The women’s Abaya market is one of the largest segments within Saudi Arabia’s fashion market. In recent years, it has undergone notable changes and developments, with abayas classified under the outerwear category, which accounts for 22% of the Kingdom’s e-commerce fashion market, according to a report by the Saudi Fashion Commission.
This growth stems from fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and purchasing patterns, driven by social, economic, and practical factors. In addition, shifts in the aesthetic perceptions of abayas, along with the influence of designers and online retailers, have contributed to these transformations.
To further contextualize this discussion, we refer to an interview with Mohammed Al-Musaibah, founder of “Jawhara”, one of the leading platforms specializing in abayas, featured on the “Sawalif Business” podcast. Since its launch in 2016, “Jawhara” has reported annual revenues exceeding 200 million SAR, with monthly revenues reaching tens of millions.
Key Insights Shared by Mohammed Al-Musaibah in the Episode:
“The past Saudi Abaya Market relied on traditional methods and designs, but Saudi women designers and e-commerce have transformed it into an innovative market.”
“For beginners entering the abaya business, it is recommended not to start with manufacturing right away. Instead, buying abayas wholesale and reselling them is a better approach to understand customer behavior and preferences at a lower cost.”
“To ensure strong customer return and retention rates, new designs should have a lifecycle of no more than three to four months.”
“If you are aiming to target the widest market segment, the ideal price range should be between 200 and 320 SAR.”
“The production cost of the most expensive abaya, even with the best-quality fabric but without complex techniques or costly additions (such as hand embroidery or Swarovski), does not exceed 500 SAR. Any abaya priced higher than that without these extras is considered overpriced.”
“On average, a working woman buys one to two abayas per month, while a non-working woman purchases around four abayas per year.”
“One year, more than 4 million SAR was generated from abandoned carts—and the secret to that success was compelling content.”
“The biggest mistake we made was reducing marketing efforts.”
“The product journey does not begin with design; it begins with understanding the customer’s needs and engaging with them to gather requirements.”
“We follow more than 30 quality checkpoints to ensure the abaya meets standards after production.”
“I believe the secret to Jawhara’s success lies in targeting a broad segment of society with the right mix of pricing, quality, and constant renewal.”
“I identify the design features that attract customers and then create different products carrying those same features to guarantee higher sales.”
“We had over 400,000 active customers, and instead of focusing on acquiring new ones, we concentrated on our existing base. As a result, repeat purchases grew from 30% to 50%, as part of our organic marketing strategy.”
When asked about the future of the abaya market, he noted that the sector is witnessing significant expansion. The rising employment of women has largely contributed to the activity and growth of the abaya market in Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf. He added that the Saudi abaya has gained a strong reputation, with demand increasing in international markets.
and when discussing the differences between the abaya markets in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE, he explained: “All of us rely on importing raw materials from abroad, mainly from Italy and India. However, Kuwaitis travel extensively and fine-tune the craft, which gives them an edge in quality. That said, Saudi Arabia has recently witnessed the emergence of strong competitors, and the market is expanding rapidly, especially with the initiatives launched by the Fashion Commission.”
On export opportunities, he stated: “The potential of the Saudi market goes beyond meeting local demand. We receive numerous orders from abroad—countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Algeria, and Morocco—driven by a growing interest in experiencing Saudi products. Targeting tourists who seek to explore local offerings also represents a promising opportunity for the fashion sector as a whole.”
When asked what he would have done differently if he could go back to the first day of launching Jawhara with the same knowledge and experience, he replied that he would have invested more in building a workshop or factory to cover at least 30% of their needs instead of entering a long production cycle. He added that he would have avoided rapid expansion in hiring and placed greater focus and investment on financial analysis.
Addressing a question from Mansoooj on who leads abaya exports from Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Al-Musaibeh explained that exports to the UAE do not represent a significant figure, as the country already has factories with advanced technologies and its domestic market is not as large as Saudi Arabia’s, prompting it to focus on exporting substantial volumes to countries like Oman, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan. As for Bahrain, it achieves self-sufficiency through numerous small workshops largely run by Indian labor, in addition to limited demand due to its small population. Even our attempts to import abayas from Bahrain did not yield factories capable of meeting our needs. Meanwhile, factories in Saudi Arabia have begun expanding to meet demand, with importing from abroad still seen as an unfavorable option in the local market.
The social and economic transformations taking place in Saudi Arabia are reshaping the abaya market into one of the fastest-growing segments in fashion. This positions it as one of the most attractive investment opportunities in the region’s apparel industry.
