Health and business figures agree that counterfeit perfumes and cosmetics not only impinge upon the national economy, but also affect people's health. During a tour of the first Saudi Perfumes and Cosmetics Exhibition at the Hilton Hotel here at the weekend, Abdul-Khaliq Saeed, a well-known businessman and member of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), said that people need to realize the health dangers involved in the use of counterfeit perfumes and cosmetics. He added that the Saudi economy is also affected by the existence of such products in the local market. “Such exhibitions can play an important role in making customers, especially women, aware of the negative consequences of fake perfumes and cosmetic items,” Saeed told media representatives at the conclusion of the three-day exhibition. Dr. Munira Balahmar, consultant of community medicine and head of the health awareness unit at the First Care and Preventive Medicine Department, agrees with Saeed. “No doubt all counterfeited products are dangerous to humans. As for cosmetics and perfumes, they can cause serious health problems,” she said adding that when someone puts active ingredients on thin-skinned parts of the body like the face, neck or wrist, it surely endangers his or her life. “People are welcome to look for cheaper products, but not when the matter is related to health,” she added. The organizers of the exhibition gave families a chance to display their own homemade products, besides displaying the products of 60 national and international cosmetic and perfume companies. About 5,000 visitors toured the exhibition, which also witnessed the participation of some women beauticians. According to Mamdouh Khaled, head of the exhibition's organizing committee, the exhibition, with the participation of cosmetic experts and public awareness academicians, was the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia. “Organized under the patronage of Princess Moudhi Bint Mishari Bin Abdul Aziz, the exhibition emphasizes the importance of the Saudi fragrance and cosmetic market,” Khaled said. He added that the Saudi market annually consumes perfumes and cosmetics worth nearly SR4 billion. “This has encouraged several international and domestic companies with long experience in manufacturing perfumes and cosmetics to concentrate on the Saudi market,” he added.
