L’Oréal Middle East, a subsidiary of the world’s leading beauty company, has recently strengthened its presence in Saudi Arabia, notably by opening a new office in Jeddah and increasing investments in workforce development.
The global beauty giant has just confirmed its expansion in the Middle East with the inauguration of new offices in Jeddah.
This news confirms the strategic role of Saudi Arabia as a driver of growth and influence in the Middle East region.
A Growth Engine in the Middle East
The news was officially announced during the second edition of the “L’Oréal For The Future” summit in Jeddah.
“Hosting the summit in Jeddah demonstrates our commitment to the Kingdom,” said Laurent Duffier, Managing Director of L’Oréal Middle East and Saudi Arabia, in an interview with Arab News.
Among the key initiatives presented at this internal event was the inauguration of a new headquarters in Jeddah. This facility is expected to enable a doubling of the workforce by 2026 for this key subsidiary in the Middle East region. It also aims to encourage the development of refillable beauty products and to accelerate the rollout of training programs for Saudi women.
Such expansion reflects L’Oréal’s strategy to capitalize on the full growth of the beauty market in Saudi Arabia, while aligning with the objectives of the Vision 2030 plan regarding economic diversification, sustainable development, and women’s employment.
In an interview with Arabnews, the CEO of L’Oréal Middle East and Saudi Arabia highlighted several structural growth factors that explain the group’s interest in the Kingdom: economic expansion, the rise of the middle class, the growing participation of women in the labor market, and high consumption of beauty products. On this last point, internal studies by the group highlight the importance Saudi women place on the beauty segment, with each woman owning an average of 23 makeup products.
Although present in the Saudi market since the 1960s, the group did not establish a local subsidiary until 2012. The country is now the largest beauty market among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
The beauty giant’s operations generate 3.2 billion Saudi riyals for the Saudi economy and support more than 8,700 jobs. And the outlook extends beyond makeup to hair care as well. The group has notably unveiled its fifth professional hairdressing academy in the country, in collaboration with local universities, with the goal of certifying more than 1,000 women by 2029.
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Featured photo: © L’Oréal
