{"id":56197,"date":"2026-10-17T11:42:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T11:42:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/?p=56197"},"modified":"2026-11-04T07:46:12","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T07:46:12","slug":"export-cosmetics-middle-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/export-cosmetics-middle-east\/","title":{"rendered":"Export cosmetics to the Middle East: Morocco&#8217;s 2025 trade data"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Morocco&#8217;s push to export cosmetics to the Middle East is real but still small: in 2025, Morocco exported $11.7 million of finished cosmetics to the region (about 110 million dirhams) and imported $99.7 million (about 932 million dirhams), buying $8.5 from the region for every dollar it sells.<\/strong> The imbalance is narrowing slowly, because exports have grown 4.6 times in ten years. One country carries almost all of this rise: Saudi Arabia, which became Morocco&#8217;s third-largest customer for finished cosmetics in 2025 (UN Comtrade).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The key points at a glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><strong>$11.7M<\/strong> of Moroccan finished cosmetics exports to the Middle East in 2025, up from $2.6M in 2015.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>$99.7M<\/strong> of imports from the region, or 17.8% of all finished cosmetics imported by Morocco.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>$7.8M<\/strong> sold to Saudi Arabia, against $0.7M in 2015: two thirds of exports to the region.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>0.30%<\/strong>: Morocco&#8217;s share of the $2.5 billion of finished cosmetics imported by Saudi Arabia, against 0.08% in 2019.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>4 suppliers<\/strong> account for 98% of imports: Turkey ($34.8M), Egypt ($23.1M), the United Arab Emirates ($21.1M) and Saudi Arabia ($19.1M).<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>36%<\/strong> of the hair products imported by Morocco come from the Middle East, mostly Egyptian and Saudi shampoos.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>9<sup>th<\/sup><\/strong>: Morocco&#8217;s rank among Saudi Arabia&#8217;s customers for perfumes, cosmetics and essential oils ($14.8M in 2025), according to official Saudi statistics.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Source of all values: the United Nations <a href=\"https:\/\/comtradeplus.un.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UN Comtrade<\/a> database, extracted on October 17, 2026, in current dollars, from Morocco&#8217;s customs declarations (and Saudi Arabia&#8217;s for its own market), supplemented by official Saudi (GASTAT) and Emirati (FCSC) statistics. Only finished products are counted: essential oils, argan oil and clays are excluded. The methodology is at the end of the article. This study complements our analyses of <a href=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/moroccan-beauty-exports-europe\/\">cosmetics exports from Morocco to Europe<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/moroccan-beauty-exports-usa\/\">cosmetics exports from Morocco to the USA<\/a> (both in French).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How much finished cosmetics does Morocco trade with the Middle East?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>In 2025, trade in finished cosmetics between Morocco and the Middle East reaches $111.4M, of which $99.7M of imports and $11.7M of exports. The coverage ratio rises from 5% in 2015 to 12% in 2025.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Year<\/th><th>Moroccan exports ($M)<\/th><th>Moroccan imports ($M)<\/th><th>Coverage ratio<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>2015<\/td><td>2.55<\/td><td>48.87<\/td><td>5.2%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2019<\/td><td>7.01<\/td><td>65.04<\/td><td>10.8%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2021<\/td><td>7.02<\/td><td>64.59<\/td><td>10.9%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2022<\/td><td>8.05<\/td><td>66.99<\/td><td>12.0%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2023<\/td><td>6.69<\/td><td>71.80<\/td><td>9.3%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2024<\/td><td>8.56<\/td><td>85.99<\/td><td>10.0%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2025<\/td><td>11.72<\/td><td>99.72<\/td><td>11.8%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Finished cosmetics (HS 3303 to 3307, 3401.11 and 3401.30) traded by Morocco with the Gulf, the Levant, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Turkey and Egypt, in millions of current dollars. Source: UN Comtrade, Morocco&#8217;s declarations (extraction of October 17, 2026), calculation by Carmel Cosmetics Labs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full cm-anim\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/export-cosmetique-maroc-moyen-orient-2015-2025.webp\" media=\"(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/export-cosmetique-maroc-moyen-orient-2015-2025-anime.webp\" alt=\"Export cosmetics to the Middle East: Morocco&apos;s imports and exports of finished cosmetics with the Middle East from 2015 to 2025, in millions of dollars\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto\" title=\"| Carmel Cosmetics Labs\"><\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: UN Comtrade, calculation by Carmel Cosmetics Labs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Excluding perfumes, the Middle East now accounts for 21.8% of Moroccan finished cosmetics exports, against 10.4% in 2019. Perfumes are set apart because most of the perfumes &#8220;exported&#8221; by Morocco are ship and aircraft supplies: products sold on board vessels and planes, which statistics do not attribute to any country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">With or without Turkey and Egypt: two readings of the same imbalance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Turkey and Egypt are not always counted in the Middle East. If they are removed, the region is limited to the Gulf, the Levant, Iraq, Iran and Yemen: Morocco exports $11.6M there and imports $41.8M, a coverage ratio of 28%. The picture changes in scale but not in direction, since Morocco sells almost everything to these Gulf countries and almost nothing to Turkey or Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Saudi Arabia: how did it become Morocco&#8217;s third-largest customer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Moroccan exports of finished cosmetics to Saudi Arabia rose from $0.72M in 2015 to $7.78M in 2025, a 10.8-fold increase. In 2025, only France ($15.4M) and the United States ($9.8M) buy more Moroccan finished cosmetics. Excluding perfumes, Saudi Arabia is even second, behind France.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Growth has been steady since 2020: $2.60M in 2020, $4.27M in 2021, $4.75M in 2022, $4.19M in 2023, $5.50M in 2024, then $7.78M in 2025. Saudi data confirms it: Saudi customs reports $7.59M of finished cosmetics imported from Morocco in 2025, very close to the $7.78M declared on the Moroccan side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The two customs administrations do not classify these products the same way. Morocco files most of its sales under &#8220;perfumed bath salts and preparations&#8221; (HS 3307.30: $5.41M and 1,160 tonnes), the rest mostly under skincare ($1.65M). Saudi Arabia records the same shipments mostly as skincare ($3.66M), hair products ($1.01M) and soaps and cleansers ($2.63M). The total matches, so the split by product should be read with caution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A $2.5 billion market where Morocco weighs 0.3%<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saudi Arabia imported $2.51 billion of finished cosmetics in 2025, against $2.11 billion in 2019. France ($481.5M) and the United Arab Emirates ($436.3M), a regional distribution hub, lead, ahead of Italy, the United States and China. Morocco moves from 42<sup>nd<\/sup> to 29<sup>th<\/sup> place among suppliers, with $7.6M: its share rises from 0.08% to 0.30% but remains very small. To see which categories the kingdom buys, read our analysis of the <a href=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/best-selling-cosmetics-saudi-arabia\/\">best-selling cosmetics in Saudi Arabia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full cm-anim\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/importations-cosmetiques-arabie-saoudite-2025-part-maroc.webp\" media=\"(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/importations-cosmetiques-arabie-saoudite-2025-part-maroc-anime.webp\" alt=\"Saudi imports of finished cosmetics in 2025 by country of origin: France and the Emirates in the lead, Morocco in 29th place with 0.30%\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto\" title=\"| Carmel Cosmetics Labs\"><\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: UN Comtrade, Saudi Arabia&#8217;s declarations, calculation by Carmel Cosmetics Labs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The comparison with South Korea is telling, as in Europe. Korean finished cosmetics imported by Saudi Arabia rose from $18.7M in 2019 to $113.8M in 2025 (x6.1). Over the same period, Morocco went from $1.7M to $7.6M (x4.5): a comparable pace, but from a base eleven times smaller. Turkey ($52.7M) and Egypt ($102.5M) also sell far more than Morocco in the kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do Saudi and Emirati statistics say?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>We cross-checked these figures against the official publications of the two main Gulf markets: the Saudi General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), which uses Saudi customs declarations, and the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre of the Emirates (FCSC). They confirm the orders of magnitude and show that trade also runs the other way: the Gulf cosmetics industry sells more and more to Morocco.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Saudi Arabia: Morocco, 9<sup>th<\/sup> customer of the Saudi cosmetics industry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The annual tables of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stats.gov.sa\/en\/statistics-tabs\/-\/categories\/123481?tab=436312&amp;category=123481\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GASTAT<\/a> detail Saudi trade by country and by customs chapter. Chapter 33 groups perfumes, cosmetics and essential oils. In 2025, Saudi Arabia imported $2.93 billion of them (10,997 million riyals), 53% more than in 2021. Morocco ranks 38<sup>th<\/sup> among suppliers there, with $5.1M, plus $2.8M of soaps and chapter 34 products, an amount that has almost doubled in one year. The total is of the same order as the $7.6M to $7.8M of finished cosmetics recorded in UN Comtrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most striking result lies elsewhere. Saudi chapter 33 exports doubled in four years, from $202M in 2021 to $427M in 2025, and Morocco is its 9<sup>th<\/sup> customer out of 75 countries: $14.8M in 2025, against $8.3M in 2021 (+77%). Only the Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, the United States, Jordan and Bahrain buy more. Outside the Middle East, Morocco is Saudi Arabia&#8217;s second-largest customer for these products, after the United States. For this chapter, the kingdom sells Morocco nearly three times what it buys from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full cm-anim\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/exportations-cosmetiques-arabie-saoudite-vers-maroc-gastat.webp\" media=\"(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/exportations-cosmetiques-arabie-saoudite-vers-maroc-gastat-anime.webp\" alt=\"Saudi exports of perfumes, cosmetics and essential oils to Morocco from 2021 to 2025: $14.8M in 2025, Morocco the 9th customer\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto\" title=\"| Carmel Cosmetics Labs\"><\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: GASTAT, Saudi Arabia&#8217;s foreign trade 2021-2025, calculation by Carmel Cosmetics Labs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These figures stop at the customs chapter: they mix finished cosmetics with essential oils and flavors, and chapter 34 includes detergents and candles. They therefore do not replace the product-level analysis from UN Comtrade, but they confirm its direction. Monthly 2026 data is published only by broad section (all of chemicals), which does not yet allow this year&#8217;s trend to be measured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emirates: a platform that re-exports, and an industry that is growing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The FCSC&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/uaestat.fcsc.gov.ae\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UAE.Stat<\/a> portal publishes Emirati trade by customs chapter, but without the country detail. In 2025, the Emirates imported $5.68 billion of chapter 33 products (20.9 billion Emirati dirhams) and re-exported $4.59 billion, equal to 81% of their imports: Dubai plays the role of a distribution platform for the whole region. Exports of products made in the Emirates are growing even faster: $4.06 billion in 2025, nearly ten times the 2017 level. Emirati perfumes sold in Morocco therefore come from both re-exports and a booming local industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neither the FCSC nor Dubai&#8217;s statistics (Dubai Statistics Center, Dubai Customs) publish trade by product and by country: Emirati purchases of Moroccan cosmetics can only be measured through Moroccan declarations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emirates, Kuwait and the rest of the region: sales still modest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Excluding Saudi Arabia, Morocco sold $3.9M of finished cosmetics in the Middle East in 2025, of which $2.98M to the United Arab Emirates.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Country<\/th><th>2019 ($M)<\/th><th>2025 ($M)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Saudi Arabia<\/td><td>1.14<\/td><td>7.78<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United Arab Emirates<\/td><td>1.68<\/td><td>2.98<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Kuwait<\/td><td>3.07<\/td><td>0.39<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Iraq<\/td><td>0.30<\/td><td>0.23<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Lebanon<\/td><td>0.22<\/td><td>0.09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Egypt<\/td><td>0.04<\/td><td>0.07<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Qatar<\/td><td>0.32<\/td><td>0.06<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Other countries in the region<\/td><td>0.24<\/td><td>0.12<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Total<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>7.01<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>11.72<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Moroccan exports of finished cosmetics to the Middle East, in millions of current dollars. Source: UN Comtrade, Morocco&#8217;s declarations, calculation by Carmel Cosmetics Labs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sales to the Emirates long stayed between $1.5M and $2.5M a year. Their 2025 rise comes from skincare ($1.05M), perfumes ($0.62M) and shampoos ($0.58M). Kuwait shows the opposite, the fragility of these flows: $3.07M in 2019, of which $2.68M of skincare, then $0.39M in 2025. On amounts this small, the arrival or departure of a single buyer is enough to move the figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does Morocco import from the Middle East?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Four countries supply 98% of the $99.7M imported in 2025, and each has its specialty: Turkey sells a wide range of products, Egypt shampoos and toothpastes, the Emirates perfumes, Saudi Arabia shampoos.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full cm-anim\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/cosmetiques-finis-maroc-moyen-orient-par-pays-2025.webp\" media=\"(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/cosmetiques-finis-maroc-moyen-orient-par-pays-2025-anime.webp\" alt=\"Finished cosmetics traded by Morocco with the Middle East in 2025: exports mostly to Saudi Arabia, imports from Turkey, Egypt, the Emirates and Saudi Arabia\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto\" title=\"| Carmel Cosmetics Labs\"><\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: UN Comtrade, calculation by Carmel Cosmetics Labs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Supplier<\/th><th>2015 ($M)<\/th><th>2019 ($M)<\/th><th>2025 ($M)<\/th><th>Top product in 2025<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Turkey<\/td><td>11.21<\/td><td>20.42<\/td><td>34.81<\/td><td>Toilet soaps ($5.26M)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Egypt<\/td><td>14.88<\/td><td>20.45<\/td><td>23.07<\/td><td>Shampoos ($10.38M)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United Arab Emirates<\/td><td>8.92<\/td><td>12.09<\/td><td>21.09<\/td><td>Perfumes ($9.37M)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Saudi Arabia<\/td><td>12.42<\/td><td>10.32<\/td><td>19.09<\/td><td>Shampoos ($14.61M)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Other countries in the region<\/td><td>1.44<\/td><td>1.76<\/td><td>1.66<\/td><td>n\/a<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Moroccan imports of finished cosmetics from the Middle East, in millions of current dollars. Source: UN Comtrade, Morocco&#8217;s declarations, calculation by Carmel Cosmetics Labs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Turkey, the region&#8217;s top supplier<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Imports of Turkish finished cosmetics have tripled since 2015 and grown 70% since 2019. The basket is varied: toilet soaps ($5.26M, more than 3,000 tonnes), skincare ($4.13M), deodorants ($4.03M), hair products ($3.65M) and perfumes ($3.43M). Turkey is also one of the countries brands compare with Morocco when choosing where to manufacture, as we explain in our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/where-to-manufacture-cosmetics\/\">where to manufacture your cosmetics in 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Egypt and Saudi Arabia: mass-market shampoos and toothpastes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Morocco imported $10.38M of Egyptian shampoos (4,829 tonnes) and $14.61M of Saudi shampoos (4,373 tonnes) in 2025, as well as $6.94M of Egyptian toothpastes. These are mass-market products, sold in large volumes at low prices. Customs data does not give brands, but these volumes suggest regional factories supplying several countries. The result: 36% of the hair products and 32% of the oral hygiene products imported by Morocco come from the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Emirates: perfumes and scents<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perfumes account for $9.37M of the $21.09M imported from the Emirates in 2025, plus $2.42M of room fragrances. Part of it may be products re-exported from Emirati logistics platforms, even though statistics use the declared country of origin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Category<\/th><th>Imported from the Middle East ($M)<\/th><th>Middle East share of Moroccan imports<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Hair preparations and shampoos (3305)<\/td><td>38.03<\/td><td>36%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Shaving, deodorants, bath, room fragrances (3307)<\/td><td>15.95<\/td><td>16%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Perfumes and eaux de toilette (3303)<\/td><td>14.03<\/td><td>16%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Skincare and makeup (3304)<\/td><td>12.09<\/td><td>7%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Oral hygiene (3306)<\/td><td>9.39<\/td><td>32%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Toilet soaps (3401.11)<\/td><td>6.72<\/td><td>37%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Skin cleansing products (3401.30)<\/td><td>3.51<\/td><td>11%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Total finished products<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>99.72<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>18%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Moroccan imports of finished cosmetics in 2025: amount from the Middle East and share of the total imported, by category. Source: UN Comtrade, Morocco&#8217;s declarations, calculation by Carmel Cosmetics Labs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These figures complement our <a href=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/importations-cosmetiques-maroc\/\">study of cosmetics imports into Morocco<\/a> (in French): a large share of these basic products could be made in Morocco, under contract manufacturing or as retailer private label (store brand).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to export cosmetics to the Middle East: what to plan for in the Gulf<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>In Gulf countries, an imported cosmetic must comply with the Gulf technical regulation (GSO), carry Arabic labeling and be registered locally by an importer or distributor established in the country.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><strong>Formula compliance<\/strong> with the Gulf technical regulation on cosmetics (GSO 1943), which sets, among other things, the banned or restricted ingredients.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Arabic labeling<\/strong>: product name and function, ingredient list, directions for use, precautions, batch number, dates, manufacturer and importer.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Local registration by the importer<\/strong>: in Saudi Arabia, the product is notified to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfda.gov.sa\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SFDA<\/a> by an approved Saudi importer, before the goods arrive. In the Emirates, registration is done by the distributor with the competent authority, for example Dubai Municipality.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Technical file<\/strong>: INCI list, certificates of analysis, stability and microbiological control results, evidence of manufacturing under good practices (ISO 22716).<\/li>\n\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The steps are detailed in our <a href=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/guide-to-exporting-your-cosmetics-to-the-gcc-countries\/\">guide to exporting cosmetics to GCC countries<\/a>. On customs duties, Morocco and most Arab countries in the region are members of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA): have your freight forwarder validate your product&#8217;s origin and the treatment of your HS code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Methodology and data limits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><strong>Source<\/strong>: UN Comtrade (United Nations), annual data 2015-2025 queried through the public API on October 17, 2026. Reporter: Morocco (and Saudi Arabia for the Saudi market); values in current dollars, exports FOB and imports CIF. Indicative conversion into dirhams at Bank Al-Maghrib&#8217;s 2025 average rate ($1 = 9.351 DH).<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Finished products<\/strong>: HS 3303 (perfumes), 3304 (skincare and makeup), 3305 (hair), 3306 (oral hygiene), 3307 (shaving, deodorants, bath, room fragrances), 3401.11 (toilet soaps) and 3401.30 (skin cleansers). Raw materials (essential oils, vegetable oils including argan, extracts, clays) are excluded.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>National sources<\/strong>: annual 2021-2025 publications on Saudi Arabia&#8217;s foreign trade (GASTAT, tables by country and by HS chapter, in riyals, $1 = 3.75 SAR) and annual data by HS chapter from the Emirati FCSC (UAE.Stat, in Emirati dirhams, $1 = 3.6725 AED; 2024 not published at this level), consulted on October 17, 2026. These sources do not go down to product level by country.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Middle East<\/strong>: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Yemen, Iran, Turkey and Egypt. A reading without Turkey and Egypt is given in the article.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Customer rankings<\/strong>: ship and aircraft supplies (products sold on board vessels and planes, mostly perfumes) are not attributed to any country and are not included in the rankings.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Limits<\/strong>: for imports, the partner is the declared country of origin, which may differ from the country of shipment. Two countries&#8217; customs administrations may classify the same product under different codes. Amounts below $1M vary strongly from one year to the next. 2026 data is not yet available for Morocco in UN Comtrade.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How much does Morocco export in cosmetics to the Middle East?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2025, Morocco exported $11.7M of finished cosmetics to the Middle East (about 110 million dirhams), against $2.6M in 2015, according to UN Comtrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which Middle Eastern country buys the most Moroccan cosmetics?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saudi Arabia, with $7.78M of finished cosmetics in 2025, or two thirds of Moroccan sales in the region. It is Morocco&#8217;s third-largest customer for finished cosmetics, after France and the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How much cosmetics does Morocco import from the Middle East?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">$99.7M in 2025 (about 932 million dirhams), or 17.8% of the finished cosmetics imported by Morocco. Turkey ($34.8M), Egypt ($23.1M), the United Arab Emirates ($21.1M) and Saudi Arabia ($19.1M) are the main suppliers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Morocco&#8217;s share of the Saudi cosmetics market?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">0.30% of the finished cosmetics imported by Saudi Arabia in 2025 ($7.6M out of $2.51 billion), against 0.08% in 2019. Morocco is the kingdom&#8217;s 29<sup>th<\/sup> supplier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does Saudi Arabia sell cosmetics to Morocco?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. According to official Saudi statistics (GASTAT), Saudi Arabia exported $14.8M of perfumes, cosmetics and essential oils to Morocco in 2025, making Morocco its 9<sup>th<\/sup> customer for these products. They are mostly shampoos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can a cosmetic made in Morocco be sold in Saudi Arabia?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, if it complies with the Gulf technical regulation, carries Arabic labeling and is notified to the SFDA by an approved Saudi importer before the goods arrive. The manufacturer provides the product&#8217;s technical file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion: the Gulf is starting to buy Moroccan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Morocco buys far more finished cosmetics from the Middle East than it sells to it: shampoos, toothpastes, soaps and perfumes made in large series in Turkey, Egypt, the Emirates and Saudi Arabia. But the reverse movement has begun. In ten years, Saudi Arabia has become Morocco&#8217;s third-largest customer for finished cosmetics, and both customs administrations confirm the figure. With 0.3% of a $2.5 billion market, the room for progress remains considerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Carmel Cosmetics Labs, a <a href=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/why-carmel-cosmetics-labs\/\">cosmetics laboratory in Agadir<\/a>, we formulate and manufacture finished products for brands present in all six Gulf countries, notably under <a href=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/white-label-cosmetics-service\/\">white label<\/a>. We provide the technical file and the Arabic labels; the importer handles local registration. English overview: <a href=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/cosmetics-manufacturer-gcc\/\">cosmetics manufacturer for GCC brands<\/a>. To discuss it, <a href=\"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/request-a-quote\/\">request a free consultation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"Dataset\", \"name\": \"Finished cosmetics trade between Morocco and the Middle East, 2015-2025\", \"description\": \"Moroccan exports and imports of finished cosmetics (HS 3303 to 3307, 3401.11, 3401.30) with Middle Eastern countries (Gulf, Levant, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Turkey, Egypt), in dollars, 2015-2025; Saudi imports of finished cosmetics by country of origin, 2019 and 2025; Saudi (GASTAT) and Emirati (FCSC) trade in HS chapter 33, 2017-2025.\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/export-cosmetics-middle-east\/\", \"inLanguage\": \"en\", \"creator\": {\"@type\": \"Organization\", \"name\": \"Carmel Cosmetics Labs\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/home\/\"}, \"isBasedOn\": [\"https:\/\/comtradeplus.un.org\/\", \"https:\/\/www.stats.gov.sa\/en\/statistics-tabs\/-\/categories\/123481\", \"https:\/\/uaestat.fcsc.gov.ae\/en\"], \"temporalCoverage\": \"2015\/2025\", \"spatialCoverage\": [{\"@type\": \"Place\", \"name\": \"Morocco\"}, {\"@type\": \"Place\", \"name\": \"Middle East\"}], \"variableMeasured\": [\"Trade value (USD)\", \"Net weight (kg)\"], \"license\": \"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\"}<\/script>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"How much does Morocco export in cosmetics to the Middle East?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"In 2025, Morocco exported $11.7M of finished cosmetics to the Middle East (about 110 million dirhams), against $2.6M in 2015, according to UN Comtrade.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Which Middle Eastern country buys the most Moroccan cosmetics?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Saudi Arabia, with $7.78M of finished cosmetics in 2025, or two thirds of Moroccan sales in the region. It is Morocco's third-largest customer for finished cosmetics, after France and the United States.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"How much cosmetics does Morocco import from the Middle East?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"$99.7M in 2025 (about 932 million dirhams), or 17.8% of the finished cosmetics imported by Morocco. Turkey ($34.8M), Egypt ($23.1M), the United Arab Emirates ($21.1M) and Saudi Arabia ($19.1M) are the main suppliers.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What is Morocco's share of the Saudi cosmetics market?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"0.30% of the finished cosmetics imported by Saudi Arabia in 2025 ($7.6M out of $2.51 billion), against 0.08% in 2019. Morocco is the kingdom's 29th supplier.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Does Saudi Arabia sell cosmetics to Morocco?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Yes. According to official Saudi statistics (GASTAT), Saudi Arabia exported $14.8M of perfumes, cosmetics and essential oils to Morocco in 2025, making Morocco its 9th customer for these products. They are mostly shampoos.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Can a cosmetic made in Morocco be sold in Saudi Arabia?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Yes, if it complies with the Gulf technical regulation, carries Arabic labeling and is notified to the SFDA by an approved Saudi importer before the goods arrive. The manufacturer provides the product's technical file.\"}}]}<\/script>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Morocco exported $11.7M of finished cosmetics to the Middle East in 2025 and imported $99.7M. Saudi Arabia is now its third-largest customer. See the data and Gulf export steps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":53607,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[208],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-morocco"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56197"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56199,"href":"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56197\/revisions\/56199"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carmelcosmeticslabs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}