THE United Arab Emirates (UAE) beauty market presents a massive, multi-million dollar opportunity for Philippine exporters, driven by a unique consumer base that thrives on both mass and premium beauty.
Mohammed Al Zoubi, general manager of Prism International Group, said the path to success requires local brands to look beyond basic utility.
“Beauty is not simply a necessity; it is part of a lifestyle and consumers are constantly looking for the next product worth discovering. Now, the question for Philippine brands is not whether there is a demand; it is about how they position themselves to capture that existing demand,” Al Zoubi said during the Usapang Exports event organized by the Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau.
Al Zoubi said Asian players, including Korea, Thailand and Indonesia, have already established a strong foothold in the UAE.
However, while South Korea commands a US$154.5 million in makeup and skincare exports to the UAE, the Philippines captures just $$2.4 million out of $10.8 million for total beauty and personal care, he said.
“However, what we look at as an opportunity is that the Philippines is within the lowest of exports from suppliers to the UAE from Asia when it comes to beauty and personal care. However, the Philippines has the biggest advantage over Indonesia, Thailand and South Korea due to the existing (OFWs in the Gulf Cooperation Council), which is around 800,000,” he added.
Al Zoubi said the UAE beauty and personal care market is experiencing rapid expansion, with fragrance the largest category, followed by skincare, haircare and color cosmetics.
“So a lot of things that we can look at (include) the skin-first routine, climate-driven SPF demands and the gifting market because we have a lot of expats traveling. Aside from this, Dubai has always been one of the top three transit airports for visitors, so this creates a huge gifting market within beauty and personal care,” he said.
Al Zoubi further said mass and premium beauty are both huge in the UAE, creating a “masstige opportunity” that mixes mass-market accessibility with premium beauty attributes.
For Philippine beauty exporters looking to succeed, he said, entering the UAE requires treating the market not just as a single destination, but as a high-potential launchpad to the broader Gulf Cooperation Council, Middle East and African regions.
“Do not look to export your full catalogue; you have to find the right fit. Don’t assume the Philippines and the UAE have the same market dynamics – even for OFWs – because here, we have a different climate and the OFWs are affected by different consumer spending and consumer behavior,” Al Zoubi advised.
He said success also hinges on protecting intellectual property by registering their trademark in the UAE and carefully selecting a strategic distributor. / PHILEXPORT NEWS
