Saudi Arabia Enters the Wellness World

When former world number-two tennis player Ons Jabeur debuted her new athletic sponsor on the court earlier this year, all eyes turned to the brand from Saudi Arabia. Kayanee, the Kingdom’s first homegrown fitness brand, inked a five-year deal to design an exclusive range for the high-profile Tunisian athlete.

Launched just nine months ago, Kayanee is a wellness company that offers premium, locally designed activewear combining style, functionality and cultural relevance. Through added offerings like fitness programs, personal care products and nutrition, Kayanee aims to become a one-stop shop for women’s well-being in Saudi Arabia.

Wholly owned by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, the company is chaired by one of the country’s most high-profile women, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.S. Princess Reema previously led the country’s sports federation and sent Saudi Arabia’s first female athletes to the Olympics.

While the company has a clear market opportunity and business target, there is an added social impact component for Kayanee, which is in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan — to empower the well-being of women. Kayanee’s understanding of the customer and ability to cater to the diverse cultural preferences of its consumers gives it a unique position to create a product that is commercially successful and also inspires a community.

“There is a misconception that people think activewear in the Middle East has to be modest. The reality is women exercise with other women,” said Mimi Fraser, a seasoned brand builder who sits on the board of Kayanee. “What we found was that women cared about what they wore while going to the gym and what to put on after the gym. They want to be stylish and comfortable while they hang out.”

The brand is very focused on craftsmanship. “For Kayanee, quality of the product is really first and foremost,” said Fraser. “The consumer is so sophisticated and very in tune with fabrics and manufacturing techniques. This is consumer society that are constantly bombarded with products.”

During product development, a lot of research was done to create the right sizing suited to women in Saudi Arabia. “We used state-of-the-art body scanning to capture data and create products that were the right fit for Saudi women.” The brand offers a range of sizes, designs and styling options which can be layered to a customers’ different lifestyle needs.

In April, Kayanee’s first physical location launched in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, which showcases the full range of the brand’s wellness offerings. A state of the art fitness studio offers Pilates classes as well as Kayanee’s own dance fitness programming that incorporates traditional Middle Eastern beats and music. There is also a health food cafe, a boutique carrying the full range of apparel and wellness products for skin, hair and scalp.

Kayanee’s skin care is infused with locally inspired ingredients like saffron, cardamom and rose. Fraser said while the pressure is on to create high quality products that stand up to the leadings brands around the world, there is also a lot of pride for Saudis in wearing Saudi brands.

“The youth, and especially the women, in this market have a very strong voice. They are dedicated to building in a new direction and are experiencing a renaissance where, as Princess Reema says ‘they are falling in love with their country again.’”

The company plans to add more locations around Saudi Arabia and eventually expand across the Middle East.