Zimaya

Zimaya is a fragrance house based in the United Arab Emirates, founded in 2023 by the perfumer Imran Fazlani [5]. It specialises in Arabic-style perfumery, with a range built around oud and rich gourmand scents, and presents itself as offering luxury-level fragrance at accessible prices [5]. The brand markets its work under the line "Luxury Arabic Fragrances" and sells through a network of country-specific websites across the Gulf, Europe, North America and India.

Zimaya is widely reported to be a sub-brand of Afnan Perfumes, the established UAE house that Fazlani also founded, though this connection is documented by third parties rather than by Zimaya itself [6]. The brand remains active, with live regional e-commerce and trade-show appearances recorded into 2024.

Zimaya was founded in 2023 by Imran Fazlani, described in editorial coverage as the perfumer behind the brand [5]. According to Fragrantica's reporting, the project was created by Fazlani in his role as art director of Afnan Perfumes and first shown publicly in the autumn of 2023 at Beautyworld Middle East in Dubai [6]. Fazlani had earlier founded Afnan Perfumes in the UAE in 2007, where he is credited as the house's principal nose [7].

The company's own account of its origins is more atmospheric than factual. On its story page, Zimaya says its creations draw "inspiration from the intricate balance of nature and artistry" and are intended to "narrate stories, induce emotions and leave an indelible mark." The brand-site material names no founding year, headquarters or parent company.

The link between Zimaya and Afnan Perfumes is the brand's most contested point of record. Zimaya's own website presents it as a standalone house and never mentions Afnan. The relationship is instead established by a Fragrantica news article titled "Zimaya: A New Subbrand of AFNAN," which describes Zimaya as a new project by Fazlani, "AFNAN's art director" [6]. It is independently corroborated by major retailers, which list the perfumes under the combined name "Afnan Zimaya." Afnan itself is a UAE-based manufacturer founded in 2007 with distribution reported across more than 120 countries [7]. On this evidence Glowpedia treats Afnan as the parent company while noting the brand's own silence on the matter.

Zimaya frames its perfumes as emotional and personal rather than purely decorative. Editorial coverage summarises its aim as bringing "the feeling of luxury without the luxury price tag," describing the fragrances as "personal expressions of mood and identity" rather than simple accessories [5]. The company describes itself more plainly on its own site, stating that "Zimaya is all about charming fragrances." The retailer Scent of the Dunes positioned the house as "the refined younger sibling" to established brands and "one of the most exciting names to emerge from the Gulf region" [5].

The range centres on Arabic perfumery traditions, spanning what one review called "bold ouds to creamy gourmands" [5]. Common notes across the line include oud and agarwood, rose, saffron, amber, musk and vanilla. Early signature releases reported at launch include Zimaya Noor Oud, an oriental woody scent built on rose, saffron, agarwood, vanilla, praline and amber; Zimaya Happy Oud, which pairs oud with brighter notes; and Zimaya Evolution, a women's fragrance with leather, oud and woody accords. Later additions include Sharaf Blend and the gourmand Tiramisu Coco [5]. The perfumes are described as hand-crafted in the UAE [5], and are offered as both eau de parfum and concentrated perfume oils across a large number of named series.

Press coverage of Zimaya is limited and centred on its launch. Fragrantica reported the brand's debut at Beautyworld Middle East 2023, and the UK fragrance retailer Scent of the Dunes published a feature calling it "the UAE's rising star in accessible luxury." No industry awards are recorded in the available sources.

Zimaya is active. It operates a live, multi-country e-commerce presence spanning the UAE, the United States, several European markets, the Gulf and India, and its blog records participation in trade fairs including Beautyworld 2023 and Spring Fair UK in 2024. Its perfumes continue to be stocked internationally by third-party fragrance retailers under the "Afnan Zimaya" name.