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Llewellyn Flores
Doha
When one talks about Middle Eastern perfume, oudh immediately comes to mind. Interestingly, even though the region's bottled scents have two main bases musk and damask rose oudh is the one synonymous with Middle Eastern perfume, according to perfumer Hani Almustafa.
This is perhaps because oudh has been used in the Middle East since ancient times, much longer than musk or damask rose. Its use is part of the region's culture; its value lying more on what it signifies rather than on its esteemed scent.
According to Hani, the wood is burned inside the house, not necessarily to give it a pleasing scent but rather, to give it a warmer ambience. And to visitors, the smell of oudh symbolises a sincere welcome. Burning of oudh was essential at important family gatherings such as at Eid and weddings.
While many elements of a people's culture die as it embraces modernity, the practice of burning oudh to welcome visitors, during special occasions and during prayers remains meaningful in the Middle East. Its use as the main ingredient in perfumes continues to grow, catching even the attention of international perfume brands. Thus, oudh remains an important commodity in the region even more so because supply is not so abundant.
Outside the Middle East, oudh is more commonly known as agarwood a resinous heartwood from evergreen trees native to Southeast Asia. The tree is susceptible to a particular fungus and when infected, it protects itself by producing a resin that prevents the infection from spreading. The resin-saturated wood is called oudh traded in raw form as wood chips or shavings and as essential oil.
As an ingredient for perfumes, oudh is one of the most expensive. The essential oil is sometimes called liquid gold because, depending on its purity, it can command a higher price per weight than the precious metal. The wood has been called 'the wood of the gods'. The price of the wood depends on several qualities: colour, origin and whether it comes from a naturally infected tree or cultivated.
Hani, who has been in the perfumery business for over nine years, said that the primary indicator of oudh quality is its colour. The darker the wood, higher the resin concentration, and thus, higher the price. He describes high quality oudh as"extremely beautiful."
It's not difficult for Hani to sound romantic when he's talking about oudh or perfumes. After all, his association with oudh perfumes began within an instant. He remembers being captivated by the scent of the first bottle of perfume his father gave him when he was a young man. That love never waned but only piqued his curiosity about the fragrant liquid. He researched Middle Eastern perfumes and to gain deeper understanding of the perfume and perfumery, he sought employment in one of the biggest perfumeries in the region.
"When I was contemplating on establishing a business, I was set on a perfumery," he said."I told myself 'if I don't make money from it, at least I'll have my beautiful fragrances.'" This led to the establishment of Al Mamlaka Perfumes, now in operation for seven years.
"High quality oudh makes a sound when you put it on fire and turns into oil, and the smoke does not irritate the eyes or nose," continued Hani describing high quality oudh."Low quality oudh exhibits the opposite."
Oudh commands a high price. A 12-ounce bottle of pure oudh essential oil can cost QR20,000 and the best quality oudh chips can cost QR120,000 per kilogramme, even higher. The bottled perfumes, naturally, follow suit with some 100 ml bottles costing thousands. Being so precious, also makes oudh bottled or raw an appreciated gift.
The high price of oudh chips, essential oil or perfume makes it a luxury item. The best quality, only the wealthy can afford. The not so wealthy, may make it an occasional indulgence: like a wedding. But this does not mean that the more affordable oudh is of low quality and those who buy it need to endure teary eyes."There are different quality grades," said Hani, and buying from reputable shops can assure a customer of good quality.
As far as bottled perfumes are concerned,"it's always a matter of preference," says Hani. Al Mamlaka Perfumes, located at Wathnan Mall, has over 300 different perfumes all of which are Hani's creation and a result of work that began over nine years ago.
"I love perfumes," Hani said."I love making perfumes." He said a certain scent can take as short as a few days to make, while some can take years; and the ideas can come from anywhere. One of his best-selling perfumes was inspired by his wife.
Alwasmi, another best-seller at Al Mamlaka spray perfumes for women costs QR250 per 100 ml bottle. One of the bestseller for men, Alsahaba and costs QR500 per 100 mL bottle. For QR200, one can take home a 12-ounce bottle of concentrated Al Mamlaka perfume. But there are over a hundred more options, scent and concentration-wise.
