Kayali (company)
Cosmetics company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kayali is a Dubai-based cosmetics company co-founded by sisters Mona and Huda Kattan in 2018.[1][2] Established as a fragrance brand under Huda Beauty, which the sisters also co-founded, the business now operates independently, jointly owned by chief executive officer Mona Kattan and American private equity firm General Atlantic.
| Industry | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2018 |
| Founder | |
| Headquarters | , United Arab Emirates |
| Key people | Mona Kattan (CEO) |
| Owners |
|
Number of employees | 130 (2025) |
History and operations
Kayali was co-founded in the United Arab Emirates[3] in November 2018 by sisters Mona and Huda Kattan. It originally launched as a fragrance brand under Huda Beauty,[4] which the sisters co-founded in 2013.[5] Mona and her father Ibrahim Yahya Kattan named Kayali after the Arabic word for "my imagination".[1][6]
In 2025, Huda Beauty divested ownership in Kayali.[7][8] Kayali now operates as an independent company with Mona Kattan and private equity firm General Atlantic as owners. Mona Kattan is also the chief executive officer.[2][9] The company's headquarters is located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[10] Kayali launched a website and direct-to-consumer platform in 2025.[11] The company had approximately 130 employees in November 2025.[12]
Kayali fragrances are carried by retailers Sephora, ASOS, Cult Beauty, Harrods,[13] Selfridges,[6] and Boots.[8][14] In 2024, the company expanded its availability to Mexico and the Philippines.[1][15] By the end of 2024, Kayali products were sold in 2,690 retail stores in 30 countries.[16][17]
Kayali won Fragrance of the Year – Women's Prestige at the Fragrance Foundation Awards, presented by The Fragrance Foundation.[18]
Products
On November 16, 2018, Kayali launched with four perfumes: "Elixir | 11", "Citrus | 08", "Musk | 12", and "Vanilla | 28".[19][20] The diamond-shaped bottles are a reference to the traditional crystal oud bottles commonly found in the souks in Dubai. The fragrances are manufactured in France by the Swiss company DSM-Firmenich.[6][20] The numbers in each product name indicate how many rounds of formulation it took to achieve the final product.[21]
According to Entrepreneur, the initial fragrances were designed to introduce the practice of fragrance layering in Arab culture to the Western world.[22] Vogue Arabia has credited Kayali and Mona Kattan with introducing perfume layering to a global audience.[23] Kayali launched eight fragrances in 2023 and an additional seven in 2024.[16] With the introduction of "Fleur Majesty Rose Royale | 31" in March 2025,[24] Kayali's product line-up now includes 27 fragrances.
In January 2025, Kayali launched a cologne line called Dapper Daddy in partnership with Ibrahim Kattan. Saffron Oud is the debut scent.[16] Kayali launched a line called Freedom with four new scents in November 2025.[12][25]