UAE fragrance organisation pushes local brands outside the region
The organisation, which is affiliated with the Fragrance Foundation headquartered in New York, says one of its key objectives is to tap into the demand for Arabian brands in neighbouring countries and the west.
As part of its strategy to enhance the image of local brands, the organisation is preparing to run the FiFi awards ceremony in the region for the first time, which it describes as the ‘Fragrance Oscars’.
New categories focusing on regional players have been introduced in an attempt to drive growth of local brands and manufacturers.
“…we will be honouring the region’s best fragrances by introducing special categories for local brands such as ‘Best Male and Best Female Arabian Prestige Awards’, along with the international perfume categories,” Fragrance Foundation Arabia chairman Shahzad Haider explained.
Vital role of local players
According to Haider, 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 told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com.
“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 said.
According to Haider, growing the locally manufactured brands in the west is one of the key objectives of the Fragrance Foundation Arabia.
“We are in the process of formulating the strategy with the consent of key local players and uniting the industry on a platform like Fragrance Foundation Arabia to tap into the excellent potential of these super brands in the west,” he said.
The first FiFi Awards Arabia is to be held on 30 November at The Address Downturn Dubai.
