Luxury news publication The Luxe Scoop has published the inaugural edition of The GCC Luxury & Affluence Report, exploring how global brands are investing, localising and redefining luxury across the six Gulf states: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.

Written by Zainab Imichi Alhassan, the report draws on luxury-industry communications received by The Luxe Scoop between 2020 and October 2026, cross-checked against publicly accessible sources.

Five signals shaping Gulf luxury

• The second investment - Established houses are not only adding doors, but redesigning existing ones and layering specialist services onto established retail locations.
• Localisation with depth - The most persuasive cultural activity involves regional makers, creative institutions and long-running talent programmes, not merely seasonal references.
• Privacy as product - Private salons, personalisation and appointment-led experiences are physical design choices that brands are explicitly documenting.
• Luxury beyond the store - The luxury proposition extends into destination hospitality, wellness, food, art and branded environments.
• The regional lens - Each of the six GCC states has a distinct retail, cultural and destination proposition.

Key figures

• Chalhoub Group estimates the GCC personal luxury market reached US$12.8 billion in 2024, up 6% year-on-year, with luxury fashion accounting for 43% of the market. It forecasts US$15 billion by 2027.
• Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism recorded 19.59 million international overnight visitors in 2025, up 5% on 2024.
• Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism reported 29.3 million inbound tourists and SAR176.6 billion in inbound tourism expenditure in 2025.

Brand examples highlighted in the report

• Ferragamo - Its renovated Dubai Mall boutique is one of a limited number of stores offering the brand’s made-to-order bag service.
• Van Cleef & Arpels - Its 2025 renovation at The Avenues, Kuwait, added two Art Deco-inspired private salons and a dedicated fragrance discovery area. The maison’s Emergent Designer Prize with Tashkeel, open to designers living in all six GCC states, reached its eleventh edition in 2025.
• Messika - Its Place Vendôme boutique in Doha, its third in the city, includes a high-jewellery lounge and two VIP rooms.
• Boucheron - Its 2025 Abu Dhabi reopening announcement linked a larger boutique at The Galleria with a commissioned work by Emirati artist Yasmin Al Mulla.
• Missoni - The brand opened its first Saudi boutique at Kingdom Centre in Riyadh in September 2025.
• Guerlain - Its spa at the St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat Resort in Oman has 11 treatment rooms, including two VIP double suites.

The outlook for 2027-2030

The report’s editorial forecasts for 2027-2030:

• The quality of the door will outweigh the number of doors - Greater attention to store enlargement, private rooms, appointment-led service and distinctive architecture.
• Cultural participation will become a test of credibility - Durable creative relationships are likely to become a stronger differentiator than one-off local capsules.
• Wellness will move from hotel amenity to destination economy - Recovery, longevity, performance and tailored wellbeing will increasingly shape resort differentiation.
• The six markets will diverge further in strategy - From the UAE’s global access and service sophistication to Saudi Arabia’s scale and new destinations, Qatar’s high-value experiences, and Oman’s nature and wellness-led hospitality.

For more information, visit theluxescoop.com.