Beautyworld Middle East in Dubai is an important opportunity for beauty and packaging industry executives.

Our insightful Q&A interview with Ravi Ramchandani, the event’s Show Manager, reveals why it’s a not-to-miss experience to add to your travel calendar. 

Beauty Packaging: Can you talk about the importance of the Middle East and specifically UAE and Dubai, for the beauty industry?

Ravi Ramchandani: Dubai is a hotbed for growth in the global beauty and wellness ecosystem. Personal care products hold the region’s largest market share, followed by skincare, color cosmetics, and fragrances. 

While the economies of both the EU and U.S. are experiencing turbulence, the UAE and MENA region is a silver lining for consumer consumption and confidence. This growth is driven by a young population, increasing product availability, rising disposable income, and growing consumer awareness. 

Urbanization, rising disposable incomes, and a growing expat community are also expanding the beauty consumer base. Category growth in this emerging region presents opportunities for both local and foreign brands. 

BP: Can you tell us a little about the areas within the show, especially covering Packaging and the Supply Chain?

RR: Beautyworld Middle East spans across 17 halls, with 11 product categories represented. Of the 2,000 exhibitors, approximately 20% are suppliers, including packaging companies, contract manufacturers, fragrance formulators, and raw material suppliers.  

Two sections of the exhibition are dedicated to packaging. The Supply Chain & Services area will display a range of exciting, new packaging solutions. 

Prestige Pack is an area highlighting companies who offer novel solutions and designs. In 2024, there were 30 exhibitors in this section. 

The Prestige Pack section is important because UAE consumers have a higher disposable income and are willing to spend on premium products. Luxury packaging is in high demand. We see visitors gravitate toward suppliers who offer high-end glass bottles, packaging for luxury perfumes, and premium skincare—with a focus on innovative designs, unique shapes, textures and embellishments. 

Participating companies include Heinz Glass, Ceramicas Spain, Inessens France, AII Beauty UAE, Aptar Beauty France, Keystone USA, Pragati Glass, Pink Frogs Cosmetics and many more.

BP: How does sustainability come into play in the MENA region and what trends do you see evolving?

RR: In the 2024 edition, we saw brands embracing ‘greener’ strategies and looking for packaging and supply chain solutions that are kinder to the planet. According to the Euromonitor International Voice of the Industry’s Lifestyle Survey 2023, 42.6% of respondents said they are looking for brands who use sustainable packaging, specifcially, refillable, recyclable, biodegradable or compostable. 

A PwC Consumer Insights survey said that in the MENA region, 71% of respondents bought items with eco-friendly packaging, and 74% checked for sustainability certification on product labels. And according to a Kantar report, non-recyclable packaging ranks as the top consumer concern in the beauty and cosmetics industry in the region.

BP: How does the local consumer prefer to shop for his/her beauty products in the UAE?                                      

RR: Consumers love to shop for beauty products in stores, where they can touch and feel the product. Malls are still very popular in the Middle East. Our major malls have all types of attractions to keep customers there for a full day. The ‘shelf appeal’ and tactile features are critical to appeal to this discerning clientele. 

The Middle East Council of Shopping Centres & Retailers projects the shopping center market to grow from $376.0 billion in 2023 to $586.5 billion in 2028. It will rise at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2023 to 2028. Evolving consumer preferences, expanding middle class, rising disposable income, and urbanization are key market drivers.

Consumers in the Middle East also like to shop online. E-commerce is experiencing significant growth. In 2022, about 24% of all beauty and personal care products sold in the UAE were sold through e-commerce. 

To support sales, social media plays a key role with unboxing and product review videos. These require successful brands to pay attention to every detail of their packaging, including the shipping box and labeling. So, there are lots of business opportunities for exhibiting supplier companies.

BP: What are the relevant business and networking opportunities that exhibitors who participate in Beautyworld Middle East can rely on?  

RR: We recognize that large international fairs, with their expansive footprints, can make it challenging for the thousands of attendees to forge meaningful connections. This is precisely why we created the Premium Club. 

The Premium Club is an exclusive program aimed at exploring business development prospects specifically for the Middle East market. The program is meticulously designed to facilitate face-to-face interactions among exhibitors, key decision-makers, buyers, and investors.

In 2024, this highly successful program orchestrated over 1,100 one-on-one meetings for key decision-makers and Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs). Program participants were from the UAE, UK, USA, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Italy. We anticipate an equally robust program for this year’s event. 

Debuting this year at Beautyworld Middle East 2025 is Must Meet. The AI-powered, pre-scheduled meetings program will match your company with the right buyers—for high-impact, face-to-face conversations.

BP: The Beautyworld Middle East Awards is a highlight of the fair with leading brands and recognizable names in attendance. Can you tell us a bit more about the awards and who can participate?

RR: The Beautyworld Middle East Awards, now in its sixth year, recognizes the most innovative people and products in the industry—with an emphasis on their activities in the Middle East market. It gives attendees the opportunity to network and attend a spectacular gala. It will take place at the Conrad Hotel Dubai on October 29, 2025. 

There are 17 award categories commending achievements for brands making waves in the industry. The awards highlight sustainable and innovative products, standout media campaigns, and game-changing skin and haircare. 

There are no fees to register for the awards—and the deadline is August 6th, 2025. Eligible products are those sold in the Middle East market between January 1st 2024 and June 30th 2025. 

The shortlist of nominees will be announced on September 10th. Our nominees have included well-known brands, including Huda Beauty, ghd, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Manscaped, and Armaf Perfumes—as well as emerging players and entrepreneurs. 

In 2024, the Beautyworld Middle East Awards recognized two packaging winners. Savasci Pour Homme – Junaid Jamshed won the Luxury Packaging of the Year award. The KV Eau de Parfum Collection from KV & CO took home the trophy for Innovative Packaging of the Year.

Save the Details

Beautyworld Middle East Dubai takes place on October 27-29, 2025. It is open from 10 am through 6 pm at the Dubai World Trade Center. Registration is open July 28th, 2025.