very aggressive approach and a push for accelerated growth. No other brand has entered this quickly in top-tier locations — we’re here to give consumers another place to meet their beauty needs and make an impact in the marketplace fast.”
The aggressive rollout is underpinned by Steelman’s confidence in the Middle Eastern beauty consumer, who she believes is looking for more than just another place to shop. Ulta Beauty is not the first international powerhouse to bet on the region’s growing appetite for experiential retail. Last year, Sephora debuted its beauty festival concept ‘Sephoria’ in the region. Sephoria Dubai will be returning again in November, signalling just how competitive and experience driven this market has become.
“The beauty consumer here is so educated and experienced and really understands everything from haircare to skincare and makeup to fragrances — along with services,” says Steelman. “It feels like a natural synergy to bring a new offering that currently doesn’t exist. What makes Ulta Beauty so special in the US is what we call ‘beautytaiment’, and bringing those activations to life in this region will be something new and exciting for the consumer here.”
While Ulta traditionally over-indexes in makeup, Kristin Wolf, Ulta’s SVP of enterprise strategy and new growth, acknowledges the importance of adapting the product assortment specifically for the Middle East. “Part of the strength of our model is really bringing the best across categories, but also tailoring to the local market,” she says. “For example, we know the importance of fragrance in this market, so that is definitely going to over-index in our assortment relative to what you would see in the US. But we’re still looking to bring the best of each category and balance skincare, makeup and wellness to meet the needs of the local consumer.”
Through a mix of international and regional brands, the launch will serve as a platform for newness. “We’re so excited about the assortment we’re bringing to the Middle East — within a few months of launch, we’re going to bring 80 brands to the region, which we think are really exciting and will really resonate with the consumer,” says Wolf. Those brands include Nyx, Polite Society and Too Faced.
Wolf expects this newness to be a two-way street, where Ulta Beauty can not only introduce US and global brands to the region, but also spotlight regional brands on the international stage. “We’re also really looking to lean into the local beauty market, and as a US retailer, I’m hoping we can find brands here in the Middle East that we can bring back to the US and give them the opportunity to grow their businesses.”
But with an ambitious launch strategy, and a regional beauty consumer that is extremely loyal to established players like Sephora, nailing the launch will be critical, if Ulta is to win over the market and carve out its share. Ulta says The Alshaya Group is a strong partner, having rolled out a range of US brands in the region, from Alo and American Eagle to Chipotle and Starbucks.
“Nailing a launch like this is extremely important and that’s why we picked Alshaya to bring this brand to life in the Middle East,” says Steelman. “We’re going to the best locations right out of the gates to make sure that we’re showing the market exactly what Ulta is all about.”
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