We all splurge on that really gorgeous lipstick or that extra glamorous highlighter sometimes, but Saudi women really know how it’s done. Reports show that women in the kingdom spend no less than $3,800 per year on perfumes, makeup and other beauty products.
A Mordor Intelligence report says this could be because of the growing workforce. Since everyone wants to look as good as possible at work, having more people in the office means more people will be paying attention to their looks and buying makeup. “The country is going through a period of urbanization as well as a gender call to workforce, where a large number of women are joining the workforce and have disposable income to themselves,” the report explains. KSA’s beauty market is worth a staggering $4.7 billion, the largest in the Middle East, which makes up about 20 percent of the global cosmetics market.
But not any makeup will do. Saudi women showed a preference for organic, vegan beauty products, and makeup that would last longer and protect against the country’s harsh weather.
Saudi Customs estimated that the amount of imported cosmetics in 2015 exceeded $600 million, with France sending the most beauty products to the kingdom. But there’s good news for local brands. Euromonitor found that local brands lead the beauty industry, mainly because of their fragrances. It reported that Arabian Oud and Abdul Samad Al Qurashi were the biggest players in the field in 2015, probably because they stick to traditional scents.
Even with falling oil prices, Euromonitor says that KSA’s cosmetics industry shows no signs of slowing down. It seems that rain or shine (and it's mostly ‘shine’ in the kingdom), women in KSA are determined to look glam. “Saudis’ passion for beauty and personal care products is not expected to fade any time soon,” the report concludes.
