The Skincare Edition Opens in Riyadh With the Aim to Grow the Middle East Skin Care Market

Ritu Upadhyay
·5-min read

The inaugural experiential, skin care-focused summit in the Middle East, “The Skincare Edition: Unfiltered,” is now taking place in Riyadh.

The five-day event will feature a range of experiences and educational opportunities for both consumers and professionals. “Our goal for this summit is to educate and engage,” said Patrick Chalhoub, group president of Chalhoub Group, in an interview with WWD.

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The group conceptualized the event with a larger aim: to unlock the untapped potential of the skin care market in the Middle East. The ambition, he said, is to increase the skin care segment of the region’s beauty market to 20 percent from 14 percent over the next three years.

“We see quite an imbalance for the beauty market in the Middle East,” he explained. “Skin care only represents 10 to 11 percent of the market in the UAE, compared to 33 to 35 percent and even up to 50 percent in some Asian markets. This presents a fantastic opportunity if we can change the behavior of the people and raise awareness about the importance of skin care.”

The group identified education as the key driver for growing skin care, which during the pandemic showed a lot of promise, growing twice as fast as other beauty categories in the region. “Providing education is key, which is why we envisioned The Skincare Edition as a consumer-driven experience,” Chalhoub said.

Through masterclasses and brand activations, visitors have the opportunity to navigate through different routines, use technology and tools to assess their skin health, gain a deeper understanding of their skin type, learn about the latest advancements and select the products tailored to their needs.

Participants include L’Oréal, Faces, Estée Lauder Companies, Shiseido, Waldencast, L’Occitane Group, Dior, Guerlain, Benefit Cosmetics, Roc, Caudalie and Patyka, as well as regionally developed brands like the newly launched personalized prescription based skin care brand ilik.

Laurent Duffier, managing director of L’Oréal Middle East, said the timing of the event was right for their business. “This is coming at a perfect time, where the beauty market in Saudi is witnessing a major evolution, driven first and foremost by an affluent Saudi consumer, who is young, connected and digital savvy.” He added that while consumers are learning, brands also have the opportunity to listen. “It is key to keep in mind ‘localization.’ What works in Europe or in the U.S. is not necessarily relevant in Saudi. The Skincare Edition can help us build knowledge and bonds with the new Saudi consumer.”

Saudi Arabia itself has huge market potential. Mohamad Al Khalil, managing director of Shiseido Group Middle East, said: “Saudi Arabia is the engine that powers the growth of the entire region. There are a lot of white spaces and potential in skin care that will drive the growth of the Middle East. Saudi is only at 9 percent market penetration for skin care, so events like this will really increase awareness and make a big impact.”

The interest in smaller niche skin care brands is strong in the region. Henk Van Der Mark, Estée Lauder’s vice president for retail, commercial and business development in Europe and Middle East, said: “The launch of The Ordinary in February 2023 has accelerated our leadership in this category and our ability to tap into local consumer demand and meet the needs of the region, particularly among younger consumers and their desire for ingredient transparency. Also, the introduction of Dr. Jart+ to the market in July 2024 has further diversified our active derm category offering by bringing Korean innovation.”

Chalhoub emphasized the importance of collaboration across the entire industry. “When you want to raise awareness, you need to have a movement that is inclusive, where you get all the players in the market to join you. We didn’t want it to be just a Chalhoub partner event. We really associate it as an industry event, giving everyone access to the latest products and techniques and, most importantly, a chance to engage with industry experts.”

Hasmik Panossian, managing director of Sephora Middle East, said the region is quickly embracing clean beauty, highlighting growing consumer demand for products that deliver high performance without compromising values. “Our customers are more conscious than ever about the ingredients they use and are seeking products that deliver high performance without compromising their health or the environment,” Panossian said.

According to data from Chalhoub, in the UAE, beauty stores remain the top destinations for skin care purchases. In Kuwait, brand boutiques are included in the top three shopping destinations for beauty. However, in Saudi Arabia pharmacies are more relevant, with 41 percent penetration. Finoli, which owns French heritage skin care brand Patyka, is among those exhibiting at Skincare Edition. The brand, which is mostly sold in pharmacies, is now just testing the market in Saudi Arabia.

“Being present here in Saudi Arabia and seeing our product in pharmacies, watching how customers interact with it really makes a difference in understanding how to position the brand. For example, we might pursue medical recommendations from doctors as an avenue for growth. Something we do in other markets,” said Pierre Juhen, Finoli’s co-chief executive officer.

Looking ahead, Chalhoub sees significant potential for the Middle East skin care market to outperform global averages, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the success of the overall beauty market in the Middle East. “I see no reason why we can’t have the Middle East as sophisticated in our caring for our body and our face as any other place in the world,” he said.

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