Anointing oneself with a fragrance before heading out the door can be seen as a sacred daily ritual, but in the Middle East, perfume takes on an even more highly prized position. From ancient times through today, there are rich practices surrounding scent for the body, clothing, and home, which has created fertile ground for a booming fragrance market, but its importance goes beyond mere shopping value. In fact, one could argue that the Middle East, especially Egypt and Mesopotamia, are some of the original birth places of perfumery.
The use of fragrance dates back to the pharoahs. Queen Hatshepsut’s love of fragrance reached so far that she sent groups to the Land of Punt to gather myrrh and turpentine pine resin. The Egyptians burned an incense known as kyphi (a concoction including cypress grass, raisins, and wine) as an offering and connection between the earthly and godly domains. They also extracted the oil of flowers such as lilies through wooden pressing machines, blending the result with resins, beeswax, and spices to create solid perfumes.
During the Islamic Golden Age (from the 8th to 13th century) the process of steam distillation using an alembic still was invented by Persian chemist Abdullah Ibn Sina (known as Avicenna in the West). In 1200 BCE Mesopotamia, female perfumer and chemist Tapputi created the first recorded fragrance formula containing flowers, oil, and calamus, etched in Akkadian on a clay tablet. Middle Eastern perfume recipes from 801 CE show the precursor to the modern perfume pyramid of top, heart, and base notes.
The Incense Route saw Arabs bring frankincense and myrrh via camel caravan to Europe between 3rd century BCE to 2nd century CE, but those aren’t the region’s only precious ingredients. Rose is another wildly popular material, not just as a fragrance but also as a drink (rose water), a sweet (Turkish delight), and to scent mosques. Leather, amber, sandalwood, vanilla, and saffron are also well-loved, unlike white floral fragrances that are less seen. Orange blossom remains a popular fragrance material in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, while jasmine, bergamot, neroli, and lavender are also often used in creations from the Levant region—in these regions, lighter summer fragrances are especially popular.
One of the most famous ingredients of the region is oud, which was introduced via trade with Southeast Asia. The ingredient’s recorded use dates back to 1400 BCE. Beginning in 14th Century CE Cyprus, it was used to treat medical conditions including ailments of the skin and intestines. Also spelled oudh and known as “black gold” or “wood of the gods,” the ingredient is derived from the Aquilaria tree, also known as agarwood, of which 15 species exist. When wood has been attacked by a fungus, its light wood turns into a “rotten” wood. Its wood chips can be burned as incense, but the oil derived from it is used in perfumery. Both have a distinctive scent that can smell animalic (at times almost fecal) and resinous.
One kilo of agarwood, which can cost anywhere between $8,000 to $30,000 depending on quality, is needed to produce a mere 1ml of resin. Due to its endangered status, most fragrances on the market contain a synthetic alternative, but that doesn’t mean the oud doesn’t work its same magic: lending a unique depth and intensity to whatever fragrance formula it graces.
The ingredient reached worldwide mainstream acclaim in the 2010s with releases by Western houses such as Tom Ford’s Oud Wood (launched in 2007) and Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Oud (launched in 2012), becoming best-selling interpretations of the material, drawing increased outside interest to the scent practices of the region.
Long before the Western world was proclaiming scents should be unisex, that men are free to wear florals and women woody scents, the Middle East was a region of nongendered fragrance—and fragrance aplenty. It is more than a home accessory or personal touch-up, but rather an intrinsic part of Middle Eastern customs and cultures. In traditional homes, one can encounter the scent of bakhoor (scented wooden chip incense, the smoke of which is also used to scent clothing) or be offered a tray of scents to perfume themselves with. Bakhoor is something of a fragrance family signature, with specific types being unique to a certain lineage and select bakhoor buying expeditions ensuring they have enough stock for all occasions. Higher-quality versions of it are lit on special events, and wedding guests are anointed with the aromatic smoke upon arrival.
Wearing a scent, especially one with plenty of projection and sillage, is seen as a sign of generosity towards others, but also a practice of self-care. The bolder, the better: being beautifully scented is part of a wider cultural practice of giving back to those around you. If you can gift them with the beautiful waft of fragrance that lingers long before (and after) you are in the room, all the better.
Fragrance can be a way to express their individuality when they are unable to do so through fashion or hair styles. Layering different formats of fragrances (including oud and musk oils on the heat points of the body, as well as hair perfumes) are popular practices. Wearing three or four perfumes at a time is common-place. Beyond a mere finishing touch, perfumes operate as an expression of individualism, so finding the perfect mix of fragrances and spraying oneself generously in them throughout the day, is welcomed. In regions of fragrance enthusiasts, finding the ultimate unique potion is a pursuit of passion. That also equates to buying fragrance in bulk. McKinsey data shows projected sales figures of $5.4 billion by 2027, while Expert Market Research predicts it will be worth $7.21 billion by 2032, largely driven by the UAE and Saudi Arabia. According to research by IMARC Group, the UAE mar- ket will grow at a CAGR of 8.4% until 2026, Kuwait is one of the fastest growing markets for premium fragrance products, and customers in Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar prefer oil-based formats. Male purchasing power is also increasing, boosting sales. Case in point: Annual sales of Omani-based luxury fragrance house Amouage have now surpassed $210 million.
Regional brands include Ajmal Perfumes, Abdul Samad Al Qurashi, Arcadia, Anfas, Armaf, Lattafa and Oman Luxury, which produce bold and long-lasting fragrances—some drawing on ingredients and inspirations from the area but others taking a more international approach to their fragrance creations. Attars are a popular format due to their lack of alcohol content but also strong and potent scent. But aside from homegrown companies, there is also interest in rose-and vanilla-based scents from European houses, specifically high-end niche and legacy brands.
Western brands are also paying more attention to this blossoming fragrance market. Region-exclusive launches from international brands—such as Scandal Gold by Jean Paul Gaultier, Diptyque’s Eau Nabati, and Eau Rihla, or Christian Louboutin’s Loubiprince— are a testament to the thriving fragrance culture. The brands realizing the wide variety of tastes for statement-making perfumes and exclusive blends will reap the benefits.
Following social media, the region’s fragrance consumer of today is more driven than ever to find the ideal fragrance wardrobe to complement their daily spritzes of eau de parfum and appointments of fragrance oil. Meanwhile, Western shoppers are discovering the strong and long-wearing fragrances of houses from the region. From its historical contributions to fragrance as we know it today, to an undeniably alluring practice of scenting the everyday, the Middle East is a fragrance destination not to be missed.
