"Seeking Middle East Experts"... After the US and Europe, K-Beauty Sets Sights on the Middle East

Amorepacific and APR Expand
Sales and Marketing Teams in the Middle East
Middle Eastern Beauty Market Expected to Grow 47% Over the Next 5 Years

K-beauty companies, which have been expanding their overseas presence mainly in the United States and Europe, have now identified the Middle East as their next growth engine and are ramping up hiring efforts. As the Middle Eastern beauty market rapidly expands thanks to high purchasing power, companies are actively recruiting specialized personnel to manage local sales and distribution networks in countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.

According to the cosmetics industry on September 9, Amorepacific recently began hiring experienced professionals to handle "global marketing communications (Middle East, Latin America)," specifying the Middle East and Latin America as separate regions in a recruitment notice that opened on August 21 and closed on September 7. Likewise, APR is separately recruiting new and experienced employees for overseas B2B sales across Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa (MENA), and Asia. K-beauty distributor Silicontwo is recruiting staff for social media channel planning and influencer marketing targeting the Middle East, while also securing retail marketing personnel for Europe. In other words, these firms are maintaining staff for their traditional core markets such as the United States and Europe, while increasingly designating the Middle East as a distinct business territory and targeting it accordingly.

The reason K-beauty companies are focusing on the Middle East is due to the region's rapidly growing market. According to "2026 CGG In Focus: Middle East Beauty Market Report" published by the beauty industry media outlet Beautymatter, the beauty market in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region is projected to increase from $14.3 billion (approximately 20 trillion won) in 2025 to around $21.0 billion (about 29 trillion won) in 2030—a roughly 47% expansion in just five years. While the global beauty market grew by about 6% last year, the Middle East and Africa region saw growth of 16%, making it one of the fastest-growing beauty markets worldwide.

In particular, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are attracting attention from K-beauty companies, as these countries represent the largest markets in the region. According to Korea Customs Service, exports of cosmetics to Saudi Arabia grew by 58.1%, from $110 million in 2024 to $180 million last year. From January to July of this year, exports reached $240 million (about 321.8 billion won), marking a 36.4% year-on-year increase.

The UAE is also in the spotlight for K-beauty brands as a hub for entry into the Middle East. Not only does it boast well-developed logistics and distribution infrastructure, but it also serves as a bridge connecting Middle Eastern and North African markets. Korea's exports of cosmetics to the UAE reached about $260 million (approximately 348.8 billion won) last year, up 65% from $170 million the previous year. From January to July of this year, exports reached $320 million (429.2 billion won), already surpassing the total for last year.

The government is also accelerating efforts to tap into the Middle Eastern market this year. With the entry into force of the Korea–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in May, the existing 5% tariff on cosmetics is being abolished either immediately or gradually, depending on the product. Since none of the top five countries importing cosmetics into the UAE have signed a CEPA with the UAE, K-beauty is expected to gain a competitive edge in price.

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) has selected cosmetics as one of the most promising export items following the CEPA’s implementation. Starting last month and running through October, KOTRA is operating the "2026 UAE K-beauty Online Market Entry and Test Marketing Support Project," which supports not only local online market entry but also Dubai popup stores and product promotions. This initiative is paving the way for domestic companies to use the UAE as a testbed to enter the broader Middle Eastern market.

An industry insider in the cosmetics sector commented, "In the past, the overseas expansion of Korean cosmetics companies focused mainly on expanding their presence in key markets such as the United States and Europe. Recently, however, there has been a noticeable shift towards directly targeting the Middle East, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia." The insider added, "Given the high purchasing power, the large proportion of young consumers, and the wide interest in K-content, the Middle East represents significant additional growth potential for K-beauty."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.