Stiff Competition

ENAR

Women aren’t allowed to drive there. When they leave the house, they must be accompanied by a male relative. And in public they must wear the all-enveloping abaya at all times. But beneath Saudi Arabia’s socially conservative exterior flourishes one of the hottest lingerie markets in the Arab world – at least according to sales figures from Nai, Lebanon’s biggest lingerie manufacturer. “Saudi Arabia accounts for between 12% and 15% of all our exports,” chuckles Roger Jammal, Nai’s owner and general manager. “After Lebanon, it’s the leading country in the region. It’s the richest country. It’s the biggest country. It has a lot of large cities.” The sole owner, Jammal established the company with an initial investment $400,000 in 1998, after moving back to Lebanon from the United States. He knew lingerie, having represented many US brands in Span and the Middle East. Nai came into being as a wholesale