Saudi women spent the most on Cosmetics around the world; Picodi study

By Rahul Vaimal, Associate Editor
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A new study by discount site Picodi has revealed that Women in Saudi Arabia spent the most amount of money on makeup and skincare products in the world. 

According to the report, Saudi women spent $909 (AED 3338) per year on cosmetics closely followed by women in UAE who spent $694 (AED 2549). Their combined spending is making the two countries the world’s cosmetics capitals

The website surveyed more than 9,000 respondents over 40 countries worldwide to understand the cosmetics preferences of consumers in different markets.

The top 10 list (Average Spending Per Year)

  1. Saudi Arabia – $909.00
  2. UAE – $694.00
  3. Hong Kong – $568.00
  4. United Kingdom (UK) – $505.00
  5. Romania  – $479.00
  6. Ireland  – $444.00
  7. Thailand – $441.00
  8. Singapore – 427.00
  9. Australia $405.00 and
  10. Finland $397.00

The beauty and personal care market in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) has been rising in recent years. The market’s retail value jumped by eight percent to $34.9 billion in 2019, from $32.4 billion a year earlier.

According to Euromonitor International, personal care spending in the UAE alone could reach $2.4 billion by 2022.

“In Arab culture, women need to hide almost their entire body in public. But regardless of the laws and customs, women want to look special and wearing make-up is the way to do so.”
Nikolay Kashcheev
Analyst – Picodi

“We expect people to cut their budgets, including cosmetics. Our survey shows that women regularly use 10 out of 23 owned cosmetics. This means that for some time, they would not buy new products just because they want it,” said Kascheev.

Other insights from Picodi Study

  • Vanity bags of UAE women contain an average of 23 cosmetics products.
  • 60 percent of UAE women consider the product’s brand as a crucial part in their purchasing decisions.
  • 34 percent of Emirati women prefer premium items, the ones that are on the pricier side.
  • 63 percent of the UAE women would buy green (organic) products only if the price is reasonable.
  • 71 percent of Emirati women saying they choose price as a major factor determining the purchase.

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