The Middle East is the birthplace of a perfume civilization. It’s a place where fragrance is deeply embedded in daily life and in religious rituals. Centuries-old traditions are still upheld today and the modern world looks to the past with reverence and admiration. In this world, fragrance is more than scent, it’s part of history, identity and emotion, as we will learn in this chapter. Finally, I’ll take you perfume shopping with me in the spice market before we discover how local brands are trying to get a foothold in the West.

Customs & Traditions

To someone from the Middle East, fragrance is part of life. Saeed Alnuaimi, Founder and Managing Director of the Dubai-based Scent Library Group talked to me about growing up with scent. “Perfume is everywhere. When I go out, I have my oils with me. We grew up with this. Fragrance is every day, all day. In the morning I put it on after my shower, my wife perfumes the house and she also perfumes the bed. If I have an event in the evening I take another shower and put on a different fragrance. This is a cultural thing that I want people to understand.”

Cleanliness

Indeed cleanliness, grooming and the use of scent are rooted in religion. In Arabic culture hammams, which could be considered as an evolution from the Ancient Roman and Turkish bath houses, were places to prepare the body before prayer and were often located near mosques. There were strict routines to follow which included the use of soaps, unguents, oils and scented waters.

Mohammed Abu Hajar, an important Influencer based in Saudi Arabia, commented on the practice today. “Religions, and not only Islam, all have rituals when it comes to fragrance. There are special incense in churches, for instance. In Islam, for Friday prayer, you need to bathe, you put on your best fragrance and when people are gathered there is an amazing aroma.”

Taking it further, I found that, according to a hadith in the collection of Sahih al-Bukhari*, the Prophet Mohammed is reported to have said that anyone who takes a bath on Friday and puts oil on his hair or scents himself, and then proceeds to prayer will be forgiven of all his sins between the present and the last Friday. He was also known to have enjoyed fragrance and he encouraged his followers to apply scent before attending congregational prayer.

Bakhoor

It is impossible to speak of fragrance in this part of the world without addressing the topic of bakhoor. Made of wood chips that have either been mixed with natural resins, like frankincense, or soaked in perfume oil then mixed with other ingredients such as sandalwood, these aromatic blends are burned like incense. Bakhoor may include oud or it could have other ingredients like camphor or musk.

Bakhoor is burned in the market, in front of shops, and above all, at home; it permeates the air with its fragrance rich smoke. Families often have their own blend, custom made, which wafts from room to room and sets a tranquil ambiance as one enters the house. As we learned in Chapter 1, bakhoor is also used to perfume garments, a custom that began with the Prophet Mohammed.

I asked Saeed to tell me how he uses bakhoor in his daily life.

“We use bakhoor three times a day. We wake up and we have the burner at breakfast, we place it under the kandura (a men’s garment) to scent the fabric Then we spray fragrance on top and we go off on our day. We use a more costly version to do this for the garments we wear to go out. It’s like driving a Rolls Royce as opposed to a simple car – you want people to see it, or in this case, smell the quality. After it scents the fabric we spray fragrance. My wife mixes bakhoor to scent the house. We also burn it after the meals to clear away any smells, of fish for example.”

During Ramadan, the sacred month of prayer, fasting and reflection, fragrance plays a symbolic role, deepening the spiritual experience and helping the faithful to stay focused. The scent of bakhoor is revered for its ability to enhance the spiritual ambiance and to act as a mood lifter.

Hospitality and Grooming

The home in this part of the world is a fragrant place from the moment you step inside. The welcoming ritual may include perfuming the hair or the clothes of guests with burning fragrances or floral waters. Alternatively, perhaps a tray with an assortment of fragrances will be offered and the guest may perfume himself. This ritual is as integral to the culture as serving coffee and dates as refreshments. The scent of bakhoor, a custom blend made for the family, will waft through the air, and during special occasions or religious observations, the family may commission another blend.

Perfumes are often exchanged as gifts during social gatherings and special occasions, symbolizing appreciation, joy, happiness and affection. ** It is said that the Prophet Mohammed never refused a gift of perfume and advised his followers to do the same.

Fragrance Layering

I was very curious about the fumigation process and the use of perfume oils which Alexandre Helwani, independent perfumer, explained to me. “The fragrance layering process is quite specific. First you put your oil or attar directly on the skin. It makes a lot of sense to use oils when you live in such a hot climate with humidity levels that are absolutely soaring. If you wear an alcohol based fragrance it will evaporate quickly compared to an oil. The oil sort of seals it all into your skin. Then you put the garments that have been infused with bakhoor and then you put your alcohol based fragrance.”

I wondered how this worked on a practical basis. Alexandre shared his tips with me. “If you use an actual burner, it takes 10 – 15 minutes for the charcoal to glow red, then you put the bakhoor, that takes 5 minutes to be ready….so it’s at least a 30 minute ritual just to put your fragrance. Of course, now you have electric burners that are much faster – in 2 minutes you’re done!”

With such rigorous customs in place, it should be no surprise that people from this region are very savvy when it comes to fragrance. One could even say the individual is a creative director of fragrance for himself, after years of experience of layering scents to find a combination that is truly distinct and unique. Scent is a kind of signature that leaves an impression and with which one has the freedom for personal expression. Just think for a moment about traditional dress in the Gulf. Men tend to wear a long garment called a kandura, thawb or dishdasha that, to the uneducated eye, may all seem to be the same, and then typically they wear a headscarf which may be tied in different means according to the region. Some of the garments have collars, some don’t, some have loose sleeves, some have cuffs and require a cufflink, and so on. This is equally the case for women. In any event, the differences are subtle, and so it is suggested that fragrance fills a void for the individual to make a personal statement.

Rawya Catto, General Manager of CPL Aromas Middle East explained that the way consumers use fragrance in the region is very different from the West. “They fragrance their clothes, their hair, their skin. In this part of the world, fragrance is one of the definers of someone’s personality, social status, and uniqueness. Middle Eastern women and men create their own blends by layering different perfumes and formats and adapting them to seasons and occasions.” At Esxence 2024, Rawya told us about an experience she had in an elevator when she complimented an Emirati woman on her fragrance, which she identified. The woman was displeased and basically said, “if you recognize it, then I have to change my blend because it’s not unique enough.” This story illustrates the value placed on the layering custom and how important it is to have a scent that is unique to the wearer.

Perfume we have seen accompanies the individual from morning to night, from inside to outside the home, in spirituality and in festivities. Now let us explore local products.

In the Market

Shopping for fragrance in the Middle East is now a cross-cultural experience blending Western and Arabic taste as Alexandre explained to me. “20 years ago if you went to the perfume souk you had a lot of traditional shops. Now when you go you see a lot of shops selling copies of best-selling perfumes in an oil format. They may have hundreds of bottles, and it’s their version of Western fragrances, diluted in a solvent. It’s a manufactured copy. The task of trying to find the best product takes a lot of time. Some shop keepers may have a wonderful vetiver but their saffron will be terrible. Someone else will have a great oud but the musks aren’t good. You have to know the right people, it’s a really difficult exercise! You have to smell all that they have and then keep a record.”

I was lucky enough to make a visit to the perfume souk in Dubai in 2023. Honestly, I could have stayed there all day. One of the shops we visited had a myriad of products ranging from scent to spices, cosmetics, herbal teas, tisanes, and medicinal treatments. There was a wide range of fragrance applications and concentrations from authentic local scents to copies of Western scents such as Dior J’adore and Creed Aventus. I spent my time with the traditional Arabian perfumes where I found everything from light blends to more tenacious attars and perfume oils. I left the shop with a tiny bottle of an exquisite amber fragrance.

Local Brands

Today in the fragrance category, one of the most searched terms on the internet is “Arabian Perfumes”. ** Is it any wonder then that Middle Eastern brands are looking to grow their penetration in the West? While Nishane*** from Turkey and Amouage**** from Oman may be setting the bar, there are plenty of others forging their own path, and the scents aren’t always steeped in oud.

Saeed, who we met earlier, is both a retailer and a brand founder. I asked him to tell me about his journey. “We have a history of being in the fragrance business: I’ve been a retailer for 9 years, and I’ve been a collector for 12 years. Our vision has been to position the company internationally. In 2017 I started working on the brand and launched 4 fragrances in 2020. I’ve learned about the packaging, the sprayer, the kind of oud we use. I’ve gotten advice from so many brands and so many people.”

His brand, the Scent Library, is “…a library of books that are scents in a full range of fragrance families. Each fragrance is a book with chapters that you smell, which give you memories, information and so much more. In the Emirates, you have people from one of three areas: the mountains, the desert or the sea. We also have the Seven Scents of UAE, a tribute to our country where each fragrance is named after a place or something of value in our culture.”

Mohammed in the meantime is working with local brands to help them modernize and gain traction in the West. “In Saudia Arabia the top three heritage brands are very old fashioned and they are not so much a “maison” like Amouage. There’s no creative director nor big name perfumer.”

It has to be frustrating for local brands to see the glut of Western brands infiltrating the market with their own oud or Arabian inspired fragrances. With his background in PR, his acclaim as an influencer and his experience as a long-time fragrance collector, many brands are reaching out to Mohammed for help. “How does a 40 year old small brand renew their brand image? You see their very early works inspired by their upbringing and their environments but when they want to go beyond what is local they have to be open to change, to accept and cater to different tastes. What is the best practice, what is happening globally, how can they reinvent their brand. They need help transitioning from a small family business to a global fragrance brand, and they are putting in the effort to catch up.”

In fact when it comes to domestic brands, the assortment ranges from mass to class, banal to artistic. I contacted Talal Beydoun, Business Development Director at import and distribution company Création Alexandre Miya Paris, based in Dubai, to give me his view on the matter. “It’s very difficult to quantify what these brands are generating. Some are very low priced around 15€ and others have an average price point close to 200€. They are selling approximately half a million bottles per year! It includes perfume, room diffusers, room sprays, all used for different rituals. It’s probably twofold what is being consumed in Western brands”.

He explained that one of the reasons behind the consumption is preference. “The rituals, habits, likes and dislikes vary by country. What works in Kuwait may not work in Saudi Arabia or Bahrain. Brands have to understand each market and how they use fragrance.”

Regional brands are popping up quickly and in fact they are setting trends. Brands such as Arabian Oud, Ajmal, Widian, Tola and Ghawali are available in free standing and multi-brand niche perfumery boutiques around the world while others such as Lattafa, Gissah and Reef are the darlings of #arabperfume on TikTok. At Esxence 2024, the annual niche perfume trade show in Milan, the presence of Arabian brands was impressive. Middle Eastern perfumers are blending their rich heritage with modern techniques and ingredients, creating fragrances that appeal to both regional and international markets.

I wondered, if Amouage is the gold standard, who is the next Amouage? “None have yet reached a maturity level that is comparable, though some, like Ojar who has a focus on the oils, are trying,” Talal told me. “ Amouage started a long time ago, they have had ups and downs, and now they are an international brand with an international team in and outside the region.”

Mohammed sees a bright future “There are some very talented perfumers now in Saudi Arabia, there are many budding perfumers here and in the Gulf. I try to open doors for the newcomers who are really talented. With all my respect for what they do, I’m envious of Amouage, and I wish we had something similar in Saudi.”

Time will tell.

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In Chapter 3 we learn about the consumer and the retail landscape before taking a look into the future.

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Note: The Middle East is a very complicated region to define, and in fact definitions have changed over the years. When I sourced this question, World Atlas stated “The Middle East is a geographically and culturally diverse region made up of 17 countries spanning northern Africa and western Asia.”

The Levant includes the historic areas of Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Syria, Cyprus and the Hatay Peninsula, located in modern-day Turkey, although a broader description defines it as the territories from Greece to Egypt.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) includes the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, except for Iraq. This is a regional organization of six oil-rich countries who share common cultural and religious identities and seek to achieve regional cohesion.

*A hadith is a report of words or actions attributed to the Prophet Mohammed.

** Arabian Perfume and Pistachio Perfume Named Top Growing Fragrance Trends in U.S. | Perfumer & Flavorist

*** “NISHANE is the first and only Istanbul based niche perfume brand that is celebrated globally with an exceptional point of view on artistic perfumery.” www.nishane.com Annual sales not available.

****”Founded in the Sultanate of Oman in 1983 to be ‘The Gift of Kings’, the House has redefined the Arabian art of perfumery and garnered a global reputation for bringing innovative modernity and true artistry to all its creations.” www.amouage.com Annual sales were reported at $210 million in 2023.

Sources

https://rohaoud.com/2021/12/27/oud-in-islam/

How the Middle Eastern Fragrance Market is Influencing Global Consumer Habits | Perfumer & Flavorist

What is bakhoor (and how to use bakhoor)? - Three Kings

The Role of Perfumes in Arabian Literature and Poetry · Maison Anthony Marmin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o6WJkrWW8&list=PLvu7GGxyqhRa3demb_nuIp0MmTpgKVOUM&index=15

Photo credits: Thank you to Randi Sherman for the photos in the Souk of Dubai.