While Western fragrance houses opt to recreate oud’s signature earthiness with synthetic ingredients, local traditional perfumers still prefer to use pure oud oil. Arabic perfumes have a distinct and exotic scent that makes them unique and instantly recognizable. They offer the wearer an experience of rich luxury, and the warmth of a heritage that spans millennia. Fragrance sales are estimated to generate $8.5 billion in fragrance sales in MENA by 2021, according to Euromonitor, an upswing from $5.7 billion in 2018. Learn more about the traditional Arabian scents of oud and bakhoor, and find out where you can pick up the best blends.
Perfumes and scents have come to play a very important part in the everyday life of Arabs. They are one of the first civilisations in the world to have adopted perfumes as a part of their daily life. The use of perfumes in Arabic society dates back almost 5,000 years. In fact the modern perfume industry owes a great deal to ancient Arabic perfumery.
Lootah
Inspired by a family’s passion inherited from their grandfather, Saleh Bin Nasser Bin Lootah, whose deep-rooted perfume and incense knowledge and expertise has been passed on through four generations of skilled perfumers – Lootah is the UAE’s leading contemporary perfumery, offering an extensive array of enchanting perfumes, incredible incenses, the finest fragrant oils, and the richest agarwood. A truly authentic Emirati brand with global appeal, Lootah is far more than just another perfumery; it is the vanguard of the finest fragrances, a contemporary aroma trend-setter with a scent for every moment. With locations across the UAE, Oman and Bahrain, along with a state-of-the-art online store, Lootah’s exquisite fragrances continue to enchant the senses of an ever-growing audience, across the region and beyond.
The UAE’s leading contemporary perfumery and aroma trend-setter – has launched its magnificent new ‘Velvet Blend’ range. Featuring three customisable gift sets, the ‘Velvet Blend’ range allows you to choose your favourite fragrant treasures from Lootah’s stunning selection of enchanting perfumes, incredible incenses, and fragrant ouds and oils, to be placed inside an exquisitely crafted, beautifully scented, luxurious velvet box.
Ajmal
Family-owned and run since 1951, Dubai-based perfumery Ajmal is a favourite among locals and residents. In-house fragrance ‘nose’ Nazir Ajmal specialises in spice-laden scents and traditional ouds, each housed in an ornate flacon. With boutiques in a number of Dubai malls, including The Dubai Mall, the Ajmal shopping experience includes sampling the brand’s signature scents to narrow down your personal fragrance profile. The Dahn Al Oudh line is a highlight, including the special edition Al Shams fragrance, which comes in three concentration intensities, depending on the wearer’s fondness for the scent.
Today, Ajmal’s family-owned business – headquartered out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates – is steered by the passion of the second and third generation of Ajmals; each playing a key role in the brand’s development and growth. All in all, Ajmal Perfumes is a brand with a rich heritage acquired through almost seven decades of experience and know-how in the intricate art of perfumery. A true innovator and a pioneer in the creation to the marketing of perfume products to a global clientele.
Oud is a fragrant oil derived from resin and worn traditionally by both Emirati men and women. It has a distinctive, mesmerising scent that visitors to Dubai will soon learn to recognise and associate with the Emirates
Amouage
Originating from neighbouring Oman, Amouage was born out of a love of fragrance, and is famed for its intricate blends of precious woods and Middle Eastern spices such as frankincense and myrrh. Amouage’s luxurious and eye-catching flacons make the perfect memento of your travels. Each vial consists of an elaborately formed blend of scent that tells its own tale.
Amouage perfumes carry a sophisticated signature that attests to unparalleled craftsmanship, quality, and creative integrity. Using only the finest and most special ingredients from around the world, Amouage perfumes are composed of world-recognized perfumers in Paris, Grasse, Geneva, and New York. Each creation is carefully handmade and tastefully blended to present an enveloping patina and a long-lasting elegant trail. Florals are multi-faceted, spices and woods juxtapose harmoniously and rare ingredients create intriguing contrasts.
Rasasi
Rasasi Perfumes is a family owned business in Dubai, founded in 1979 by visionary Abdul Razzak Kalsekar. His vision is now been carried forward by his six sons, each dedicated to carry forward a specialized task, yet collectively achieve the core objective of brand growth.
Over almost four decades, the company has built a solid foundation of pioneering entrepreneurial vigor, creating some of the best and most exclusive fragrances, which have established a worldwide reputation for quality, luxury and elegance. Today, Rasasi ranks amongst the UAE’s foremost fragrance companies, driven by global vision. Rasasi’s Oriental and Occidental perfume lines have found wide acceptance and preference within a wide customer base across the world.
Elegance, quality, competitiveness and innovation are synonymous with Rasasi. Over the last many decades, Rasasi has remained committed to its raison d’être of creating the finest perfumes that epitomize quality and sophistication, and moreover a fine mastery over the art of blending fragrances. This quest for perfection in scent artistry has spurred the evolution of this small family business with humble beginning, into one of the most modern regional industry leader with a global vision. As a regional industry leader with many firsts to its credit, Rasasi has been at the forefront of growth, innovation and evolution of the regional perfume sector into a modern and aggressively growing industry.
Attar Collection
Founded in 2015, based in Dubai (UAE), Attar Collection is a niche, luxury perfume house offering the richest quality of perfumes and natural oils presented in the exclusive design and a modern elegant image. It offers a unique collection of oriental and western style fragrances inspired by Arabic culture and heritage. All products are limited editions of creativity of famous designers and parfumer who keeps his name in a secret.
Designer Attar Collection has more 30 perfumes in our fragrance base. Attar Collection is a new fragrance brand. The earliest edition was created in 2015 and the newest is from 2020. Attar Collection fragrances were made in collaboration with perfumers Miroslav Petkov, Nuria Du Chene De Vere, Luz Vaquero, Mustafa Firoz, Esmail Firoz, Yann Vasnier, Jórdi Fernandez and Abdullah Mohsen Bin Shaya.
Oud is one of the most expensive natural resources in the world, fetching 1.5 times the price of gold, and is a great souvenir to take home from your visit to Dubai. Also known as oodh, oudh or by its Arabic name, عود, the oil is derived from the resinous heartwood (often known as agarwood), produced by trees belonging to the species of the Aquilaria genus of Thymelaeaceae family
Emirates Pride
The brand was first launched in 2011 with a single store in Dubai only to reach more than 16 branches across the UAE emirates in the following years. Customers can find Emirates Pride’s stores in, to name a few, Yas Mall, Dalma Mall, and Deerfields Mall in Abu Dhabi, in Fujairah Mall in Fujairah, and in Bawadi Mall in Al Ain.
With more than 45 products under its belt, Emirates Pride has already established itself as a distinguished Emirati perfume company. Its impeccable reputation does not only come from manufacturing fragrances which exude rich aromas, but their expertise also extends to Oud, Dokhoons, accessories, gift items and oil fragrances created from the finest raw materials from around the globe.
Swiss Arabian
Designed to be delicately dabbed onto pulse points, rather than heavily spritzed all over, Swiss Arabian’s line of alcohol-free, concentrated perfumes are true homages to oud, the rich and smoky resin distilled from the agarwood tree. One of their bestsellers, Kashkha, is a strong blend of oud, incense and saffron spice, lightened with a touch of musk. A unisex scent that’s housed in an ornate golden flask, it’s a slightly showy introduction to heady, woody aromatics, Dubai-style. Find the brand in leading retail hotspots, including Souk Al Bahar.
Ghawali
Inspired by the region’s first merchants who presented to royal family members their cargos of precious oils known as ‘ghalia’ and exquisite scents, Ghawali is another fascinating find. Founded in 2016, Ghawali offers a contemporary interpretation of rich perfumes, and premium bath and body products. Ghawali boutiques let shoppers select the notes and strength of their own personal fragrance blend, while an elegant bottle-engraving and personalisation service adds a special touch to the latest addition to your scent collection.
