Seoul: CJ Olive Young Corp., the retail unit of South Korea's food-to-cosmetics conglomerate CJ Group, announced a new partnership with Life Healthcare Group (LHG), a prominent health care company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to introduce Korean beauty products to the Middle Eastern market.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the partnership is formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two companies. This agreement plans for the distribution of Korean cosmetics and beauty products across 580 Life Pharmacy stores, a drugstore chain operated by LHG. CJ Olive Young aims to leverage this agreement to bolster its network of local distribution partners, facilitating wider support for promising K-beauty brands looking to enter or grow in the Middle Eastern market.

A CJ Olive Young official highlighted the potential for growth in the Middle East, noting the region's familiarity with Korean culture and the corresponding potential in the beauty and health care industries for Korean brands. The official further explained that the collaboration with LHG, which possesses a strong distribution framework across the UAE, is expected to propel the international expansion of domestic small and medium-sized cosmetics brands.

Currently, CJ Olive Young offers its own skincare and cosmetics brands, such as Bring Green, WakeMake, and Colorgram, in Middle Eastern markets including the UAE and Saudi Arabia through local retailers. Additionally, its products are accessible via its cross-border e-commerce platform, Olive Young Global.