When we talk about the frontiers of beauty, we usually think of France, the United States, South Korea, or China. But a new frontier is emerging further East: the GCC. A group of six countries in the Middle East that are shaping the future of beauty.

You’ve probably heard the buzz around Dubai, but the GCC as a whole is worth paying attention to. The region already represents 43% of the global luxury market. And unlike much of the world, where personal luxury spending declined by 2% in 2024, the GCC grew by 6%. Fashion may dominate overall sales, but beauty is the standout, growing 12% year-on-year and quickly becoming the fastest-rising category.

In today’s episode, we’ll give you a crash course on beauty, luxury, and the GCC. We’ll explore where this growth is coming from and how brands are positioning themselves to ride this wave — so you have the insights you need to do the same.

A series of images, references, graphs and visual aids have been created to help narrate this story. You can find them at barefaced.substack.com. And you can find Barefaced everywhere else at beacons.ai/barefaced.

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