Perfume in the Middle East

Many of the worlds arts and sciences were born in the Middle East. Many people believe that the art of perfume began in Egypt. French perfumers, particularly Guerlain (who developed Shalimar) and others took their cues from the Middle East.

Current world politics aside, I was particularly cheered by this report from a Cosmetics Business newsletter that indicates that the perfume industry is recovering in the Middle East. This is good news for the region, for our fellow perfume lovers across the globe, and for the industry as middle eastern perfumers have always been innovative and added to the art.

I've reprinted a section of the report below . . .

In the perfume sector, European and American brands still dominate the market, particularly in the Levant. But major oriental perfume manufacturers in the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia report surging demand, with average growth of over 20% as packaging improves, the number of outlets increases and interest by non-Arab consumers rises.

“At one time oriental perfume was sold only to Arabs, but now 70-75% goes to Arabs and the rest to Pakistanis, then westerners, primarily Germans and the English,” says Abdullah Ajmal, assistant general manager of Ajmal Perfumes in Dubai. Feeding perfume sales is the region’s penchant for cosmetics and perfumes, estimated at US$334 spent annually per person in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries of Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE.

In a survey carried out by Ajmal, the company found that the average male or female customer has between six and eight bottles of perfume at home. “It is a three times a day habit, even carrying perfume in the car. People in the GCC use five times more perfume than their western counterparts,” says Ajmal.