Dubai’s foreign trade for cosmetics and perfumes was valued at AED20.5 billion in 2015, according to figures released by Dubai Customs.

France was Dubai’s top trading partner, with goods exchanged valued at AED3 billion, followed by the US (AED1.8 billion), Saudi Arabia (AED1.6 billion), the UK (AED1.1 billion) and Italy (AED1 billion).

In terms of product sector, perfumes were the most traded product, with goods passing through the country valued at AED5.9 billion, followed by toiletries (AED3.2 billion), deodorants (AED1.2 billion) and creams (AED1 billion).

“We at Dubai Customs follow a transparent approach when dealing with businesses, by sharing foreign trade figures and statistics, so they can plan the size of their investments ahead and make well-informed decisions,” Ahmed Abdul Salam Kazim, Director of Strategy and Corporate Excellence at Dubai Customs, told the audience at Beautyworld Middle East where the figures were revealed.