L’Oréal in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

L’Oréal has achieved a remarkable year of double-digit growth in the GCC, fuelled by a deep understanding of evolving consumer aspirations. Today’s beauty enthusiasts are seeking more than just products: they demand science-backed efficacy, embracing increasingly sophisticated skin and hair rituals. Our success is bolstered by local relevancy, particularly through the use of regional ingredients like oud and amber in our prestige fragrance brands, such as Armani.

In the Consumer Products Division, L’Oréal Paris continues to accelerate and gain share. Its haircare line, Elvive, has achieved significant momentum, growing +27%. The Women of Worth campaign was a groundbreaking moment for the brand in the region. NYX Professional Makeup outperformed the makeup market with +19% growth, becoming the most-loved brand in Saudi Arabia with the greatest share of influence.

In the Luxe Division, YSL Libre and Prada Paradoxe rank among the top fragrances in the selective fragrance market, while Kiehl’s has strengthened its position as one of the leading skincare brands in the selective market, having successfully expanded its distribution network.

In the dermocosmetic and professional sectors, our performance was stellar. Over the last four years, the L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty division has tripled in size and is the fastest-growing division. LDB leads in both share of dermatologist recommendations and in the dermocosmetic market. The Professional Products Division is thriving through an online plus offline (O+O) strategy, with sell-in of over 46% online and 60% in selective retail.

L’Oréal is a driving force in the region’s digital and e-commerce landscape. Our e-commerce business has seen an extraordinary leap, growing by 49% in 2025 and increasing its weight of business from 5% in 2021 to 27.5% of our total business in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. From 15-minute “quick-commerce” deliveries for consumer essentials to high-growth selective platforms, we are meeting the modern consumer exactly where they shop.

Beyond sales, we have strengthened our leadership in advocacy and influence. Our share of influence in the GCC now stands at a dominant 35%. Innovative initiatives like the Beauty Creator Club launched by the Luxe Division, empowers 130 active members who now contribute nearly a quarter of our total Luxe brand mentions. Events like our first Skin Summit in Saudi Arabia, which connected over 300 creators, showcase our commitment to fostering a vibrant digital community.

We maximise our market proximity through locally relevant activations during key moments like Ramadan, Eid, and National Days. By partnering with iconic regional celebrities such as Yasmin Sabri, Aseel Omran, and Haifa Wehbe, and launching globally products inspired by the region like the Lancôme Absolu “Rose from the Dark”, we ensure our global brands deliver regional flair. This blend of cultural savvy and digital agility ensures L’Oréal remains the most influential name in beauty.

L’Oréal’s impact in Saudi Arabia extends far beyond beauty: we are an active and engaged contributor to the Kingdom’s socio-economic transformation. A recent study by Asterès highlights our significant footprint since 2012, revealing that L’Oréal supports a SAR 3.2 billion (EUR 722 million) value chain and over 8,765 direct and indirect jobs. Our social activities have reached 35,000 beneficiaries, reflecting a deep-seated commitment to the community.

The empowerment of women is at the core of our local mission. The L’Oréal Professional Hairdressing Institute has already trained over 100 Saudi women, directly supporting the Kingdom’s goal of increasing female workforce participation and playing an active role in the development of the hair salon industry. Our influence was further highlighted at Riyadh Fashion Week, where we partnered with the Fashion Commission to provide local hairdressing and makeup talent for this prestigious international event.

Innovation remains a key pillar of our presence. As the only beauty company to participate in LEAP—the region’s largest tech exhibition—we showcased over 20 Beauty Tech innovations and launched the second season of our “Big Bang” competition and programme offering promising startups the opportunity to develop and pilot their innovation. Internally, we are equally focused on local talent, with Saudi nationals making up 65% of our new hires. By engaging with 20,000 students through our university footprint, we are not only hiring for today – we are actively building the Kingdom’s future professional beauty talent pool.