Arabian Oud runs more than 1,200 shops in 37 countries. It started with a single store in a Riyadh souk in 1982.
The founder was Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Al Jasser, who opened his first counter in the old Alzal market in the Saudi capital. The house grew into one of the largest fragrance names in the Middle East, with a reported 3,700 staff and more than 400 scents on its books. In 2012 it took five awards at the FiFi Arabia ceremony. A year later Euromonitor ranked it first for fragrance in the Middle East and Africa.
Its calling card is oud in its purest form. Dehn al oud, the distilled oil of agarwood, is what built the brand's reputation and its top prices, sold in small glass vials that can cost more than jewellery.
Then there is Kalemat. The name means words in Arabic. It launched as an amber and woody scent built on saffron, cinnamon, warm vanilla and sandalwood, and it became the house's most recognised release in the West. Sweet, spiced and easy to wear, a world away from the heavy oud oils that made the name.
One honest note. Kalemat has oud nowhere near its heart. The brand is called Arabian Oud, its fame abroad rests on a soft amber and vanilla scent, and the two things are not the same. That is not a criticism. It is worth knowing before you buy, because people expect a smoky oud bomb and get a cosy sweet amber instead.
The Kalemat effect, minus the boutique price: our Kalemat (our take on the Arabian Oud original) and Al Madawi (our take on Madawi) are UK-made sprays at 35% concentration. Browse the full Arabian Oud collection.
