Personal Care and Wellness Trends in the Middle East & Africa, 2026

This brief looks at some of the key trends in personal care and wellness in the Middle East and Africa. It specifically looks at trends that have changed significantly since 2025.

Table of contents:

1) Summary

2) Middle East: five personal care and wellness trends

• International and Korean beauty retailers race into the Gulf
• Fragrance remains the growth engine
• Pharma manufacturing localises in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
• Pharmacy becomes a beauty and wellness channel
• Margins under pressure: e-commerce shakeout and supply disruption

3)  Africa: five personal care and wellness trends

• GLP-1 weight-loss drugs arrive, and so does the copycat market
• Governments push local pharma manufacturing
• Pharmacy and beauty retail consolidate
• Multinationals invest in export hubs while exiting elsewhere
• Value lines and quality enforcement