Dubai’s fragrance, beauty and fashion related products industry certainly looks to be coming up roses. Trade figures released last week show that sales in these areas reached a combined Dh206 billion in 2013, an 8 per cent increase over 2012, according to a report released by the Dubai Department of Econ-omic Development.
The Fashion sector leads the list at a total trade value of Dh193 billion in 2013 followed by beauty at Dh7.3 billion while fragrance comes in third place at a value of Dh5.6 billion, according to the report. These industries will only continue to grow, with a 15 per cent increase in the fragrance trade alone expected this year. The Dubai Design District’s activities will also accelerate these industries’ growth. But these industries’ need for more protection is becoming equally apparent, especially in light of the DED’s report last month of Dh9.5 million worth of fake cosmetic products that were seized during a raid. Such seizures are all too common and have been for decades. The Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (Esma) has announced that it will work with the Fragrance Foundation Arabia to control growing piracy and counterfeiting. However, standards, while necessary, are not enough. Police, customs and other governmental agencies need to step in. Otherwise, these latest additions to Dubai’s economy will be unfashionably tarnished before they are even fully established.
