Perfumes from luxury brands such as Gucci and Chanel, and scents endorsed by celebrities including Katy Perry and Jennifer Lopez are now competing with a greater number of Oud-inspired fragrances, according to retailers in the region.
Globally, the fragrance market was worth about US$30 billion last year and has been forecast to grow to $45.6bn by 2018, according to the market research company Mintel.
While the Mena region accounts for only about 10 per cent of the global market, the growing demand for premium products is giving it greater significance to the industry.
According to a Saudi media report, more than Dh12bn is spent on perfumes and skincare products in the Arabian Gulf region every year, with about half of that in Saudi Arabia.
Prism Group, a corporate gift supplier to government offices, has recently launched a range of Arabic perfumes sold in Wojooh, Paris Gallery and Faces shops across the UAE and in Saudi.
The first deliveries of its seven scents, branded Kindus and manufactured and packaged in France, were delivered only three months ago but it has now had to increase production to meet demand.
“In a three-month period we have sold around 10,000 bottles in the KSA and 5,000 bottles in the UAE,” said Mohammed Abdul Jaleel Mussabah, chairman of the Prism group. “I saw a 25 per cent rise in demand for perfume in the first quarter of 2014 and realised we had to be in this market. We have sold 80 per cent of our stock in Saudi Arabia and 75 per cent in the UAE with little marketing. We just use the beautiful Arabic calligraphy of seven different letters as our product names.”
Prism expects to start selling its Kindus range in Bloomingdale’s and Debenhams as well as in Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Jo Malone, the British perfumer that moved into the Middle East in Dubai in 2009, now has 10 outlets across the region. It introduced its regionally-inspired fragrance Oud and Bergamot in 2010.
“Oud and Bergamot is our No 1 seller,” said a sales assistant at Jo Malone’s outlet in Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. “It is not only our GCC customers that buy the fragrance, but people from the Orient and Russia love the strong smoky fragrance.”
International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), a fragrance house established in 1889, opened up a creative centre in Dubai in June to help it target the region.
“The Middle East is the fastest-growing market in the world right now when it comes to fine fragrances,” said Xavier Renard, the president and regional general manager of fine fragrance and beauty care for IFF, speaking at the opening of the centre.
“Recent fragrances we’ve been involved in the creation of – and that had a major launch in the Middle East – include Invictus by Paco Rabanne and Valentino’s Uomo, among many others. It is key for us to be here and also important for us to bring a new level of creativity to the market.”
ascott@thenational.ae
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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The five pillars of Islam
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The specs: 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 60kWh battery
Transmission: Single-speed Electronic Precision Shift
Power: 204hp
Torque: 360Nm
Range: 520km (claimed)
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Remaining fixtures
- August 29 – UAE v Saudi Arabia, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
- September 5 – Iraq v UAE, Amman, Jordan (venue TBC)
The UAE's journey to space
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