France leads with innovation at Beautyworld Saudi Arabia, 2025
Riyadh, KSA – From 21 to 23 April 2025, 36 leading French beauty brands will participate in the 5th edition of Beautyworld Saudi Arabia, taking place from April 21 to 23, 2025, at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center (RICEC). Organized by Business France, the public consultancy serving the internationalisation of the French economy, the French pavilion (Hall 1-Stand 1B29), will offer visitors with a unique opportunity to meet and connect with leading experts in cosmetics, fragrances, organic and wellness beauty and skincare products.
French Beauty Powerhouse Returns to Riyadh with 36 Iconic and Innovative Brands
Renowned for its refined formulations, high performance, and pioneering innovation, the French beauty industry remains a global benchmark. In 2024, French cosmetics exports reached a record €22.5 billion, marking the second consecutive year above the €20 billion threshold. This makes cosmetics the second-largest contributor to France's trade surplus, solidifying its leadership in the global beauty arena. The 36 French brands featured at Beautyworld Saudi Arabia 2025 will present a diverse and innovative range of offerings: from premium skincare and haircare to fine perfumery, eco-conscious products, organic formulas, private-label services, and advanced packaging technologies. Each brand reflects the elegance, expertise, and sustainable commitment that define 'Made in France' in the beauty sector.
Saudi Arabia: A Strategic Growth Market for French Beauty Brands
The Saudi beauty and personal care market is experiencing robust growth, with a forecast CAGR of 1.2% between 2022 and 2027. This expansion is driven by a consumer base increasingly attentive to product innovation, quality, and sustainability.
With rising demand for clean beauty, sustainable packaging, and locally relevant formulations, Saudi consumers are setting new standards in the region. French brands are uniquely positioned to meet these expectations, offering tailored solutions that combine global expertise with local sensibilities.
In 2024, French cosmetics exports to the Middle East rose by +12.3%, including a +0.9% growth in Saudi Arabia, marking a strong rebound from -19% the previous year. This performance underscores the agility of French brands in adapting to market shifts and consumer preferences, further strengthening their position in the Kingdom.
Business France Marketplace: Connecting B2B Buyers to French Excellence
As part of its mission to support French exporters, Business France operates the Business France Marketplace, a free digital platform connecting B2B buyers with verified French suppliers. The platform offers curated access to a wide array of premium French beauty and wellness products, enabling seamless connections and facilitating export-ready deals.
About Business France
Business France is the public consultancy serving the internationalisation of the French economy. It is responsible for fostering export growth by French businesses, as well as promoting and facilitating foreign investment in France.
It promotes the economic image and attractiveness of France, its companies and regions. It runs and develops the International Young Talent program (V.I.E). Business France has more than 1,400 employees in France and 53 other countries.
In 2023, Business France's support helped generate €3.3 billion in additional export sales for French SMEs, representing more than 27,111 jobs created or planned. Business France supported 58% of the 1,815 foreign investment decisions in 2023, representing 67% of the 59,254 jobs created or maintained in France.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East Eye
3 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
EU Commission and states indirectly fund Israeli military industry, report says
Israel's largest state-owned defence company, which is directly involved in the war on Gaza, has received millions of euros in EU defence funding, an investigation has revealed. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is participating in EU-funded projects through the Greek company Intracom Defense, which it acquired in May 2023. According to a report published on Wednesday by Investigate Europe, the French newsroom Disclose and the Greek outlet Reporters United, Intracom Defense is currently involved in 15 European Defence Fund (EDF) projects worth at least €15m (around $17.5m). Seven of them were awarded after October 2023 and its sale to IAI. Among them are the Triton and Marte projects, which started in December 2024 to develop AI-driven cybersecurity technology and tank systems for combat. Intracom Defense's most significant involvement is as the lead coordinator of Actus, a four-year programme aimed at developing drone technologies for weapon integration and other capabilities for European use. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Launched in December 2024, the project will design, test and certify Nato-compliant drones that can track and identify people as potential targets in real time. Actus is focused on weaponising France's Patroller drone and certifying Greece's surveillance drone Lotus for operational use. In total, Actus is funded to the tune of €59m. The European Commission has allocated €42m in public funding to 23 manufacturers responsible for the tactical development of the drones. 'We have a state that denounces violations of international law and [yet] is prepared to collaborate with a company owned by the Israeli state' – Amnesty International France According to the investigation, seven European defence ministries are also funding the project: France, Belgium, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Cyprus and Finland. Intracom Defense and Safran, the companies behind the two drones, received more than half of the €42m released by the European Commission. Intracom Defense was allocated €14m while Safran, in which the French state is a shareholder, received €10m. While Intracom Defense is registered and based in Greece, 94.5 percent of its shares are owned by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), which holds 100 percent of voting rights in the Greek firm. 'Strengthening the Israeli war machine' IAI is the arms company at the heart of Israel's war on Gaza. It manufactures the Heron surveillance and armed drones used by the Israeli Air Force. While the EDF aims to promote domestic innovation, a clause in article 9 of its regulations states that firms need only to be based in Europe to be eligible for funding, as long as they provide guarantees to the government where they are registered. These guarantees, which include ensuring that sensitive information is not transferred to the foreign owner, are sent to and approved by the government where the company is based, in this case Greece, one of Israel's closest European allies. The revelations that a subsidiary of an Israeli military firm is involved in developing Europe's defence systems raise security concerns. New report accuses France of 'continuously' delivering military equipment to Israel Read More » Belgian leftist MEP Marc Botenga, a member of the European Parliament Committee on Security and Defence, told the report's authors that the arrangement reflects a 'structural security issue'. Human rights advocates are also likely to highlight the contradiction with the tougher stance adopted by European governments vis-a-vis Israel in recent weeks. Several of those funding the IAI-linked project are also reportedly among those calling for a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. In May, French President Emmanuel Macron declared that if Israel did not respond appropriately to the humanitarian situation in Gaza "in the coming hours and days... we will have to harden our collective position" and "apply sanctions" on Israel. Meanwhile, according to the investigation, the French government is doubly involved in Actus: as a co-financier and as a beneficiary, through the drone manufacturer Safran. 'On the one hand, we have a state [France] that denounces violations of international law and, on the other, it is prepared to collaborate with a company that is owned by the Israeli state,' Aymeric Elluin, an arms trade campaigner at Amnesty International France, said in response to the findings. 'Self-certification in this sector is obviously insufficient at best, a joke at worst' – Marc Botenga, Belgian MEP "How can you advocate the establishment of peace when, at the same time, through a fund supposed to strengthen European defence, you are bringing into play the Israeli industry, which is committing a crime of genocide and whose leader is the subject of an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity?" he added. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel's war on Gaza, which several countries, as well as many international rights groups and experts, now describe as "genocide". "Indirectly, the European fund and the states are strengthening the Israeli war machine," Tony Fortin, researcher at the French think tank Armaments Observatory, told Disclose. Coveted Israeli know-how According to the investigation, the inclusion of an Israeli subsidiary in the EDF reflects the EU's pressing need to improve its military power through specialist knowledge and skills. 'We need the Israeli know-how that we lack. In my opinion, that explains the Intracom manoeuvre,' said a global defence expert. 'We want to develop our own loitering munitions [drones that can crash into targets], and we also want an 'Israeli input' in this segment.' Arab states received 12 percent of Israeli arms exports in 2024 amid surge in arms sales Read More » While there is no evidence to suggest that products developed in these projects will be used by IAI in the Palestinian territories, there are no strict ethical guidelines surrounding the export of technology produced via EDF projects, the authors said. Article 7 of the EDF regulations only states that projects shall comply with relevant national, EU and international law, requiring companies to conduct a project self-assessment, which can be examined by the Commission and a panel of 'independent experts' whose identity is not made public. 'The EDF regulation is extremely weak on ethics and transparency… Self-certification in this sector is obviously insufficient at best, a joke at worst,' Botenga said. 'It is clear that the EDF's current framework does not sufficiently prevent EU-funded projects from contributing to violations of international humanitarian law.'
Campaign ME
7 hours ago
- Campaign ME
Brand building needs more than just algorithms
Why have so many brands abandoned the dream phase of communications planning? For too long, brands have been chasing short-term wins, obsessing over conversions and putting brand building in the back seat. According to a survey by Ebiquity and the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), 42 per cent of global advertisers plan to increase their share of performance marketing in 2025, up from 21 per cent in 2024. In contrast, only 24 per cent intend to increase their share of branding efforts. This shift is driven by the need for immediate results and the growth of retail media and connected TV. It is understandable. The lower funnel means numbers I can show in a boardroom full of big questions. I wish I could count the times I've heard, 'they're easy to measure', 'they're quick to optimise' or 'they build momentum'. Do you mean the illusion of momentum? Because real momentum means real growth. Real growth never comes from tactical wins alone. For decades, what has been – and most likely always will be – real growth comes from building brands that inspire, connect and endure. Take destinations, for example. They exist in people's imaginations for a long time before they watch a 'Top 10 Things To Do' video or visit People form a relationship with a destination long before they even get there, through billboards, videos, influencers and even films and TV shows. There's a deep connection that's forged through powerful storytelling and immersive brand presence over time. It's through emotional resonance that withstands the clutter of flash sale banners or retargeted ads and comes out on top. Why? Because a destination isn't just a place you're trying to sell; it's a feeling you're unlocking. Feelings aren't bought with performance metrics alone. They can, however, be earned through brand building. This isn't to say brand and performance are opposing forces. In fact, it's often overlooked that they are partners – and when they work together, innovation can thrive. Put simply, a brand builds desire; performance captures it. Having one without the other is like trying to ride a bicycle on one wheel – it's not impossible, it just won't get you there optimally. This is particularly important, given that we have entered a new media reality. To inspire and to derive action are no longer conveniently sitting in separate stages of the funnel. Look at today's audiences: they expect to be moved and motivated, often in the same scroll. Content needs to inspire and convert in one experience. Those who have crafted that balance are leading the way. In the past few years, Visit Saudi has done an excellent job of building a brand, a dream, a destination – and they've done this at speed. They have a clear vision statement: 'To inspire pride by sharing Saudi with the world, captivating their hearts, minds and imaginations.' In my opinion, they've delivered on that ambition. It's noticeable through their immersive content and unique messaging that have built a strong narrative. This transformed the tourism landscape and turned travellers' heads towards Saudi, creating the type of consideration that has taken other destinations an entire generation to build. It's evident when you look at Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism data. Even with Covid pausing travel for two years, Saudi still saw 44.06 million inbound visitors in 2022 and 2023. This is a testimony to the 'bothism' that we see in industry commentary, and indeed to the large body of evidence that speaks to both long- and short-term investments. Companies that continue to invest in brand – especially during challenging times – are the ones that will bounce back faster, stronger and with greater loyalty from consumers who already feel emotionally connected. Without a strong presence to anchor the strategy, the funnel eventually dries up, and no amount of retargeting will save a brand people have forgotten – or never cared about in the first place. Many brands such as adidas, Uber and Airbnb have jumped back on the brand-building wagon and have reaped the rewards. These are brands that continue to build not just awareness, but advocacy. Not just bookings, but belief; not just visits, but lifelong memories. There are no shortcuts in this journey. To get to their destination in the best conditions, brands need to marry the performance focus in the lower funnel with activating the dream state in the upper funnel. Ephemeral sales may come from algorithms, but durable brand appeal is built on emotion. Brands need both to thrive sustainably. By Sara Daher, Executive Director, PHD Media
Al Etihad
20 hours ago
- Al Etihad
EU, Britain reach post-Brexit deal on Gibraltar Border
12 June 2025 00:14 BRUSSELS (WAM)The European Union (EU) and Britain have agreed on the status of the overseas territory of Gibraltar, facilitating border crossings and resolving years of political territory has had its border arrangements with Spain as a significant point of contention since the United Kingdom's decision to withdraw from the EU in Wednesday's agreement, arrivals at Gibraltar Airport will present their passports to both Gibraltarian and Spanish border British Foreign Office stated that this system mirrors the model used by French police at London's St. Pancras station, the terminus for the Eurostar service connecting Britain with mainland Europe. "We have reached an agreement which protects British sovereignty, supports Gibraltar's economy and allows businesses to plan for the long-term once again," British Foreign Minister David Lammy said.
