September 2008 Where to: Find Arabian Perfumes

The Allure of the Arabian Scent

Something that captivates our mind, rejuvenates our senses and bestows a feeling of freshness and energy just through its fragrance is perfume. The influence of perfume has been felt throughout the history of Arab civilization. Incense and perfume are a part of daily Arab life, born with spicy and herbal scents Arab fragrance grew to discover the sweet flowery scents of saffron and rose. Further with the discovery of woody oils like sandalwood and agarwood a tantalizing new era was begun. Since then the Arab perfume industry has evolved and made certain changes to accommodate the varying tastes of their clientele. In this feature we take a look at some Arabian perfume manufacturers and their enduring fragrances. Syed Junaid Alam Celebrated by the names of ‘Junaid for Perfumes’ and ‘Attar Al Bahrain’, Syed Junaid Alam WLL is the oldest and largest manufacturer of perfume in the GCC and has three perfumery units in Bahrain. Founded by Syed Junaid Alam the brand which began as a small shop in the Manama souk at the beginning of the 20th century has transformed itself into a scentsational trendsetter. It has more than 120 retail outlets spanning the Middle East, Pakistan, Turkey and plans to spread out to North America and the Far East. Junaid Perfume brands are sold exclusively at its outlets and also include solid and oil perfumes, bakhoor and bridal gift sets. “We have introduced fragrances that have a French feel such as Fanan which is the first shimmer-based perfume in the Gulf. Apart from that we also have introduced gel-based fragrances that not only appeal to the women of today but also to youngsters”, says Hamad Fuad, director sales and marketing. “Each product is carefully developed to reflect its name and is in accord with its design, colours and aromatic characteristics, resulting in a distinctive brand,” explains Hamad. Junaid Perfumes outlets in Bahrain can be found all over Bahrain. A Ramadan collection is planned to be launched during the Holy Month and the products are priced in such a way that there is one for everyone! Reehat Al Atoor Inspired by Arabic culture on his arrival to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Mr. Rajesh Khanna set up Reehat Al Atoor in 1989 as a pastime. It has since flourished into a family business. This perfume house produces traditional as well as international scents and a combination of the two. These perfumes derived from natural essences reflect the Arab culture and heritage from its scent to the finished packaging, an example of this is the perfume Maraya meaning mirror in Arabic, is their latest French scent and comes with a mirrored finish. With exclusive showrooms at the Sheraton Complex, Dana Mall, Gold City and Riffa Bukuwara, Reehat Al Atoor have also been successful in unveiling their own line. With the onset of Ramadan, Reehat Al Atoor will be launching its seven latest products. Every month there are product launches and the company plans to set up a larger plant to satisfy the growing demand of its consumers. Newly appointed general manger Shahnawaz who is experienced in the business expansion of perfumery in the Middle East aims to increase the outlets in Bahrain to ten by the end of the year and expand to other GCC States over the next year. The company owns more than 100 brand names and sells well-known perfumes both Arabic and French. Amouage The House of Amouage was founded 25 years ago by the late Sayyid Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi on the request of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the ruler of the Sultanate of Oman, to reflect the wonderful heritage and traditions of his country for creating the finest, exotic and unique perfumes and for giving them as gifts to honoured guests. Amouage has a stellar following around the world including Royals, global leaders and some of the most celebrated names in entertainment and sports. Their fragrances use a number of significant indigenous ingredients such as the finest Silver Frankincense, and the incredibly rare Omani Rock Rose. The first Amouage fragrance was created by French master perfumer Guy Robert who scoured the world for the finest ingredients, over 120 of which were used in his masterpiece ‘Amouage Gold’ which is still their best selling fragrance. “I am convinced that Amouage has huge potential to be the first internationally distributed luxury brand originating out of the Gulf region. At Amouage our goal is to take the wonderful fragrances of the East, and to transpose them into internationally acceptable fragrances that have the ability to sell around the world.” says David Crickmore, CEO of Amouage. To celebrate the Holy month of Ramadan and Eid, special gift sets with limited edition attar sprays will be introduced. Amouage products are available at Al Hawaj stores and its first shop-in-shop in the kingdom will be located in Al Aali Mall. Ajmal Having been in the fragrance business for 56 years and has over 200 outlets in the Gulf. Ajmal was primarily based around oudh and its varying uses within the realm of perfumery and its primary fragrance range consisted of mainly oriental concentrates. “Today, I’m extremely proud to admit that we use the entire fragrance range, from Eau de parfums, both oriental and western in design,, says Abdulla Ajmal, general manager of Ajmal, Dubai. Sarah launched in 1992, was the first product of its kind to successfully blend eastern and western elements together and is till date used as a benchmark in creating fusion blends. It was the only perfume company to be listed in the ‘Forbes Arabia Top 40 Arab Brands’ in 2007 and was placed at 23rd position. Ajmal takes care of the environment and is involved in human welfare too. “We combine western ideologies with oriental elements providing our consumers with a unique brand of fragrances, a brand we like to term as “Ethnic Chic.” This is what the young consumers of today demand, individuality and through our varied product offering and our blends we are able to provide it to them.” Explains Ajmal. Ajmal outlets can be found all over Bahrain and through retail shops. Designer Shaik Designer Shaik Inc. established in 2002 is a luxury brand company. It produces a line of perfumes for both ladies and men, mainly markets in the Middle East and Europe. People buying a Designer Shaik product feel they are buying a piece of ancient mythical Arabia. The beautiful and sensuous fragrances include the opulent and chic range with the purest essential oils from France blended with exquisite elements from Arabia. These Arabian scents are hand-made using the finest and rarest of ingredients. “Global giants offer a wide range of products whereas ours is limited, but we offer tough competition. Our reputation is growing and that shows credibility. Each product has a theme and a story.” says Mohammed Al Asfoor the CEO and founder. Designer Shaik’s actions are inspired by its vision to create arrays of timeless gifts to be cherished, admired and desired by all but attainable by only a few. Designer Shaik has a range of perfume gifts by the name of ‘Jewellessence Blue’ which is a fusion of jewels and essences and the handcrafted elements make them artifacts to be cherished and admired for centuries to come. It’s perfumes are available at Bahrain Mall, Seef Mall, Bahrain Duty Free and Al Hawaj outlets. Musical Aromas Perfumes are known by ‘notes’ as in music. The top note is the one that is sensed immediately on application and the middle note is what remains when the top notes evaporate. On the disappearance of the middle notes what lingers is the base note, which along with the middle note represents the core aroma of the perfume. Perfumers try to emotionally connect with the wearer by distilling personality into a perfume. It is said and known that scent triggers memories, so to all you perfumistas out there, how will you choose to be remembered