The BoF Podcast | Examining the Complexity of Fashion in Saudi Arabia

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Background:

A strong economic outlook, new government incentives and shifting fashion norms are fuelling optimism and growth in countries across the region and its $89 billion fashion industry, according to our latest report from BoF Insights.

Possibly the greatest regulatory change is happening in the Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, constituting almost 25 percent of the region’s fashion market in terms of sales, the country has introduced social and economic reforms in a bid to grow its cultural economy and attract foreign investment. And there is social change too. Women are now able to drive and work in a wider range of jobs, creating lifestyle change along with it.

But the Saudi market also has its detractors, who say that the changes impacting sectors like fashion, hospitality, sports and entertainment are about whitewashing the country’s image and distracting from its poor human rights record, such as LGBTQ rights. Homosexuality is illegal and comes with severe penalties, including imprisonment and capital punishment

This week on The BoF Podcast, Maki and Marriam Mossalli, founder and chief executive of Niche Arabia, a Saudi Arabia-based luxury communications and marketing agency, join BoF editor-in-chief Imran Amed to discuss BoF Insights’ latest report, “Fashion in the Middle East: Optimism and Transformation” and what’s happening in the region’s fashion scene.

Key Insights:

• Women now make up 33 percent of the local workforce, women-owned businesses have increased 60 percent in the past two years, and their involvement in leadership roles has grown. “The biggest change is that it’s not just coming from someone in an office saying ‘Look, we’re going to open the doors for women,” said Mossali. “Women drive, women can get behind the wheel, making sure that they’re directing this change.”
• With the integration of women into the labour force, fashion in the region has evolved to suit working women’s lives, and trends like “modest wear” have grown. “What we’re seeing is its [garments] changing … Light fabrics, shorter, so that it doesn’t get caught inside our car door or the wheels of our office chair. It’s made now for us with that lifestyle in mind,” said Mossali.
• Due to increased digital transparency and connectivity, Saudi women are now looking to brands to provide more than accessories to go with their abayas — a full-length garment some Muslim women wear in public as outerwear, like a coat. “They [customers] want more ready-to-wear, more beauty, they want more shoes,” said Maki.
• Mossali believes while more flexible government regulations allow brands to create a growing fashion industry in the region, cultivating the business ultimately lies with the private sector. “When it comes to manufacturing, to education, a lot of those initiatives are coming with the support from the government, but they are led by the private sector and private institutions. [The government] is enabling us and empowering us to do those things,” said Mossali.
• During the discussion, Amed asked Mossali if Saudi Arabia can truly grow a thriving fashion ecosystem, given the criticism the country has received for its stance on LGBTQ rights — and the fact that the fashion industry’s workforce historically has high levels of LGBTQ representation. Mossali pointed to the Saudi Tourism Authority website, which says the country now welcomes LGBTQ visitors, and suggested that people wishing to better understand the country to visit in person.

Additional Resources:

• Fashion in the Middle East: Optimism and Transformation | BoF Insights: Shifting consumer behaviours and new government investment strategies have set up the fashion industry in the region to develop in the upcoming years.
• Why Fashion Is Betting Big on Saudi Arabia: The kingdom is set to drive growth for the industry as its economy booms, social reforms reshape consumer culture and futuristic cities sprout from the desert.