UAE among top global spenders on beauty products

Dubai / Emirates Business

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.”