Saudi Arabia’s cosmetics imports were double the expected size for the year, reaching a value of SR2.3 billion – or 44.5 million kilogrammes in volume terms – according to a report published by the Saudi Gazette.

The cosmetics industry has bucked the general trend, with imports to Saudi Arabia falling to 83 million tons in 2015, from 85 million tons in 2014. Meanwhile, exports reached a volume of 54 million tons in 2015 – up from 53 million tons in 2014.

The majority of Saudi’s imports hail from China, the US, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the UAE, India, France and Italy, according to a spokesman for Saudi Customs, Eisa Al-Eisa.

The country’s exports centre on chemicals polypropylene, polyethylene, citrine, ammonia, methanol, urea and hydrocarbon mixtures.