Country of origin: United Arab Emirates

Dubai and UAE Perfume Brands

Dubai perfume culture runs from oud and saffron at night to a clean musk by day, and in the UAE the same person may wear both. Dubai has become a meeting point between traditional Arabian perfumery and modern international trends, Gulf News reports, with niche houses, heritage Gulf brands and global perfume groups side by side in the same malls and souqs. Emirati houses on this page include Lattafa, Kayali, Armaf and Ajmal.

132 houses 5,239 perfumes

The perfume market in the United Arab Emirates

Perfume here is worn in layers. Bakhoor is burned first so its smoke clings to clothes and hair, then oud oil, known as dehn el oud, goes on the pulse points, and a final perfume is sprayed over the top. Some households scent their rooms with oud chips before guests arrive, and in many Arab countries bakhoor is passed among guests in the majlis as a gesture of hospitality.

The heat decides a lot. Light citrus and airy florals evaporate fast in the Gulf, while oud, amber, musk and saffron unfold for hours on skin and fabric, which is why the region has long preferred depth and longevity. As the head of one Dubai perfume house told Gulf News, people there do not discover oud through perfumery; they grow up around it.

Tastes are widening. Shoppers are learning more about how a perfume is built and how it performs, and the retailers and makers Gulf News spoke to describe vanilla, caramel and other gourmand notes gaining ground beside oud, amber and musk, with fresh and fruity scents bought for daytime. Customers are building fragrance wardrobes for different moods and occasions and pay less attention to whether a perfume is marketed to men or women. Longevity and presentation still count, one chief executive told the paper.

Layering is the habit the region exports. One group managing director called it among the Middle East's most significant contributions to modern fragrance culture, and buyers in other markets are now taking it up in their own ways.

Designer 5 houses

Niche & Independent 23 houses

All 23 Niche & Independent houses from the United Arab Emirates

Arabian 97 houses

All 97 Arabian houses from the United Arab Emirates

Other kinds of house 7 houses

Perfume from the United Arab Emirates, in numbers

Of the 5,239 perfumes from the United Arab Emirates with a verdict, 31% are Favourites, 44% Statements and 25% Acquired. Statement, the most common, is our mark for a distinctive scent meant to stand out.

The notes that turn up most often across 5,239 perfumes from the United Arab Emirates, with how many of them use each:

Musk Musk 2,740 Vanilla Vanilla 2,322 Amber Amber 2,080 Bergamot Bergamot 1,910 Jasmine Jasmine 1,771

Of the 132 houses, 97 are Arabian, 23 niche or independent, 5 designer and 7 are other kinds of house, such as celebrity lines and retailers' own brands.

The houses from here that readers look up most are Afnan, Rasasi and Al Haramain Perfumes, and the most viewed perfumes are 9pm Eau de Parfum by Afnan, Amber Oud Gold Edition Eau de Parfum by Al Haramain Perfumes and Supremacy Silver Eau de Parfum by Afnan. That is our own page views, not sales.

Questions about perfume from the United Arab Emirates

How do people in the UAE wear perfume?

In layers. Bakhoor smoke is worked into clothes and hair first, then oud oil goes on the pulse points, then a spray of perfume on top, so two people using the same products can end up smelling different. Some households also scent rooms with oud chips before guests arrive.

What scents sell in the UAE?

Oud, amber, musk, saffron, rose and woods are still the core, say the perfumers and retailers Gulf News interviewed, because heavier materials last in the Gulf heat while light citrus fades fast. Gourmand notes such as vanilla and caramel are gaining ground, and fresh, fruity scents are selling as daytime options.

Which houses count as being from the United Arab Emirates?

Those based there, as recorded on each brand page, whatever their tier: designer, niche and independent, Arabian or anything else. A house whose country we have not recorded appears on no country page, and a house is listed once it has at least one published perfume.

Other countries

United States 347 France 341 Italy 212 United Kingdom 198 Germany 60 Spain 50 Netherlands 25 Saudi Arabia 23 Australia 22 Brazil 20 Sweden 19 Switzerland 18 Canada 17 South Korea 16 Turkey 16

All countries

Explore the pillars

Designer Is it worth it? Honest verdicts on the counter classics Niche & Independent Craft and independent houses, judged on the bottle Arabian Oud, amber and value the community swears by Ethical Vegan and cruelty-free houses, claims you can check

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