How Digitization is Driving Growth in the Saudi Beauty Industry

Almost every industry in Saudi is benefiting from the tailwinds of its current digitization push, and the beauty industry is no exception.

But it's not just sales moving online—entire customer experiences are being fully digitized too. Global companies like Fresha are spearheading this change with their software as a service (SaaS) platform and marketplace dedicated to helping beauty businesses manage and grow their operations.

With the help of AstroLabs, the UK-founded company has been operating in the Kingdom for over three years and has been on an upward trajectory ever since.

Reflecting on Fresha’s early Saudi journey, Simon Fakhoury, Head of Business Development at Fresha in the GCC region, said: “We started three years ago in Saudi, and we've been growing rapidly since then. We've opened multiple offices across the Kingdom, and we've supported thousands of salons to grow their revenue and digitize their operations, which aligns directly with Saudi Vision 2030's goals of driving digital transformation and supporting SMEs and businesses across the Kingdom.”

Building Infrastructure for Beauty Industry-Wide Digitization

When looking at Saudi, Fresha is taking a long-term view. The company has been heavily investing in growing its on-the-ground presence, scaling its local workforce, and developing market-specific products. One of the main features it’s added to its system is the Arabic language support service.

More so, Fresha has put its best foot forward to expand its service coverage. Shortly after launching a Riyadh office, it also opened locations in Khobar and Jeddah.

Its expansion plans rest not only on adapting its technology to Saudi but also on forming the building blocks for beauty industry digitization—creating the ecosystem around it and unlocking opportunities for businesses and brands to achieve their desired growth.

“We still have a lot of industries in the world that are not impacted by tech just yet. Beauty is still one of them, and that's exactly what Fresha is here for—to innovate, to go big, to go online, to digitize the businesses, and to help them grow revenue. Saudi is a great place to be working on that, tying it down to the 2030 vision," explained Lea Maktabi, head of account management at Fresha.

With a highly engaged online consumer market, a rapidly expanding digital economy, and a booming cosmetics industry, beauty continues to offer strong potential for digitization. In terms of value, the Saudi cosmetic products market is expected to hit $4.98 billion by 2030, driven by a consistent 4.52% annual growth rate.

This forecast growth is making the industry even more attractive for Fresha, with the Kingdom emerging as one of the most promising regions and a pivotal testing ground for new beauty-related technologies.

Converting non-digital to digital businesses across markets remains challenging due to the fragmented nature of the industry itself. But given the digital transformation across the retail sector, the beauty market has already become ripe for disruption, making companies like Fresha key drivers of change in their niche.

According to Maktabi, there’s a growing number of beauty business owners showing keen interest in leveraging digital tools to boost visibility, attract more traffic and stay ahead of the competition.

"When having conversations with business owners, you can tell how open they are to innovation. They want to go big. They want to test out [products] and just go all out with them. We want to make sure that Fresha is the go-to tool to enable them to grow their businesses. You can call Fresha the engine for growth, helping every beauty and wellness business grow revenue, streamline operations, and scale,” she added.

Saudi Arabia as a Strategic Market for Beauty Tech

It is widely known that first movers always set the stage for great innovation. Right from the get-go, Fresha was aiming to develop the infrastructure necessary to grow the beauty industry's online share.

One way to do so is by strengthening collaborations with stakeholders across the industry and beyond and offering solutions that truly resonate with the market’s needs, filling gaps where needed.

In Saudi Arabia, deepening market integration is central to Fresha's expansion strategy. The company is working closely with the Chamber of Commerce in Khobar to launch two workshops aimed at educating the local workforce and helping them elevate the digital experience they provide, enabling seamless growth with operational excellence.

Moreover, at the end of 2025, Fresha hosted a networking event at AstroLabs' premises, gathering Fresha's partner base, salon owners, and influential figures in the industry to connect and share ideas.

"AstroLabs has been a great support since we started our journey in Saudi Arabia, whether in setting up or making us feel welcome and helping us blend within the community. The event has received tremendous support from the AstroLabs team by providing the space and going above and beyond to make everything we want to accomplish in Saudi a success," Maktabi noted.

Established over 10 years ago, Fresha’s product is now used by over 100,000 businesses in 200 countries, highlighting its proven expertise and market-validated technology. Fresha’s target clientele includes everything from salons, barbers, wellness treatment centers, and studios, which can use its completely free subscription scheduling and booking model.

Building on this, Fresha is laying the solid basis for its sustainable growth in Saudi Arabia using its own, localized playbook that cements its role in shaping practical innovation and genuine value creation.