Fragrance is also a symbol of power, with history often marked by the influence of perfumes.
The fascination with frankincense dates back to before 1500 BC, when people first discovered the beauty of its resin tears. These early encounters eventually contributed to the development of the Incense Road, according to researcher Elise Vernon Pearl, author of Scent: A Natural History.
As trade expanded, frankincense and myrrh were transported out of the Arabian deserts, becoming central to one of the ancient world’s most important trading networks. By around 200 AD, Arabia was exporting more than 3,000 tons of incense to the Mediterranean region.
This marked the beginning of a global relationship with perfumes that has continued for centuries, with the Gulf remaining especially deeply connected to fragrance culture today.
Fragrance in the UAE is closely tied to identity, culture, and everyday life. As Ammar Nabeel Adam Ali, Assistant to CEO at Swiss Arabian Perfumes, explains, the region’s historical position along major spice trade routes meant that key ingredients such as frankincense, oud, and amber were widely traded. The UAE has preserved this heritage while also developing a modern global fragrance industry around it.
In that sense, the UAE has emerged as one of the world’s perfume capitals—not only as a major fragrance market, but because scent is deeply woven into everyday life in a way few cultures can match.
You can read more about perfume production and craftsmanship in the UAE here.
Oud: The “liquid gold” at the heart of Gulf perfumery
At the centre of this identity is oud, often referred to as “liquid gold” in the world of perfumery. Unlike flowers such as rose or jasmine, oud is not simply grown and harvested in a straightforward way. It forms when Aquilaria trees develop a natural defence response after infection, producing a dark aromatic resin within the wood. Over time, this resin matures into oud oil—one of the rarest and most valuable ingredients in perfumery.
“Oud is among the most technically complex raw materials in perfumery,” explains Abdulla Ajmal, CEO of Ajmal Dubai. “Not every tree develops resin, and even within resinous trees, the concentration, aroma profile, oil yield and maturity vary significantly.”
Its scarcity is a key reason oud has become closely associated with luxury across the Gulf. Yet perfume culture in the UAE extends far beyond exclusivity.
“In this part of the world, oud is not something people ‘discover’ through perfumery—they grow up around it,” Ajmal says. “You smell it in homes before guests arrive, in clothing, during celebrations, in prayer spaces, even attached to family members and memories.”
While the fragrance landscape has become increasingly global and modern, oud has never lost its cultural centrality. Instead, it has evolved with time. Younger generations may now wear oud in lighter or more contemporary compositions, but emotionally the note still represents familiarity, confidence, hospitality, and identity. For many across the Gulf, the scent of oud evokes a sense of home before it signifies luxury.
Ajmal also notes that oud carries a gemstone-like grading system, where factors such as colour, resin saturation, diffusion, depth, and ageing potential all determine its value.
Arabian perfumery has traditionally been built around intensity, layering, and atmosphere, while Western perfumery has often focused on structure, freshness, and seasonal wearability. In the Middle East, fragrance is not merely a finishing touch—it is deeply embedded in lifestyle, hospitality, grooming, and ritual.
The journey of oud
To harvest oud, farmers intentionally wound Aquilaria trees by scratching them with tools such as nails, screws, or hatchets to trigger resin formation. The infected or resin-rich wood is then separated from the healthy parts of the tree. These chips are subsequently ground, soaked for days or even weeks, and allowed to ferment before the extraction process begins.
The process takes even longer when nature is left undisturbed, as Dubai-based perfume connoisseur and collector Mariam Kandeel previously explained. “The process of forming an ‘infected tree’ takes 7–12 years when forced by humans, and if it is naturally infected, it takes 20–50 years; the latter produces a rarer and more expensive oud with an animalic note.”
Ajmal adds that even small variations such as water quality, soaking duration, pressure, and temperature can significantly alter the final scent profile. “A large part of oud evaluation still depends on experience rather than machines,” he notes.
This artisanal complexity is one reason oud continues to hold such prestige in the Gulf. Climate also plays an important role in shaping regional fragrance preferences.
In the intense Gulf summer heat, lighter citrus and floral fragrances tend to evaporate quickly. By contrast, oud, amber, and musk develop more slowly on the skin and fabric, gradually revealing smoky, woody, and leathery nuances over time.
Fragrance in the UAE is deeply embedded in culture, identity, and daily life. Historically, the region lay along key spice trade routes where core perfume ingredients such as frankincense, oud, and amber were actively exchanged. What makes the UAE distinctive is its ability to preserve this rich heritage while simultaneously building a modern global fragrance industry around it.
Why the UAE is the world’s perfume capital: Inside its rich oud and scent heritage
Ammar Nabeel Adam Ali
Assistant to CEO at Swiss Arabian Perfumes
Oud, the perfume of the Middle East
An ingredient so rare, and so deeply tied to centuries of trade history, oud is firmly embedded in the cultural DNA of the Gulf.
The Arabian Peninsula historically served as a major trading hub, especially for merchants traveling from India to the Levant, acting as a bridge between East and West. As Kandeel explains, oud and silk were once reserved for royalty and the wealthy, and the ingredient also carries spiritual significance, having become part of Friday prayer rituals.
Climate further reinforces regional scent preferences. In the extreme heat of the Gulf, lighter fragrances tend to evaporate quickly, making deeper, longer-lasting notes more suitable.
The Middle East’s climate plays a significant role in shaping fragrance preferences. Light citrus and floral scents tend to evaporate quickly in temperatures exceeding 40°C, whereas oud, a heavy high-molecular-weight base note, offers greater longevity and depth.
This preference for richness and lasting power has become one of the defining differences between Arabian and Western perfumery. As Ammar Nabeel Adam Ali, Assistant to CEO at Swiss Arabian Perfumes, explains, Arabian fragrances are characterised by their depth and richness, often built on traditional ingredients such as oud, amber, musk, and saffron.
Why Arabian perfumery feels different
Fragrances with stronger, richer compositions naturally perform better in desert climates, which has shaped the region’s long-standing preference for intensity, projection, and longevity. In the Gulf heat, lighter citrus or airy floral scents tend to dissipate quickly, while heavier ingredients like oud, amber, musk, and saffron evolve gradually over time, revealing different layers on skin and fabric.
This relationship with scent marks a key distinction between Arabian and Western fragrance traditions. As Ajmal notes, “Arabian perfumery was built around intensity, layering, and atmosphere, whereas Western perfumery historically evolved around freshness, structure, and seasonal wearability.”
In the Gulf, fragrance is not treated as a mere finishing touch before stepping out. Instead, it is an integral part of lifestyle, hospitality, grooming, and ritual. Perfume is expected to have presence—to linger in a space, leave a trail, and evolve over the course of the day.
This expectation has shaped the region’s perfume culture over time. Arabian perfumery traditionally favours deep, textured ingredients such as oud, incense, amber, rose, and musk, often used in higher concentrations than in many Western fragrances.
The ritual of layering
A distinctive feature of fragrance culture in the UAE and the wider Gulf is the practice of layering scents. Perfume is rarely worn as a single product.
Typically, bakhoor is first burned to infuse clothing and hair with fragrant smoke that clings to fabric. Oud oil, known as dehn al oud, is then applied directly to pulse points, followed by a final spray of perfume to create a personalised scent profile. In some households, even living spaces are scented with oud chips before the arrival of guests.
The result is immersive, with fragrance becoming part of the surrounding atmosphere itself.
Ajmal notes that this emotional connection to scent begins at an early age in the Gulf. “You smell it in homes before guests arrive, in clothing, during celebrations, in prayer spaces, even attached to family members and memories,” he explains. “For many people in the Gulf, the scent of oud feels like home before it feels like luxury.”
Dubai’s balance between heritage and modern luxury
This deeply ritualistic relationship with fragrance has helped position the UAE as a global perfume powerhouse. Dubai, in particular, has emerged as a crossroads where traditional Arabian perfumery meets contemporary international fragrance trends. Today, luxury niche houses, heritage Gulf brands, and global perfume giants all coexist within the city’s malls and traditional souqs.
Despite changing trends and evolving consumer tastes, oud continues to hold a strong emotional presence at the heart of the region’s fragrance identity.
“What shaped oud’s significance in the UAE is the way the country balanced preservation with modernity,” Ajmal says. “While the fragrance landscape became increasingly global and contemporary, oud never disappeared from the cultural centre. Instead, it adapted.”
This evolution is especially evident among younger consumers. Traditional dark, animalic oud oils continue to exist, but newer interpretations are increasingly refined—lighter, fresher, and more aligned with international tastes.
Why perfume in the UAE is more than luxury
Western fragrance houses now frequently incorporate oud into mainstream releases, while Gulf perfumers experiment with more modern structures and lighter compositions.
“Modern perfumery is increasingly seeing a dialogue between the two worlds,” Ajmal explains. “Western brands are embracing oud and richer materials, while Middle Eastern perfumery is exploring more contemporary aesthetics.”
Despite the globalisation of perfume trends, the UAE’s fragrance culture remains distinctive because scent continues to carry deep emotional significance.
Perfume is closely tied to memory, prayer, celebration, and the idea of home. This is reflected in practices such as burning bakhoor before gatherings and exchanging oud oils as gifts between families. As Ajmal notes, perfumes are often discussed with the same level of discernment as watches or jewellery.
Perhaps this is why fragrance in the region still feels almost mythical today.
Perfumes may eventually fade from the skin, but in the UAE, their meaning endures long after the scent itself has gone.
