[비즈한국] Recently, there has been growing interest in Korean hair styling devices in the Middle East. Why would a woman who wears a hijab need a hair straightener? To those unfamiliar with the Middle Eastern beauty market, this might seem like a puzzling question. However, this is more of a bias stemming from a superficial view of hijab culture. The hijab is a cultural practice of covering one's hair in specific public spaces. Inside the home, at gatherings exclusively for women, weddings, parties, and family events, hair becomes an important means of self-expression. In fact, there is even a demand for more delicate care for hair that has been compressed and subjected to friction for long periods.
Against this backdrop, Korean beauty appliances—such as hair straighteners, hair dryers, and home-care devices—have been gaining attention. This is interpreted as a case demonstrating that K-Beauty is moving beyond the cosmetics stage.
The Correlation Between Hijab Culture and Hair Styling Demand
The Gulf region is considered a market with strong consumption across fragrances, color cosmetics, skincare, and hair care. It has a high level of income, a large young population, and consumption based on social media and influencers is spreading rapidly. The fact that Boutiqaat, a leading Middle Eastern beauty and fashion e-commerce platform, has grown not just as an online store but as a social commerce model combining recommendations from famous influencers and celebrities, also illustrates the characteristics of beauty consumption in this region.
Hair care is no exception. Wearing a hijab for long hours can cause stress to the hair and scalp. International beauty media explain that hair care for women who wear hijabs is closely linked to addressing issues like dryness, frizz, tension at the roots, and poor ventilation. In other words, the Middle Eastern hair market is not only for showing off but also for maintaining and restoring hair health.
Added to this is the culture of weddings and family events. In the social spaces for women in the Middle East, hairstyles are as important an element of one's appearance as dresses, makeup, and perfume. In effect, the hair that is hidden outside becomes a subject of active consumption in private spaces. When you combine this with the characteristics of thick, curly hair, along with the compression and friction caused by wearing a hijab, the demand for hair appliances like hair dryers, volume stylers, and straighteners forms naturally.
“The Product Used by K-Pop Idol Stylists”
Until now, K-Beauty has grown primarily centered on skincare and color cosmetics. Cushion compacts, sheet masks, serums, and sunscreens have been the flagship items of Korean cosmetics. Fast product launches, segmented formulations, reasonable prices, and trendy packaging are cited as factors that have attracted global consumers.
Recently, the scope of K-Beauty is expanding into the realm of beauty appliances. Skin care devices, LED masks, high-frequency home-care devices, and hair stylers are being discussed as growth items following cosmetics. Consumption is expanding from the stage of simply applying products to using tools that help with management and styling. As interest in Korean-style skin care and hair styling grows, the demand for related devices is likely to increase as well.
In the hair appliance sector, the influence of K-Pop also plays a role. Among young Middle Eastern consumers, Korean hair straighteners are known for their image as “the products used by K-Pop idol stylists.” Because idol hairstyles must endure strong stage lighting, rehearsals, wardrobe changes, sweat, and movement, the ability to maintain the style and achieve it quickly is crucial. The perception that these tools are used in such demanding environments can be a factor that enhances trust in the products.
The Potential of K-Beauty Devices as Seen Through Middle East Expansion Cases
Amidst this trend, domestic hair appliance companies are also exploring entry into the Middle Eastern market. A prime example is Eounil Electronics, the manufacturer of the hair appliance brand Glam Palm, which recently signed a sales agreement with the Middle Eastern beauty and fashion e-commerce platform Boutiqaat. According to Eounil Electronics, the contract was signed after Boutiqaat, which has established distribution channels in six Gulf countries, requested the export first. Word has it that it was not merely because it is a K-brand, but the fact that development and production take place in Korea that played a decisive role in this contract.
Eounil Electronics is a hair styling appliance manufacturer and retailer established in 1995. Initially, it accumulated technology by supplying global beauty appliance companies like CHI in the U.S. and GHD in the U.K. through Original Development Manufacturing (ODM), and launched its own straightener brand, Glam Palm, in 2008. It is a manufacturer that has built brand recognition centered on beauty salons and hair designers. In 2025, it recorded 58.9 billion won in revenue and 11.1 billion won in operating profit, achieving an exceptionally high operating profit margin for a home appliance manufacturer. This is the result of securing both a premium brand status and manufacturing competitiveness, despite not outsourcing production to China, where manufacturing costs are lower.
There are also challenges to entering the Middle Eastern market. While the Gulf region is classified as a market with high purchasing power, distribution structures, price sensitivity, brand preferences, and the influence of influencers vary by country. In the premium hair appliance market, competition with global brands like Dyson and GHD is inevitable. While a preference for Korean products and the premium image based on K-Pop can help with initial entry, in the long term, product quality, after-sales service, and local distribution network management are expected to determine success or failure.
The demand for K-hair straighteners in the Middle East can be seen not just as an exceptional phenomenon of hijab culture, but as a case occurring in the process of K-Beauty consumption expanding from cosmetics to beauty appliances. If K-Beauty in the past focused on what to apply, it is now expanding into the issue of what to use to manage and style. The Middle Eastern hair appliance market is one of the regions where this change is being confirmed.