Dubai, UAE: The Middle East’s largest international trade fair for beauty and wellness got underway in Dubai today, as global trendsetters, manufacturers, experts, and influencers converge at the heart the world’s fastest growing beauty and personal care market.
With 1,530 exhibitors from 60 countries, 22 country pavilions, and a nine per cent increase in exhibition space over the previous year, Beautyworld Middle East 2016 is the largest in its 21-year history.
Spanning 53,000sqm at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, the annual showcase includes eight special features, more than 60 product launches, and a two-day Business and Beauty Summit putting the spotlight on the latest developments in the Middle East and Africa’s US$25.4 billion beauty and personal care market.
The three-day extravaganza focuses on the five product groups of Cosmetics & Skincare; Hair, Nails & Salon Supplies; Fragrance; Machinery, Packaging & Raw Materials; and Professional Equipment & Spa, as the biggest names in the business take their latest innovations across the region and beyond.
“Beautyworld Middle East has always been a crucial networking platform, delivering lucrative business opportunities in a Middle East and African market that is the driving force behind the future growth of international beauty and wellbeing industry,” said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of organiser, Messe Frankfurt Middle East. “What sets it apart this year though, is a packed schedule of workshops, conferences, competitions, and educational features that will be hugely appealing to the entire professional beauty industry.”
“The largest, most value-added, and most vibrant edition of the show comes as no surprise, given that the Middle East and African beauty and personal care market is estimated to grow 6.4 per cent annually over the next five years, the fastest growth rate of all regional markets, and more than double the global average of just three per cent,” added Pauwels.
One of the highlights on the opening day of Beautyworld Middle East 2016 was Centre Stage by Nazih Group, where celebrity hair colourist Tracey Cunningham headlined a star act of stylists for Olaplex, a hair strengthening and bond building treatment from the USA.
Cunningham, who demonstrated the unique properties of the Olaplex range of hair products, said: “I’ve been coming to Dubai for seven years now, and this part of the world is the place for one to platform their beauty brands and showcase their latest products.
“My clients who I work with here are so astute, well-travelled and have the most incredible taste and desire to have the latest products. I’m so excited to investigate what’s on show at Beautyworld Middle East 2016.”
Headlining the new features in 2016 is the Battle of the Barbers competition, where the UAE’s superstar barbers and male grooming technicians are going toe-to-toe in a boxing ring setting with two coveted titles up for grabs – the UAE’s Best Barber and UAE’s Best Shave.
At the Trend Forum, renowned agencies including Nelli Rodi, Beautystreams, Centdegres, Peclers Paris, and Carlin Groupe, are also offering crucial insights into consumer tastes and preferences, highlighting topical issues, from the effect of digitisation on product life-cycles, to organic’s growing influence on cosmetics and skincare.
Elswhere, Quintessence – the art of perfume, is shining the spotlight on ten hand-picked niche perfume brands, where the perfumers themselves are sharing their insights into creating the most unique and rare scents available in the market today.
The select line-up of fragrances includes those of French-based Thomas Kosmala, whose collection is exclusive to London’s luxury retail store Harrods. Kosmala was delivering seminars about the alchemy of scent.
“It’s the balance of innovation and tradition that makes my creations so unique for Middle East clients, with whom I’ve been connected for the past 10 years,” said Kosmala. “It was crucial to be in contact with them, to visit their homes, to observe them, to learn what certain smells mean to them. That’s how I am able to create scents for the Middle Eastern audience and I believe that comes through with my work.”
With more than 650 exhibitors, Cosmetics & Skincare is the biggest section at Beautyworld Middle East, where French-based L’oreal, one of the world’s largest cosmetics companies, was delivering live demonstrations of its NYX Professional Makeup range.
Meanwhile, in the Hair, Nails & Salon Supplies Section, EIDEAL, a manufacturer and distributor of premium hair solutions across the MENA region, unveiled a number of new initiatives, including the EIDEAL-Santi Business Leadership Programme, a 12-month forum aimed to help regional hairdressing salons improve and grow their businesses.
“We wish to give back to the hairdressing industry by offering a specialized business development forum for the region’s business owners, while also creating a sense of community”, said Haysam Eid, Managing Director of EIDEAL.
“The programme will be offered to a select number of EIDEAL’s VIP salon partners and will take place over the course of a year. This offers business owners the chance to take time out of their salon to work on it, as well as in it.”
Elsewhere, UAE company Monarqi launched Rusk, a well-known professional hair brand from the USA, while attracting considerable interest was the presence of Bollywood star Sunny Leone, who presided over the launch of her Lust range of perfumes in the Fragrance section.
Beautyworld Middle East 2016 also features an Organic and Natural Pavilion, where only the greenest products were on display, including a 100 per cent organic tan and bodycare range from EcoTan, Australia, and Inveda cleansing oil, sugar scrub and facial kits from India, made with natural spring water from the Himalayas.
Another new showcase this year is the Wall of Beauty, a photo collage of stunning works from the region’s most talented hair and make-up professionals, while returning popular features include Hair Education by ghd, Nail It! By OPI, and the Fragrance Station.
More information is available at www.beautyworldme.com