Beautyworld Saudi Arabia 2022 opens as local and international beauty industry descends on Riyadh

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: The 3^rd edition of Beautyworld Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom’s only dedicated exhibition for beauty products, hair, fragrances, and wellbeing, opened today (21 March 2022) in Riyadh, marking its debut in the Kingdom’s capital and commercial hub.

Running for three days at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Centre, the annual three-day event welcomes 76 exhibitors from 11 countries, all looking to make in-roads in Saudi’s Beauty and Personal Care (BPC) market that, according to analysts Euromonitor International (EMI), will reach a retail value of US$5.5 billion in 2022.

That’s a steady 2.6 percent increase over an estimated US$5.36 billion in 2021, while Saudi Arabia’s per capita spend on beauty and personal care will reach US$164 in 2022, placing it second only behind the UAE (US$229) for the entire Middle East region.

According to EMI, fragrances accounts for the largest share of BPC retail value in Saudi, at US$1.56 billion in 2022, up by four percent from US$1.49 billion in 2021.  This is followed by haircare (US$1.01 billion in 2022), skincare (US$738 million), colour cosmetics (US$641 million), and men’s grooming (US$542 million).

The opportunities are underlined by the global line-up of exhibitors at Beautyworld Saudi Arabia from Bahrain, USA, France, Poland, Turkey, and the UAE, backed up by a contingent of 32 Saudi-based exhibitors, all presenting their wares in one of the world’s most promising markets. 

Among these is Dermaliscio, a Swiss-Italian Pharmaceutical brand that, along with its make-up, skin care and hair care range for men and women, is also launching its 15000 PPM Anti-Wrinkle Lifting Cream.

Dr. Maryam Dajani, General Manager of Dermaliscio’s distributor Embrace Health, said its entire range is designed with safe ingredients that are pre-tested to benefit the skin and enhance natural beauty.

“Our products are oil and cruelty free, dermatologically and microbiological purity tested, halal, free of preservatives, fragrances, alcohol and colorants, and they are tested for nickel, chromium and cobalt,” said Dr. Dajani.

“We want to empower people to choose what’s best, to choose above all the quality of the products they use on their faces.  Instead of Botox, we encourage people to use Hyaluronic acid, a naturally produced complex in the skin and a natural substitute for fillers.

“Instead of wearing makeup to cover scars, spots and acne, we encourage people to invest in a safe and a high quality makeup.  Instead of focusing on appearances, we focus on the details.”

Dr. Dajani said Riyadh, as the capital of Saudi Arabia, with numerous busy shopping centres and an attraction for people from different ages and nationalities, could be the best targeted place for the Dermaliscio brand to grow.

“Beautyworld Saudi Arabia 2022 will open a window for more men and women to know about our products that are designed with their best interests in mind, and will provide us with the exposure to the professional businesses in the Kingdom that can potentially be our partners,” she added.

Elsewhere, French fragrance exhibitors such as Luxe Perfumes, Jean Niel, Concept Aromatique, identiscents, Creations & Parfums, Parfex, and Parfum Plus are among those looking to entice Saudi buyers with France’s unique know-how in developing the finest perfumes.

Benoît Vittet, Head of Perfumery at Jean Niel, a boutique French fragrance house with more than 240 years’ of olfactory knowledge, said they are on the look-out for high-end niche buyers.

“We are a small French fragrance company with a lot of history,” said Vittet.  “That’s why Saudi Arabia is a key market for us where the most important thing is not the price, but the quality.

“At Jean Niel, we value quality over quantity, and we prefer working with niche brands, providing them with high-quality ingredients and exclusive products. So, Saudi Arabia, and the Middle East in general is the place to be in order to sustain our prestigious level and reputation.”

identiscents is also introducing two innovative Scents Collections created by Master Perfumers based in Grasse, France. All compositions are handcrafted to ensure scent definition, stability, and long lastingness, which are key criteria for Saudi’s consumers.

The first collection is made of 90 percent natural extracts, contributing to a fragrance collection that is vegan and 100 percent biodegradable.

The last collection ‘Halawiyat’ has been created using rich, high quality gourmand notes inspired from the Middle East. Each fragrance highlights a unique local ingredient linked to a specific ‘Arabic Sweet’.     

Beautyworld Saudi Arabia is organised by Saudi-based Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions (ACE) Group under licence from UAE-headquartered Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the name behind Dubai’s Beautyworld Middle East – the region’s largest international trade fair for beauty products, hair care, fragrances, and wellbeing.

Speaking from day one of the show, Maria Cecilia Canlas, interim Show Director for Beautyworld Saudi Arabia, said:  “We are excited to see how the third edition, now taking place in the capital, will build on the previous editions and spur business discussions for local and international companies and distributors.

“Our new home in Riyadh acts as a strategic gateway for some of the larger beauty companies to tap into the vast central and eastern regions of the country, greatly widening opportunities and potential distribution networks.”

Beautyworld Saudi Arabia 2022 features four dedicated show segments covering Fragrance; Hair, Nails & Salon Supplies; Cosmetics & Skincare; and Machinery, Packaging, Raw Materials & Contract Manufacturing.

This week’s show features the Beauty Academy where current and aspiring hair and makeup professionals and salon managers are honing their skills, organised in collaboration with the Baheya Academy and TVTC (Technical & Vocational Training Corporation). 

There is also a Fragrance Station where visitors can sample perfumes on display at the exhibition at a single location and get easy-to-find directions to their producers.

Beautyworld Saudi Arabia 2022 is open daily from March 21-23 from 11am to 7pm.  It is the 5^th Beautyworld event globally, following annual shows in Dubai (Beautyworld Middle East) and Japan (Beautyworld Japan, Beautyworld Japan West, and Beautyworld Japan Fukuoka).