Makeup makes comeback in Mideast market as pandemic eases

By MALAK HARB
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Last year’s pandemic style saw people put on pajamas and their hair up in a bun. But 2021 is more about mascara and lip liners. And makeup sales in the multi-billion-dollar Mideast market are beginning to improve. For women in the region, particularly in the Gulf Arab states, makeup is one of their biggest spends — an opportunity for expression even to those who cover their hair and part of their faces with veils. Euromonitor International research group says even during the pandemic, the industry was worth $4 billion in the Mideast. It predicts the market here will grow by as much as 5% percent over the next five years.