Growing beauty and wellness industry attracts strong interest from international majors

 Beauty World Middle East, the region’s premier trade event for beauty products, hair, fragrances and wellbeing, looks all set for a successful run this week (Tuesday May 29th to Thursday, May 31st) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. 829 exhibitors from more than 50 countries will take advantage of the 2012 edition’s region-wide footprint, to showcase their offerings to an increasingly prosperous marketplace.

Recent industry figures have indicated a continuing positive outlook for the beauty and wellness industry in the Middle East. Research figures from Euromonitor International, Official Knowledge Partner for Beauty World Middle East indicate that the UAE market for premium fragrances is set to grow at a near 6% to be worth AED 334.5 million in 2014. Additionally, the UAE market for skin care products is expected to be worth a whopping AED 540.3 million by 2015*. As a result, international beauty majors are training their sights on this growth market, forming a large presence at Beauty World Middle East 2012.

“The trade fair this year is 21% larger than the previous edition, underlining Beauty World Middle East’s growing regional impact and effectiveness as a business development platform,” said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of organiser, Epoc Messe Frankfurt. “Global companies interested in strengthening their presence in the region, see Beauty World Middle East as the key facilitator for this,” he added.

Beauty World Middle East has over the years been the launching platform for many of the brands that are top sellers on shelves today. Recognising this great potential, international companies have scheduled a series of product launches at Beauty World Middle East 2012, including: Textron from Spain with their Evoil Spa range and Evoil Jib Sensation spa products; Puri Alchemy from Thailand offering full turnkey spa solutions with Puri Spa Consultancy; Afrikissime Karite from Morocco with their range of quality cosmetics; House of Maria Dowling with the new Ritual m Curling Wand; and Eideal from the UAE, with their latest range of hair curling appliances.

Panpuri’s new Femme Fatale home ambience range will be launched exclusively in the region at Beautyworld Middle East, while Beautybay will unveil its line of beat-the-heat makeup at the show. Others unveiling products and services at the trade exhibition include Thalac Products line of cosmetics and beauty products made with ingredients originating from the Mediterranean region, and Sunless MENA with the Evolv range of suntan products.

Peter Dowling, UAE distributor for Thailand’s Puri Alchemy, said: “We are really excited about the launch of the new Femme Fatale Home Ambiance collection in the region. Beautyworld Middle East provides the ideal platform for such a launch and we are confident the exhibition will provide great business leads for this new product range.”

Other areas of particular interest to leading international manufacturers and suppliers include the burgeoning market for Natural and Organic Cosmetics and the growing demand for Halal Products. The Natural & Organic Cosmetics market registered a 20% growth in 2011 and it is believed that the UAE makes up 50% of the market segment within the GCC. ** Moreover, the size of the halal personal care market in the Middle East is estimated to be US$ 500 mn.***

Amara Halal Cosmetics will launch its 100% halal certified make-up line at the exhibition. Shamalia Mohamed, founder of Amara Halal Cosmetics, said: “I am pleased to announce that Muslim women now have an option for their make-up. Amara Halal Cosmetics is North America’s first and only make-up line to receive complete Halal certification from the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America. We are looking forward to launching these products at Beauty World Middle East and expect a strong reaction at the trade fair.”

Beauty World Middle East 2012 will feature the Spa and Salon Management Summit running alongside the exhibition. The summit, which will take place on Wednesday and Thursday (May 30th and 31st) is a series of conferences and workshops for Spa & Salon Owners and Beauty Therapists.

There is also a number of popular fringe activities taking place during the trade show. These traditionally attract considerable attention, and include:

The Walk of Beauty – organised in association with Madi International, this special feature showcases top hairdressers and make-up artists from the GCC demonstrating their skills on stage.

Nail It! By OPI is a series of nail competitions for regional spa therapists. The competition is lead by leading professionals from the U.S. and George W. Schaeffer, President & CEO of OPI Products Inc will also be present.

Face It! by Eva Garden, is a new addition for 2012. It is a professional make-up application competition which awards leading make-up artists for their outstanding talent.

The Fragrance Station is a popular area where visitors can sample the various fragrances on display at a convenient location.

Hair Education organised in conjunction with Salon Educators and MyHairdressers.com, features a series of hair demonstrations introducing the best in cutting and colouring education and styles from the UK. It features live demos daily for the duration of Beautyworld Middle East.