Arabian Oud

Arabian Oud is a Saudi Arabian fragrance house and retail chain, founded in 1982 and headquartered in Riyadh [1][2]. It specialises in oud and oriental perfumery — incense, oil-based perfumes and blended scents built around oud, the resinous heartwood prized across the Middle East. The company remains active, operating a large international store network and pursuing global travel-retail expansion as of 2025 [3].

Wikipedia describes the company as one of the largest fragrance manufacturers and retailers specialising in incense, oriental perfumes and oil perfumes, with more than 3,700 employees [2].

The brand was founded in 1982 by Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Jasser, who serves as chairman [3]. His name appears with several spelling variants across sources, including Abdul Aziz Al-Jasir and Abdulaziz Al-Jasser. The business began in Riyadh and grew from a single boutique into a multi-market chain. Leadership today includes Group CEO Omar Al Jasser and General Manager Ralph Bou Nader.

From its Riyadh beginnings, Arabian Oud expanded well beyond Saudi Arabia. A store on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris was documented by 2017, marking an established European presence [2]. In 2025 the company debuted at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, a leading travel-retail trade event, as part of a broader push into airport and duty-free channels [3]. Stated expansion priorities span Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and North America, with named growth markets including France, the UK, Malaysia, Türkiye, Austria, Italy and the United States.

Oud sits at the centre of the company's identity. In a 2025 trade interview, General Manager Ralph Bou Nader said that "while many brands experiment with oud as a trend, for us it is the heart of our identity" [3]. The house draws on traditional Middle Eastern craft — bakhoor incense rituals and layering techniques — and frames its mission as sharing the olfactory heritage of the Middle East and the Gulf region with the world. On its storefront, the company markets its range as "award winning scents and luxury perfumes," though no specific awards are listed in the available sources.

Arabian Oud's perfumes are built largely on oud combined with florals, amber and spices. The portfolio is broad: the company reports more than 400 signature scents spanning men's, women's and unisex lines, alongside fragrance oils and incense [3]. Among its noted fragrances are Madawi, Royal Oud and Pink Moon. Madawi is described within the brand's portfolio as a "timeless classic" [3].

Coverage of the company is limited but present in trade media. The Moodie Davitt Report published a 2025 interview with General Manager Ralph Bou Nader detailing the brand's founding, scale and oud-centred identity [3]. Premium Beauty News featured Arabian Oud among Saudi fragrance houses in its 2025 coverage of Arabian perfumery expanding internationally [5]. Its English-language Wikipedia entry carries a notability disclaimer, reflecting limited independent secondary coverage there.

The company is active and expanding. Its store network is reported at different scales across sources: Wikipedia records over 1,200 stores across 37 countries [2], while the 2025 Moodie Davitt interview cites 1,300 stores across 37 markets [3]. The difference reflects ongoing growth and varying reporting dates. The most recent documented activity is its 2025 TFWA Cannes debut and continuing travel-retail expansion under Group CEO Omar Al Jasser.