How this startup is taking on the region's $15 billion cosmetics market

While Faisal Hakki was working at the Jordanian VC firm Accelerator Technology Holdings, where he screened, evaluated, and helped select investment opportunities, he began to notice the boom in the region’s e-commerce industry. Eager to launch of startup of his own, Hakki began to look at various commercial industries, isolating the ones with particular sets of problems or which had not yet been properly catered to in the region.

After looking at several industries such as travel and hospitality, pharmaceuticals, entertainment, and toys, Hakki settled on cosmetics and beauty products.

“What caught my attention about cosmetics is that it’s a really big market. It’s around $15 billion USD every year in the region and it’s growing at double-digit growth rates, mostly in the Gulf states,” says the entrepreneur.

Kohlah, Hakki’s resulting venture, is aimed at becoming the premier online cosmetic and beauty products destination in the Arab world. The beta site launched in January, and while Hakki declined to go into specifics, he says that sales have been steadily picking up, with a 50-60% increase in May alone.

Kohlah – Arabic slang for kohl, formal Arabic for traditional oriental eyeliner made from charcoal – is a straightforward e-commerce platform, currently servicing the Jordanian market, which offers a diverse selection of mid-range to high-end cosmetics, perfumes, and skincare products. It also offers a selection of mass consumer self-care and well-being products that are usually found in supermarkets and pharmacies.

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How this startup is taking on the region’s $15 billion cosmetics market