Expanding your presence in the Middle East: Selling your cosmetic brand effectively

As the gates have just closed on the BeautyWorld Middle East tradeshow, many cosmetic brands may be considering entering this potentially lucrative and luxury market. But is it all that it seems? What are the complexities and nuances of entering the market and what regulatory hurdles are awaiting? How do you tailor your product and marketing to meet the cultural needs of this region? Is price an issue?

In this webinar, hosted by Cosmetics Cluster UK, we get together with two companies experienced in the MENA market, KAZAconsultancy and RAQAM Consultancy, who can help answer some of these questions and provide their tips to help brands to avoid pitfalls before they embark on costly export campaigns. We will also be hearing from Santander UK about their Navigator platform, which is designed to help many businesses to negotiate the often complex scenarios of international markets.

Programme details:

1. Introduction and welcome - Jane Evison, Director, CCUK (5 mins)
2. Getting your brand into the Middle Eastern marketplace- ‘do's and don'ts’. Sonia Zaknoune, Founder, KAZAconsultancy (20 mins)
3. MENA - the regulatory picture. Gary Baylis,Export Access/Yasser Bayrakdar.RAQAM Consultancy (20 mins)
4. Santander UK Corporate & Commercial Bank - An introduction to Navigator. Monika Kemp,  Country Specialist, UAE & Australia (15 mins)
5. Q&A panel (15 mins)

Speakers Biographies

Monika Kemp

Monika leads the UAE & Australia Trade Corridors as part of the International and Sector Solutions team at Santander Corporate & Commercial Bank in the UK. Her focus is on helping Santander’s corporate and commercial customers identify opportunities and overcome challenges with regards to trade and investment projects between the UK and UAE, Australia. Monika manages Santander’s relationship with banking and non-banking partners in UAE & Australia and works with counterparts on joint initiatives and projects relating to bilateral UK-UAE and UK-Aus trade and investment.​

Monika has spent the last 12 years in trade & investment, during this time she has spent 4 years at PA Consulting specifically on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for the Department for International Trade, working with overseas British Embassy across the US, EMEA, and Australia, and international clients to support their UK expansion. Following this Monika spent 2 years at a Top UK 20 accountancy firm, Kingston Smith, focusing on leading the business development & strategy for the US-UK markets. Since then, Monika joined Santander in 2017 focusing on FDI and transitioned to developing the international proposition for UAE & Australia markets. Monika holds a degree in Applied Mathematics & Business and has a particular interest in strategy, new ventures and international business cultures.​

Sonia Zaknoune

Entrepreneur and Middle East Business Development Specialist

Sonia Zaknoune, originally from France, has been living and working in Dubai, UAE, since 2006. Her journey began with Emaar Hospitality Group, and she later ventured into roles with companies like Nespresso. Throughout her career, Sonia has undertaken various projects across the Gulf region, including Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.

As a Middle East business development specialist and 17 years of hands-on experience in the region,Sonia founded KAZAconsultancy and believes in helping other entrepreneurs and businesses develop clear strategies to introduce their solutions into the GCC markets. Her goal is to leverage this wealth of experience and well-established network to assist businesses in swiftly entering and navigating the Middle East market. Her expertise serves as a guide for companies aiming to fast track their entry in this dynamic business landscape.

Yasser Bayrakdar

Business Development Manager, RAQAM Consultancy DMCC

Yasser is a diligent and self-directed Sales and Marketing professional who started his career with RAQAM in 2014. Formerly leading a successful and talented team of Regulatory specialists as an Operation Manager at RAQAM, Yasser has developed and implemented efficient systems to deliver successful projects to our esteemed clientele.

Yasser has also been utilizing his technological expertise to support the entire business workflow and has now taken a new challenge to improve client communications and customer satisfaction.

The RAQAM Consultancy journey began in 2011, leveraging expertise in the food and beverage industry across the Middle East. “By 2018, we extended our focus to include personal care, home care, and disinfectant products. In 2020, we ventured into the cosmetics realm within the MENAT region. By 2023, we expanded our services to become a strategic regulatory partner for global cosmetic brands in the MENAT Region. Recognized for our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of consumers, we actively seek and implement solutions that benefit all stakeholders in the cosmetics industry”.