South Korean cosmetics companies are accelerating their forays into the burgeoning Middle Eastern beauty and personal care market as next growth area amid heightened hostile measures from China following the Korean government’s decision to deploy a U.S. antimissile system in Korea.

The Face Shop, cosmetics label under South Korea’s leading cosmetics and personal care products maker LG Household & Health Care Ltd., said Monday it will venture into Qatar and Kuwait this year. It currently operates 64 The Face Shop outlets across six countries in the Middle East region including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Also AmorePacific Corp., the country’s largest cosmetics maker, in December last year signed an agreement with Kuwait-based retail giant Alshaya Group to join hands to launch its first shop of Etude House, its color make-up brand targeting young consumers, in Dubai by the second half of this year. The company aims to earn 100 billion won ($87 million) annually from the Middle Eastern market over the next five years, said an unnamed AmorePacific official.

The two Korean giant cosmetics makers’ aggressive inroad into Middle Eastern countries come at a time when expectations are high that the region’s beauty and personal care market will grow significantly.

According to beauty and personal care market researcher Euromonitor International, the Middle Eastern cosmetics market is forecast to double to $36 million in 2020 from $18 million in 2015. The Middle Eastern cosmetics market is estimated to grow by 15 percent every year until 2020 while other cosmetics markets in developing regions such as South America and Asia are expected to grow at a rate of 14 percent and 7 percent, respectively.

Despite the traditional custom requiring women to conceal their face and body with Islamic clothing chador for religious reasons, a growing number of women in the Islamic countries are pampering themselves with beauty products to accentuate their facial features, in particular, their eyes that are not covered by chador. Their booming interest in beauty products follows after more women in the countries have careers than before and ladies from affluent households are allowed to take off their chador during house parties.

In this fast-growing Middle Eastern beauty market, Korean cosmetics are expected to have more chance to win the heart of consumers against its peers from other countries, thanks to growing interests in Korean TV shows and music that have also helped to boost interest in Korean beauty products.

Korean cosmetics companies also see the Middle Eastern cosmetics market as an alternative to the Chinese market after the Beijing government has raised trade barriers against Korean companies in protest to the decision to deploy a U.S. antimissile system in Korea.

Following suit of their bigger rivals, Korean budget cosmetics are also gearing up efforts to expand their presence in the market. Tonymoly that currently operates five outlets in Saudi Arabia and the UAE will be adding two or more shops in the Middle Eastern region within this year, the company said. It is also selling its beauty products through Middle Eastern outlets run by the world’s largest beauty retailer Sephora.

Another budget cosmetics player Dr. Jart has been selling its skin care products through Sephora shops located in five Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and Oman, since it first landed in the Middle Eastern cosmetics market last year.

By Jeon Ji-hyun

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]