From celebrity masterclasses to homegrown fragrance houses, Dubai is shaping the next chapter of global beauty.
- Beautyworld Dubai generated $1.19 billion in reported business across three days.
- International visitors accounted for 42% of the show’s total attendance.
- Regional fragrance houses drew global attention with launches and celebrity appearances.
- The event moves to Expo City Dubai for its 2027 edition.
A perfume counter in Dubai can tell a bigger story than the bottles on its shelves. Oud sits beside modern gourmands, international names compete for attention with homegrown labels, and fragrance lovers build collections around mood and occasion. That mix helps explain the significance of Beautyworld Dubai, which closed its 30th edition with a message that goes beyond business figures: the UAE is increasingly shaping beauty trends, not simply buying into them.
Across three days at Dubai World Trade Centre, the show generated $1.19 billion in reported business, with 62,130 visitors and 1,300 exhibitors representing 56 countries. International visitors made up 42% of attendance. Those are substantial numbers. The edition also recorded 51,614 reported deals across 1,324 exhibitor interviews, underlining the scale of commercial activity taking place on the show floor.
For anyone who has spent an afternoon comparing perfumes at Dubai Mall or browsing fragrance counters before a family celebration, the scent category’s prominence will feel familiar. Fragrance occupied its largest footprint in the show’s history, bringing global ingredient suppliers such as Givaudan, dsm-firmenich and Symrise into the same space as regional perfume houses. The Gulf is exporting ideas as well as scent.
That shift was visible in the launches. Rasasi unveiled Kenz de Rasasi with Bollywood star Salman Khan drawing crowds to Za’abeel Hall 6, while Lattafa presented Khamrah Mira, Fearless and Beyond Precious. Armaf staged daily fragrance reveals that attracted more than 100 people per session. The aisles had their own celebrity moments.
The conversations went beyond new bottles. Fragrance layering and personalised scent wardrobes are gaining attention among perfume enthusiasts, connecting the region’s long-standing scent traditions with a more individual approach to choosing perfume. At Beautyworld Dubai, Givaudan’s Jenine Guerriero spoke about younger consumers combining fragrances to create their own scent identities. One signature scent may no longer be enough.
Beauty was also being shaped through education. International artists including Patrick Ta, Mary Phillips, Mounir and Josh Lamonaca brought masterclasses and demonstrations to the event, while the Next in Beauty conference examined the region’s market, investment and luxury retail. For aspiring founders, Patrick Ta shared how trade-show connections can help turn a makeup concept into a real product. Expertise met opportunity.
The awards added another milestone, with Dubai-born beauty entrepreneur Huda Kattan named Icon of the Year among winners across 17 categories. The show will move to Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai in 2027, opening a new chapter after three decades at Dubai World Trade Centre.
For Dubai’s beauty community, the takeaway is clear: the region’s influence now reaches from fragrance creation to global business strategy. Follow ICONIC Episode for more stories on the brands, people and ideas shaping the UAE’s beauty scene!
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