Middle East consumer company Amaani has landed seed funding for its first brand, AÏZA.WHO: Founded by Shubham Poddar, Amaani is a Dubai-based company on a mission to build new-age consumer brands from the Middle East. Its debut brand, AÏZA, blends Arab heritage with global innovation, using regional ingredients like dates, black seed, and bakhoor, combined with clinical actives, and crafted in leading labs in Korea, Japan, and Italy. Amaani plans to scale AÏZA across the region and globally, both online and through retail, while also developing a portfolio of future brands that continue to celebrate and reimagine Modern Arabia for the world.IN THEIR OWN WORDS: “For decades, the Middle East has fueled the success of global brands. But the world is now looking toward the Middle East—not just for inspiration, but for innovation. Amaani is our way of answering that call,” said Shubham Poddar, founder & CEO of Amaani. "Amaani means 'wishes and aspirations’ in Arabic, and that’s exactly what we’re building: brands that capture the spirit of a rising region and speak to the world. With the region boasting among the highest per capita beauty spend globally, growing online penetration, and an increasing demand for local relevance, Amaani is poised to meet a generational shift in how consumers shop and what they seek: brands that reflect their identity, values, and aspirations."“The GCC beauty and personal care market is already a $12B industry, growing at over 12% annually, with some of the highest per capita spends globally,” said GV Ravishankar, Managing Director at Peak XV.