UAE among the top spenders globally on beauty products forking out $239 per capita in 2016

With the UAE ranked among the world's highest per capita spenders on beauty products and the region blossoming into one of the top beauty and personal care markets globally, it was no surprise that the focus of the beauty and wellness industry was firmly on the region at the recent Beautyworld Middle East 2017.

According to the latest figures from Euromonitor International, released alongside Beautyworld Middle East 2017, the UAE was ranked 7th in the world in per capita spend on beauty care products, totalling US$ 239 in 2016, up two places from the previous year. As a whole, the MEA region spent a whopping $30 billion on beauty and personal care in 2016.

Beautyworld Middle East 2017 saw a bevy of beautiful people share the stage with regional traders, professionals, and international manufacturers, as the Middle East’s largest beauty and wellness exhibition completed a record run in Dubai.

Beautyworld Middle East 2017, which took place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, attracted 42,012 visitors from 135 countries, and featured 1,580 exhibitors from 60 countries.

Spanning 55,000sqm, the three-day event’s 11.5 per cent increase in size year-on-year was duly matched by a 13 per cent growth in visitors, with throngs of spa and salon professionals, hairstylists, makeup artists, importers and exporters out in force, sourcing inspiration and the latest products displayed by the biggest brands in the global beauty business.

Beautyworld Middle East continued its double-digit growth trajectory in remarkable fashion, as ten show highlights shared the spotlight with more than 100 product launches across six sections of Hair, Nails, & Salon Supplies; Cosmetics & Skincare; Machinery, Packaging, and Raw Materials; Professional Equipment, Spa & Wellness; Fragrance Compounds & Finished Fragrance; and Personal Care & Hygiene.

The 22nd edition of the annual showcase was a mix of glamour and serious business in equal doses; models graced catwalks presenting the latest makeup and hair trends from the likes of Hollywood hair artist Guy Tang at one end of the exhibition’s vast expanse, while across the other, European premium skincare manufacturers or makers of niche perfumes were striking deals with regional distributors and high-end retailers.  

Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of organiser Messe Frankfurt Middle East, said: “Although Beautyworld Middle East continues to grow in size and scope every year, it has maintained, and even advanced its relevance in the Middle East and African beauty and wellness market, which continues to deliver up a wealth of opportunity for global and local players alike.

“Whether you’re a professional hair stylist seeking inspirational colouring trends, an entrepreneur looking for private label cosmetic manufacturers, or a hotel operator searching for the cutting-edge spa equipment and treatments, there’s really something for everyone.

“The show’s impressive growth coincides with Dubai’s position at the forefront of interregional trade,” added Pauwels.  “Figures from Dubai Customs show the emirate traded AED20.68 billion worth of perfumes and cosmetics in 2016, while in the first quarter of 2017, 202,000 tonnes worth AED5 billion were imported, exported, and re-exported.”

Neoderma from Cyprus was among the 650-plus Skincare & Cosmetics exhibitors at Beautyworld Middle East 2017, and used the event to launch its ‘Airless’ premium skincare range, including a Halal-certified whitening cream.

CEO Andreas Loizou said Neoderma is one of the first in the world to make 100 per cent airless skincare products. Initially a manufacturer for private labels and the professional market, Neoderma is now entering the high-end retail market as part of its five year business expansion plan.

“The retail world is taking over and multi experience stores are becoming very strong, where one can find the right products and have treatments all at once, from skincare to haircare, to body to spa and massage,” said Loizou.

“We’re meeting some big global retail groups, distributors, airport duty free retailers and hotels this week at Beautyworld Middle East, and this is why we’re here. The Middle East and Africa is a priority region as part of our five year business plan, and we consider Dubai as the middle ground connecting these markets.

“Although it’s our first time exhibiting here, we’ve known about Beautyworld Middle East for many years,” added Loizou.  “We analysed 15 cosmetics exhibitions globally, and this show has demonstrated over the years to be the future in terms of attracting our target market.”

Among the many show highlights returning to Beautyworld Middle East 2017 was Quintessence, an exclusive showcase of luxury and niche perfumes, many of which were seen for the first time in the region.

The 2nd edition of the highly popular feature had doubled in size over the previous year, with every one of the 23 high-end brands on display coming with its own rich story, embedded in the creations of the unique scents themselves.

Luxe House, a distributor of premium beauty products throughout the Gulf region and several other Middle East countries, had six brands under its banner at Quintessence: Tom Daxon, Nishane, Le Galion, Signature Fragrances, Teaology, and Simone Cosac.

Doaa Tahboub, Co-Founder and Marketing Director of Luxe House, said: “Quintessence offers us a golden opportunity to be present in front of a massive market segment that tends to be split between those searching for ultra-luxury products and those looking for something a lot more personalised and unique, and that has an independent voice.

“There’re movements happening in each direction, and I would like to think of ourselves as a hybrid between the two. We do represent luxury brands but we’re also there for people who are willing to be individual and step out with strong individuality.

“Quintessence is ideal not only to fulfil marketing objectives, but to draw inspiration from because it’s very refined, it’s very intimate, it’s designer-led. The way it’s built, and the dynamics of the feature makes it feel as though it’s an independent exhibition on its own,” added Tahboub.

Elsewhere, USA-headquartered professional haircare solutions manufacturer GKHair was one of more than 350 exhibitors in the Hair, Nails & Salon Supplies section at Beautyworld Middle East 2017.

Founded ten years ago in Miami, GKHair products and treatments are now available in salons in more than 70 countries, including 11 in the Middle East.  Founder and CEO Van Tiboli said the region comprises around 20 per cent of GKHair’s global business.

“The Middle East market is a very important for us, and since I started the brand in 2007, we opened country by country in the region,” said Tiboli.  “It’s a market that’s growing every year; it requires a lot of GKHair products, and demands high quality products.  

“Now GKHair is not only in the beauty industry, but we’re also in the technology industry today.  We recently developed our own mobile app which supports the sales and the overall distribution of GKHair and Tiboli products.  It helps us control the growth of the company in a much better and professional way, and helps us develop products and have these products reach the countries that they have to reach.”

Beautyworld Middle East is the region’s largest international trade fair for beauty products, hair, fragrances, and wellbeing.  The international flavour of the show was underline by the presence of 22 country pavilions, while the captivating highlights were spearheaded by Centre Stage by Nazih Group – a three-day educational showcase of the latest trends and developments in the beauty industry.

Other special event features ensuring visitors come away inspired, educated, and rejuvenated included: Battle of the Barbers; Sensorial Journey by Carita & centdgres; Hair Education by ghd; Nail It! By Artistic and OPI; the Business in Beauty Summit; and Face it! by Mehron and Madi International.

The 23rd edition of Beautyworld Middle East takes place from 8-10 May 2018.  More information is available at: www.beautyworldme.com.