As geopolitical tensions and regional conflicts between the USA and Iran continue to disrupt business sentiment, the UAE, the country known for its fragrances, has also felt the impact. Ajmal Group CEO Abdulla Ajmal sees India as a bright spot in an otherwise uncertain landscape.
Shweta Pandey
In an exclusive interview with HT Shop Now, the Dubai-based industry leader talks about the impact of regional conflicts on business, India’s growing appetite for fragrances, evolving grooming habits, and why traditional scent preferences are giving way to more inclusive and experimental choices.
He also shares his insights on how cultural traditions influence grooming habits, the growing role of fragrances in personal style, AI and the changing perceptions around gender-specific scents.
Do you believe that the grooming habits differ across cultures?
Abdulla Ajmal: Absolutely. Grooming habits are strongly influenced by culture, climate, and lifestyle. In fact, the culture determines the grooming habits. Now, let’s start with the West. Let’s say in parts of Europe, fragrance usage is generally lower. Nordic countries use fewer fragrances due to colder weather and layered clothing.
As we move towards the Middle East, grooming is deeply rooted in culture and tradition. People often shower multiple times a day, and fragrances are applied several times daily.
Then, coming to Asia, personal cleanliness is highly valued here. And due to weather conditions and humidity, deodorants and perfumes have become increasingly important. They are the predominant choices.
Are there any side effects of regularly using perfumes and deodorants?
Abdulla Ajmal: I have not been without a fragrance for the last 30 years. I’m okay. Most of our customers, most people I know, have absolutely zero effects because the industry is extremely regulated. The regulations for safety are extremely high, and it’s globally monitored.
However, possible issues arise mainly from low-quality products, individual allergies, or sensitivity to strong fragrances. But that is a minimal number globally speaking.
Interestingly, I have a friend who breaks out in plenty of sneezes when he wears a strong fragrance. So, he has to wear very mild and light fragrances. My sister, born into an oud family, but she can’t stand strong fragrances. She gets a headache. So, she too has to wear lighter fragrances. In a way, this sounds more like food intolerance. Not everyone can stand every smell.
Has the global conflict situation affected the perfume industry, and how have you navigated it?
Abdulla Ajmal: The war impact has been significant. The business has been significantly impacted by the current market conditions. As our products are not considered essential purchases, many consumers are either trading down to lower-priced alternatives or postponing purchases altogether, which has impacted sales. In addition, ongoing logistics challenges have disrupted both inbound and outbound supply chains.
Delays in receiving raw materials have constrained manufacturing, while the sharp rise in freight costs has made exports increasingly expensive. In one recent instance, fulfilling a strategic order for a European airline required air freight, with logistics costs amounting to 72% of the order value, resulting in a loss on the transaction. Although alternative ports such as Fujairah and Khor Fakkan in the UAE are helping ease some pressure, the overall congestion continues to affect trade flows.
As a result, declining sales and exports have had a cascading impact on marketing budgets, leading us to scale back marketing investments across the GCC. However, we remain committed to our growth plans in India and Western markets, where we continue to invest aggressively.
India, in particular, remains a bright spot, supported by healthier inventory levels, local filling capabilities, and stronger market performance, which is why consumers can expect to see a significantly increased brand presence there in the coming months.
Q. How do you think fragrance complements and completes a fashion look in today’s style-conscious world?
Abdulla Ajmal: Fashion has evolved so much in the past 20 years. Even in the past 10 years, you’ve got street fashion, fast fashion, you’ve got haute couture, luxury fashion. In the same way, there used to be a concept of signature fragrances. Back in time, people usually wore the same fragrance every day, becoming identified by that scent. Today, their choice of fragrance depends on the different outfits, different occasions, and whether you’re wearing a mild perfume for an event during the day or a loud one for the night.
For your fragrance wardrobe, you must have at least three fragrances, and then it could be any number. It should be at least three to five.
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Q: Which Ajmal fragrances would you recommend to users?
Abdulla Ajmal: Well, there are tons of Ajmal fragrances that I would prefer. Again, referring, because obviously, we’re talking in the Indian context. I would definitely recommend Aristocrat, the long-lasting and woody aroma, which is perfect for your nightwear. Second would be Wisal Dhahab, a little fruity and woody fragrance, and the third one is the Aurum Summer, which is a mild summer fragrance.
Q: Why are floral fragrances associated with women and woody fragrances with men?
Abdulla Ajmal: In India, 70% of women wear men’s fragrances. Marketing teams largely created the division between “male” and “female” fragrances to expand product categories and sales. So, fragrances traditionally have always been unisex. Today, gender boundaries in fragrance are becoming increasingly blurred. Many women prefer woody fragrances, while many men wear floral fragrances too. I would say personal preference matters more than traditional labels.
Earlier in the desi households, there was only one bar of soap, and everyone used it. But today, everyone brings their taste of shower gels, soaps, bathing salts, etc.
That’s practically the same thing. Today, more and more brands are coming out with fragrances without specifying the gender.
Q: Does skin type affect how a fragrance smells?
Abdulla Ajmal: Body chemistry and skin type can influence how a fragrance performs, but the difference is often smaller than people think. Unless someone has a strong natural body odour or a specific skin condition, most fragrances will smell largely the same on different people. Some individuals naturally have stronger body odour due to their skin chemistry, even if they are perfectly clean.
However, when a fragrance is sprayed on clothing, those personal factors have minimal impact. For example, if you and your husband both wear the same fragrance on your clothes, you will likely smell 99% identical. The more noticeable differences appear when fragrances are applied directly to the skin. On some people, a scent may last only a couple of hours, while on others it can remain vibrant all day. Skin type plays a major role in fragrance longevity and projection—some skin seems to absorb scents quickly, while others hold and amplify them for many hours.
Q: Do you think AI or technology also influence how perfumes are created?
Abdulla Ajmal: One fascinating application of AI in the fragrance industry is something called algorithmic perfumery, which visitors can experience at the Museum of the Future in Dubai. The concept is simple yet sophisticated: A machine connected to numerous bottles containing pre-made fragrance accords creates personalised scents based on an interactive questionnaire completed on an iPad. After analysing the user’s preferences, the system generates three unique fragrance samples, from which the user can select their favourite and purchase it.
The technology behind this goes much deeper. Several fragrance houses, not consumer brands, but the companies that develop fragrances, have been leveraging AI for years. They feed vast amounts of historical and market data into AI models, including fragrance formulations from the past century, ingredient combinations, consumer preferences, regional trends, and sales performance. For example, a fragrance house operating in Brazil might train its AI on decades of local market data to understand which scent profiles have resonated with consumers. It also records how preferences have evolved, which ingredients are currently trending, and what combinations are most likely to succeed. By identifying patterns that would be difficult for humans to detect, AI helps perfumers create fragrances that are both innovative and closely aligned with consumer tastes.
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