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Oud is a dark, resinous fragrance material from agarwood — the heartwood of Aquilaria trees that becomes resin-rich after infection. Attar is a concentrated, alcohol-free perfume oil applied directly to skin. Bakhoor is wood chips soaked in fragrant oils and burned on charcoal or an electric burner to scent homes and clothes. Together they are the foundation of Arabian perfumery.
Walk through Deira in the evening and you will smell it before you see it: warm, smoky, resinous air drifting from perfume shops. Arabian perfumery is one of the oldest fragrance traditions in the world, and Dubai is one of its living capitals.
What is oud?
Oud (also called agarwood or oudh) comes from Aquilaria trees native to South and Southeast Asia. When the tree is infected by a particular mould, it produces a dark, fragrant resin to protect itself. That resin-saturated wood is harvested and either burned as chips or distilled into oud oil — one of the most precious raw materials in perfumery.
Natural oud smells complex: woody, smoky, leathery, sometimes sweet or animalic. Because genuine oud oil is rare and costly, many modern perfumes use oud accords that blend natural and synthetic materials to create the characteristic effect.
What is attar?
Attar (or ittar) is a concentrated, oil-based perfume without alcohol. Traditionally, flowers or botanicals were distilled into a base of sandalwood oil. Today the word is used broadly for perfume oils sold in small, often ornate bottles.
- Apply a small dab with the applicator to the wrists, behind the ears or on the beard.
- Attars sit close to the skin and last for many hours.
- Because they are alcohol-free, many people find them gentler on skin.
What is bakhoor?
Bakhoor is incense made from wood chips or pressed bricks soaked in fragrant oils, resins and sometimes sugar or honey. It is burned in a mabkhara (incense burner) over charcoal or on an electric burner. Families use bakhoor to welcome guests, scent the home and perfume clothes and hair.
Mukhallat and modern Arabian perfumes
A mukhallat is a blend — usually oud combined with rose, musk, amber, saffron or florals. Modern Arabian houses translate these traditions into alcohol-based sprays that feel familiar to Western customers while keeping the richness of the region. These perfumes are famous for strong longevity and generous projection.
How to layer the Arabian way
- Scent your clothes with bakhoor.
- Apply an attar or perfume oil to pulse points.
- Finish with a spray perfume that shares a note — rose, oud or amber.
The result is a rich, multi-dimensional aura that lasts from morning to night.
Buying oud and Arabian perfume in Dubai
Quality and price vary hugely. Buy from established traders who describe products honestly — whether a fragrance uses natural oud oil or an oud accord — and who can recommend options for your budget. Cannes Perfumes Co LLC supplies leading Arabian perfume houses alongside international designer and niche brands, for both wholesale and retail customers.
Frequently asked questions
Why is oud so expensive?
Natural oud comes from infected agarwood trees that take many years to develop resin. Wild Aquilaria is scarce and protected, and distillation yields very little oil — making natural oud one of the most expensive perfume materials.
Is attar better than perfume?
Neither is better — they are different. Attars are alcohol-free oils that sit close to the skin and last long; spray perfumes project more and are easier to apply. Many people wear both.
How do you use bakhoor at home?
Place a piece of bakhoor on a heated charcoal or electric burner in a mabkhara. Let the smoke rise and waft it through rooms, or hold clothes and hair (safely) above it to perfume them.
Published by CANNES PERFUMES CO LLC, Deira, Dubai. Last reviewed .