Alshaya Group, a leading international retail franchise operator, and Ulta Beauty, the largest U.S. specialty beauty retailer, have formed a franchise partnership to bring Ulta Beauty stores to the Middle East for the first time.
Ulta Beauty has over 1400 stores spanning across the U.S. Last year, the beauty retailer launched a joint venture to expand into Mexico as its first international market. With this partnership, the brand will expand into the Middle East region.
John Hadden CEO Alshaya Group
“We are incredibly proud to partner with Ulta Beauty to bring this long-awaited brand to the Middle East targeting late 2025. We know that our customers are excited to visit the region’s first Ulta Beauty stores, and we look forward to partnering with one of the most loved beauty retailers.”
Kristin Wolf, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Strategy and New Growth at Ulta Beauty, added that, “Our partnership with Alshaya marks an exciting opportunity to expand Ulta Beauty’s differentiated business model to a new market, as part of our overall growth strategy. We know the power of beauty is universal, and we look forward to reaching a new community of beauty enthusiasts in the Middle East.”
First launched in Kuwait in 1890, Alshaya Group, a family-owned business, has established itself as one of the world’s leading brand franchise operators, offering an unparalleled choice of over 70 well-loved, international brands to customers.
Alshaya Group’s diverse portfolio span across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Türkiye and Europe, with over 4,000 stores, cafes, restaurants, and leisure destinations, major logistics and food production operations, as well as over 125 online and digital businesses including one of the region’s biggest retail loyalty programs, Aura.
