Beauty and Wellness Brand Building: Middle East Export Training

LAUNCH YOUR BEAUTY OR WELLNESS BRAND INTO THE MIDDLE EAST

The California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) is offering an export training program to up to 20 eligible California small beauty or wellness businesses focused on the Middle Eastern markets with renowned international beauty brand consultancy Bespoke Advantage. Learn what it takes to export your brand into the Middle East!

COST

The cost to participate is $250 per company.

WHY PARTICIPATE

The Middle East is one of the fastest growing and most beauty and wellness conscious markets, a dynamic and lucrative landscape to accelerate your growth.

Home to a young and affluent population who appreciate luxury and innovation, consumers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait are highly engaged with global beauty and wellness trends tailored to meeting their specific needs.  Personal grooming and self-care drive growth and demand for skincare, haircare, wellness, and cosmetic products. The region is a strong e-commerce market, influencer-driven, and supported by government initiatives for entrepreneurship and female empowerment.

The region offers a low saturation in comparison to other markets, and its strategic geographical position enables beauty brands to service both the Asian and the European markets effectively. This is an ideal market to scale your brand.

OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM

An overview of the Middle East region and what you need to consider when entering as a beauty or wellness brand. This training will be run from September – December 2025, online.

• The program is delivered live as 4 x 3-hour training modules, and supported by relevant course materials.
• The program is recorded and companies will be able to access the materials via a separate website.
• Each company will receive a 30-minute meeting to discuss their brand for the GCC region, with Janet Milner-Walker, founder and managing director for Bespoke Advantage.

Module One: Welcome to the GCC Beauty Market

• The GCC Region (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE)
• Beauty and wellness trends driving growth in the GCC region
• Cultural awareness and ways of doing business in the GCC region

Module Two: Routes to Market

• Key players and distribution channels (online, retail, professional)
• Product and pricing considerations for the GCC
• Logistics, customs, leveraging trade incentives (free trade zones, trade agreements)

Module Three: Marketing and PR

• Positioning your brand for the GCC region (products, packaging, marketing materials)
• How to build your go-to-market strategy
• Marketing your brand in the GCC (PR, social media, tradeshows, awards)

Module Four: Operational Considerations

• Regulatory and compliance (product registration)
• Legal considerations (contracts and IP)
• Ways to achieve success

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS

Companies must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Legally incorporated in California in the cosmetics (skincare, cosmetics, haircare, fragrance, body care, and wellness) sector in the United States.
• Have significant operations in California
• Meet the Small Business Administration’s small business size standards
• Been in operation for at least one year
• Export goods with at least 51% US content
• Registered to do business in California
• Have products readily available for sale and export

Working with Bespoke Advantage

Janet Milner-Walker is the founder and managing director of Bespoke Advantage, and BeautytoLife. She is an international speaker, a trusted advisor, and a freelance writer and has firsthand-experience of working with leading retailers and beauty brands in the Middle East.

Bespoke Advantage is a London based international beauty brand consultancy. As a team of experts, associates, and business partners they in supporting clients – award-winning entrepreneurs, well established beauty and wellness businesses, retailers, investors, trade bodies, and embassies – in developing and growing their brands across the beauty and wellness marketplace.

 Dates for program

• Module One – 17^th September 2025 – 9am – 12pm PST – 3 hours (5 – 8pm GMT)
• Module Two – 8^th October 2025 – 9am – 12pm PST – 3 hours (5 – 8pm GMT)
• Module Three – 5th November 2025 – 9am – 12pm PST – 3 hours (5 – 8pm GMT)
• Module Four – 10^th December 2025 – 9am – 12pm PST – 3 hours (5 – 8pm GMT)

Download the flyer for more information.

Apply for the program here.