FiFi Dubai Awards celebrate Arabian fragrance heritage

By Katie Bird

- Last updated on GMT

Winners of the first ever FiFi Awards to be held by the Fragrance Foundation Arabia were announced this week at a ceremony held in Dubai.

The Foundation, which is affiliated with the Fragrance Foundation in New York, aims to promote the fragrance industry in the region, and both regional and international brands were recognised by the awards.

“The FiFi Dubai Awards are very unique because Arabia is the home of perfume and its people have cherished scents and their sensations for thousands of years,”​ said president of the Fragrance Foundation Arabia Grit Pannier.

“This heritage therefore inspired us to introduce the Arabian fragrance categories along with the International awards - a scenario that reflects the Middle East market,”​ Pannier explained.

The Arabian fragrance categories included Arabian Prestige Male and Female, which were won by Dahanal Oudh Maysam by Ajmal Perfumes and Nagham by Arabian Oud, respectively. The Arabian Popular Appeal categories were also won by Ajmal Perfumes and Arabian Oud, for the Khawatir male fragrance and the Ghoroub female fragrance.

International brands were also recognised in the competition and winners included Giorgio Armani which picked up the International Prestige Male Award for its One Thousand and One Nights, as well as Yves Saint Laurent which won the International Prestige Female for Belle D’Opium.

Grow popularity of local manufacturers

The FiFi Awards Dubai is part of the Fragrance Foundation Arabia’s strategy to grow the popularity of local manufacturers both within the region and outside it.

Chairman of Fragrance Foundation Arabia Shahzad Haider, previously told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com that local manufacturers play a vital role in the fragrance market in the Gulf Co-Operation Countries including Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and particularly in the United Arab Emirates.

In addition to local preference for brands from the region, Haider explained that demand outside the region was also growing.

“There is an exponential demand of these brands in other regions such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. One of the best examples would be brands from Ajmal Perfumes like Wisal, Sahdow and Sausan,”​ he said.

“We also see a growing trend in the western market for these brands which we intend to enhance by the collective effort of the local industry and Fragrance Foundation Arabia,” ​he added.

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