DUBAI: I have spent nearly a decade working in the beauty industry in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and Ramadan always has a way of prompting change; in habits, in priorities, and in the routines people have been carrying without question. Speaking from my own corner of the industry, one of these habits is often hair removal.
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Saudi Arabia’s beauty and personal care market was valued at about $7.56 billion in 2025 and is set to grow to an estimated $8.03 billion in 2026. Within that growth, personal care encompassing the daily (sometimes unglamorous) routines hold the largest share. But market size alone does not tell the full story. A study conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, found that three quarters of Saudi women experienced complications from temporary hair removal methods, including skin irritation, in-grown hairs and hyperpigmentation. A separate 2025 study published in the Majmaah Journal of Health Sciences found that laser hair removal was both the most considered and most commonly undergone cosmetic procedure among Saudi respondents, yet dissatisfaction with cosmetic procedure outcomes was reported by nearly half of all participants. The numbers point to a gap not in demand, but in results.
