The personal care products market in the UAE is worth AED 7.6 billion compared to the global market size of AED 1.57 trillion, shows a study.

The Dubai Intellectual Property Advisory Board (IPAB), chaired by Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, CEO of the Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection in the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED), announced the completion of a benchmark study specifically for the Personal Care Products sector.

The study aimed to address the skin care market and understand the size of the legitimate trade in genuine skin care products as well as the global market size of the sector against the size of the trade in counterfeits and its market share.

Launched in November 2015, the IPAB represents a joint public-private sector initiative to tackle high-level issues related to intellectual property in Dubai and provide technical advice on IP protection. In addition to the chairperson, the IPAB has members representing a wide spectrum of world leading brands across sectors such as pharmaceuticals, entertainment, telecommunications, automobiles, sportswear, luxury goods, confectionery, foodstuffs, personal care, hygiene and home products.

"Our first specific sector study is our response to the lack of specialised intellectual property studies. With these types of studies, we will have industry leaders provide analysis and data on the counterfeit problem and the solutions they foresee," Lootah said.

"The study found that perfumes top personal care products sold in the UAE followed by cosmetics and skin care products. Online data shows that 15 percent of the counterfeit personal care products seized are in the Middle East, which indicates the efficient regulatory environment in the region, particularly in the UAE," he added.

Omar Obeidat, Secretary to the IPAB and Board Member of Brand Owners Protection Group, said the study puts the counterfeiting problem in a global perspective while also analysing it from a local standpoint.

"The study along with its recommendations will be used to support the UAE rankings by international indices and intellectual property ranking organisations. The IPAB will introduce further specific sector studies in 2017, all to be vetted and prepared by representatives of global market leaders," he added.

Cameron Walker, Regional Brand Protection Manager at Beiersdorf, Middle East, Turkey, Africa and India, commented, "The study has been concluded to support and enhance the capacity of Dubai and the UAE authorities in addressing counterfeiting of all personal care products. We are very much encouraged by the importance that the Dubai Government places in such partnerships with the private sector in the fight against counterfeit goods. We particularly applaud the efforts of the Dubai Department of Economic Development, which has allowed this study to see the light enabling both the authorities and brand owners to work together hand in hand to protect consumers."

Referring to the trends indicated by the study, Rania Mosrie, Counsel of Reckitt Benckiser, said, "Social media and online resellers have taken a major jump in prevalence in recent years with North Asia and the Middle East in the forefront."

The study and its recommendations will be available to serve all relevant intellectual property regulators and enforcement departments in order to enhance the level of protection and adopt appropriate measures to fight counterfeit goods commensurate with the global and local trends identified by these studies.