Givaudan Casablanca hub targets growing Middle East and Africa beauty markets

Givaudan has inaugurated a fragrance development hub in Casablanca, Morocco, to bolster its Fragrance & Beauty presence in the South Asia, Middle East, and Africa (SAMEA) region. The fragrances and active beauty ingredients company is positioning the new hub at the core of its Maghreb and West Africa strategy.

The company underlines the SAMEA region as a key priority for the company and one of the fastest-growing markets for fragrance.

The move deepens Givaudan’s footprint in Morocco following its entry into the country in March 2025. The new hub features local fragrance development capabilities and a dedicated commercial team serving customers across the Maghreb and West Africa.

“Casablanca is a natural gateway for our regional ambitions,” says Felix Mayr-Harting, global head of Consumer Products at Givaudan. “Our Moroccan team brings a deep understanding of consumer habits across SAMEA, and that insight is what will make the difference for our customers.”

Aligned with Givaudan’s assessment, a recent industry report by BeautyMatter stated that the Middle Eastern beauty market is on track to reach US$20.8 billion by 2030, up from US$14.3 billion in 2025. The Middle East and Africa grew by 16%, compared to the 6% global beauty market average.

Fragrance facilities

The Casablanca hub features modern application and perfumery laboratories, a development department, and office space. The facilities will allow for faster innovation across Fabric Care, Home Care, Personal Care, and Fine Fragrance.

The site will also bolster client relations through a team of evaluators and marketing managers, aiding in improved proximity and responsiveness in the region.

The Casablanca facility strengthens Givaudan's fragrance innovation capabilities across SAMEA.“This expansion is fully in line with our 2030 strategy and reflects our long-term commitment to grow closer to our local and regional customers across the SAMEA region,” says Maurizio Volpi, president of Fragrance & Beauty at Givaudan.

“By investing in Casablanca, we are building the creative and technical foundations to support their ambitions with agility, and to unlock the full potential of these dynamic markets.”

Fragrance remains Givaudan’s financial stronghold as Fragrance & Beauty propped up its faltering 2026 H1 financial results. The manufacturer’s financial results revealed that the company struggled to maintain revenue, profit, and cash flow despite its sturdy underlying sales growth. The financials were primarily supported by personal care, as Fragrance carried the company through Q1 and Q2.

To mark the launch of the site, Givaudan hosted an event for customers, partners, and regional perfumers with the theme “House of the Rising Sun — Where Light Becomes Scent.” Guests were invited to experience the olfactory heritage of the Maghreb and West Africa through regional perfumers’ craft and curated sensory experiences.

Regional scent trajectory

The SAMEA region has been sustaining its upward momentum across beauty with a particularly flourishing performance in fragrances.

Similar to Givaudan, dsm-firmenich also invested in its fragrance capacity in the region by opening a fragrance space in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier this year.

The BeautyMatter report highlighted that Saudi Arabia’s fragrance market reached a US$2.9 billion valuation in 2025. The Kingdom’s per-capita beauty spending amounts to US$164.9, which, according to the report, is ahead of most Western European markets.

As the region attracts industry attention, it is also serving as a resilience indicator alongside geopolitical and macroeconomic volatility.

In February, Personal Care Insights spoke with Schwan Cosmetics, who told us that the Middle Eastern market’s volatile economy, varying regulatory frameworks, and climate-related constraints are a litmus test for brands aiming to gain a foothold.