Retail Landscape in Transition
While the Middle East has long been associated with luxury consumption, retail dynamics are shifting. A new generation of consumers is seeking contemporary, accessible fashion alongside established luxury houses, creating significant opportunity for ready-to-wear brands at wholesale level.
Olivia Corsi, Middle East Retail & Distribution Expert, Carmel & Sun Trading, explains: “For the past two decades working in the region, the market has largely been polarised. Today we are witnessing a shift. A middle consumer is emerging – one with specific needs and expectations. This evolution is creating space for a new niche and meaningful opportunities for brands ready to serve this segment.”
Retail expansion in Dubai and Riyadh, alongside the growth of curated multi-brand boutiques and digitally integrated retail models, is accelerating demand for fresh international womenswear labels.
Nadeen Alkhatieb, Marketing Manager, Apparel Group (KSA), adds:
We’re seeing stronger demand for contemporary, mid-priced womenswear in both Dubai and Riyadh. Customers are no longer defaulting to traditional luxury; they are actively exploring new international and regional brands. The region has evolved from a luxury playground into a genuine growth market for global womenswear labels.”
This shift is reinforced by major retail developments, including the launch of Al Waha Group, Saudi Arabia’s first Saudi-owned duty-free retailer. As the Kingdom expands travel retail and consumer infrastructure, new channels for brand visibility and product discovery are emerging, aligning with rising demand for contemporary international fashion.
Three Markets, One Regional Gateway
The United Arab Emirates remains the region’s primary trade gateway, offering infrastructure and logistics that support cross-border expansion. Saudi Arabia’s rapidly expanding retail ecosystem is generating fresh wholesale opportunities driven by a young, digitally connected consumer base. Qatar continues to represent a high-value market increasingly open to curated contemporary labels.
Enabling Market Access and Brand Growth
The region is witnessing a growing network of businesses which are helping support brands entering the region. From Agents and Distributers through to trade shows, the wholesale fashion market is growing at pace.
Samantha Bleasby, former Event Director of Pure London and founder of the region’s Fashion Connecter Agency comments:
We created our business here in Dubai to help fashion brands enter the Middle East market. We offer an agency style service and work with buyers, trade shows and press in the region. We have seen strong interest from contemporary womenswear brands, particularly from the UK. It’s a super exciting time for the fashion landscape in the Middle East to evolve and for brands to enter a new market!”
Kim Jin Owner of Kacoo Fashion in the UK says ‘The economy is very strong in Dubai, it is a gateway to the Middle East, and we have recently opened a company here. We are delighted to be working with Fashion Connecter to grow our business in the region. We already have one sales channel for Glamorous in Dubai and are excited for what’s to come.’
The Brand Booster Trade show is the only B2B trade show in the region dedicated to womenswear. The show has run for the last two years in Dubai and welcomes leading buyers from UAE, Saudi Arabia & Qatar to view new brands and purchase wholesale collections. The latest edition in November saw many key buyers attend, from Department stores, Concept stores, and E-tailers with attendance from Chaloub, Ounass, Landmark, Etoile, That Concept Store and many more. Zarina H., Buying Manager, Ounass, notes: “Each brand presented a distinct identity and strong storytelling, making discovery both engaging and commercially relevant.”
The show has seen a strong GCC designer presence but due to buyer demand, the show is now working with Fashion Connecter to increase brand participation from overseas. London-based designer Anita Ebeledike, Founder & Creative Director of Anitabel, will present a collection developed with the regional customer in mind:
“There is a growing appetite in the Middle East for refined, contemporary fashion that sits between luxury and fast fashion. I designed my latest collection with that customer in mind, and Brand Booster provides the ideal platform to connect with a market that is evolving and increasingly open to independent international brands.”
For the upcoming edition in May 2026 the show is seeing an increased interest from British and European brands, which signals growing international confidence in the region’s commercial potential. The B2B show is dedicated to elevating regional and international designers and provides a meeting place for womenswear brands to meet buyers in the region’s rapidly evolving wholesale market.
The next edition of Brand Booster will take place on 12-13th May 2026 in Dubai, UAE in Area 57, Al Quoz. More information from sambleasby@fashionconnecter.com
