Latin America dedicates a larger share of its beauty spending to fragrance than any other region. According to Circana, fragrance represented 65% of total beauty sales in Latin America in 2025, with the category growing by 15% during the year. The market research firm attributes this performance to strong daily fragrance usage and consumer demand for long-lasting, high-performance scents.
Latin America’s appetite for fragrances creates new export opportunities for Gulf perfume brands whose long-lasting scent profiles meet increased interest among local consumers.
Arabic fragrance brands gain traction
Middle Eastern fragrance houses are increasingly positioning themselves to serve that demand, offering oriental compositions featuring oud, musk and other intense accords at price points that remain accessible compared with many Western prestige fragrances.
Mercado Libre, Latin America’s largest e-commerce player, says this trend is already translating into commercial partnerships. Following its participation in Beautyworld Middle East in 2025, the company added several Gulf fragrance brands to its marketplace, including Afnan, Emper Perfumes, and Bharara Beauty.
“Latin American consumers have a deeply rooted relationship with scent,” said Pilar Sabaj, Head of Beauty México at Mercado Libre. “Middle Eastern brands are built for exactly that preference – rich orientals, heavy musks, dense ouds, long-lasting formulations.”
According to Sarim Zaman, Strategic Partnerships, Beauty - US at Mercado Libre, the company’s discussions with Gulf brands have evolved since last year’s event, as participating brands are now actively selling through the platform in Latin American markets.
“In 2025 we spent most of our time introducing ourselves – explaining what Mercado Libre is, and why Latin America is a significant and underserved opportunity for Middle East fragrance brands. In 2026 we return with proof. The brands we onboarded are live on our platform and reaching consumers in markets they had never previously accessed,” he said.
Dubai strengthens its role as a fragrance hub
The growing global interest in Arabic fragrances reflects the Gulf’s rising prominence in the fragrance industry. At the heart of this shift is Dubai, which combines a long-established heritage in oriental perfumery with strong manufacturing, packaging, logistics, and international distribution capabilities that increasingly support exports well beyond the Middle East.
Brands such as Lattafa, alongside established regional players including Rasasi, Swiss Arabian and Armaf, have capitalized on this growing enthusiasm to accelerate their international expansion.
Beautyworld Middle East marks its 30th edition
Despite the uncertainties surrounding the US-Iran conflict, these exchanges are expected to continue at Beautyworld Middle East, which returns to the Dubai World Trade Centre for its 30th edition from October 6 to 8, 2026.
The exhibition brings together fragrance ingredient suppliers, including dsm-firmenich, Givaudan, Symrise, Takasago, and Mane, alongside finished fragrance brands and international buyers, offering sourcing opportunities across the fragrance value chain.
“What Mercado Libre’s experience shows is exactly what the show is for,” commented Ravi Ramchandani, Event Director, Beautyworld Dubai. “A buyer arrives from one part of the world, meets a brand from another, and a year later that brand is reaching consumers who could never find it before. That is the kind of connection the platform exists to make.”
For Mercado Libre, the 2026 edition is about building on what started in 2025. The company says the Gulf-to-Latin America fragrance channel remains at an early stage, with further opportunities expected as more Middle Eastern brands seek access to one of the world’s most fragrance-driven beauty markets.
“My goal is to keep introducing more brands to the potential of Latin America, and to help the ones already with us go further,” concluded Pilar Sabaj.
