Gulf Fragrance Brands Target Latin America's Growing Market
Middle Eastern perfume houses are expanding into Latin America, where fragrance makes up 65% of beauty sales. E-commerce giant Mercado Libre has onboarded brands like Afnan and Emper Perfumes following the Beautyworld Middle East trade show.
Latin America dedicates a larger share of its beauty spending to fragrance than any other region. According to market research firm Circana, fragrance represented 65% of total beauty sales in the region in 2025, with the category growing by 15% during the year. This creates a major export opportunity for Gulf perfume brands, whose long-lasting, oriental scent profiles are gaining traction with local consumers.
Middle Eastern fragrance houses are increasingly positioning themselves to serve that demand. They offer compositions featuring oud, musk, and other intense accords, often at accessible price points compared to Western prestige fragrances. The trend is already translating into commercial partnerships on major platforms.
Arabic Fragrance Brands Gain Traction
Mercado Libre, Latin America's largest e-commerce player, has added several Gulf fragrance brands to its marketplace. This follows its participation in the Beautyworld Middle East trade show in 2025. The new brands include Afnan, Emper Perfumes, and Bharara Beauty.
Pilar Sabaj, Head of Beauty México at Mercado Libre, explained the appeal. "Latin American consumers have a deeply rooted relationship with scent," she said. "Middle Eastern brands are built for exactly that preference, rich orientals, heavy musks, dense ouds, long-lasting formulations."
Sarim Zaman, Strategic Partnerships, Beauty - US at Mercado Libre, noted the evolution of these discussions. He said the company's 2025 efforts focused on introducing the Latin American opportunity to Gulf brands. By 2026, those initial contacts have turned into active sales on the platform in markets previously inaccessible to the brands.
Dubai Strengthens Its Role as a Fragrance Hub
The growing global interest in Arabic fragrances reflects the Gulf's rising prominence in the industry. Dubai is at the heart of this shift. It combines a heritage in oriental perfumery with strong manufacturing, packaging, logistics, and international distribution capabilities.
Established regional players are capitalizing on this enthusiasm to accelerate international expansion. Brands such as Lattafa, Rasasi, Swiss Arabian, and Armaf are among those leading the charge.
Beautyworld Middle East Marks Its 30th Edition
The trade connections between these regions are expected to continue at Beautyworld Middle East. The exhibition returns to the Dubai World Trade Centre for its 30th edition from October 6 to 8, 2026. It brings together fragrance ingredient suppliers, finished fragrance brands, and international buyers.
Ravi Ramchandani, Event Director for Beautyworld Dubai, highlighted the show's purpose. He pointed to Mercado Libre's experience as a prime example of connecting global buyers with brands, leading to new market access within a year.
For Mercado Libre, the 2026 edition is about building on the foundation laid in 2025. The company states the Gulf-to-Latin America fragrance channel remains at an early stage. Further opportunities are expected as more Middle Eastern brands seek access to one of the world's most fragrance-driven beauty markets. Pilar Sabaj concluded that her goal is to introduce more brands to Latin America's potential and help existing partners grow further.
