The Heritage
The Story of Al Majed Oud
Al Majed Oud is a Saudi‑based fragrance house that translates the deep, resinous character of traditional oud into modern perfume collections. Since its inception in the mid‑1950s the brand has expanded from a modest wholesale operation into a full‑scale creator of niche scents, offering a line that includes Special (2025), Prestige Ruby (2024) and Rose de Mai (2020). Its bottles carry a restrained elegance, while the olfactory narratives balance heritage ingredients with contemporary composition. The house positions itself as a bridge between the historic incense markets of the Arabian Peninsula and today’s global perfume community.
Heritage
The story of Al Majed Oud begins in 1956 when Mr Ali bin Othman Al Majed opened a small shop in Riyadh to trade raw oud wood and saffron. At that time the Saudi market relied on imported incense, and Al Majed’s family connections gave him access to high‑quality agarwood from the Indian subcontinent and the Horn of Africa. Within a decade the business grew into a regional wholesaler, supplying hotels, souks and private collectors. By the early 2000s the company formalised a manufacturing arm, converting raw oud chips into essential oils using steam distillation and traditional maceration techniques. In 2010 the brand launched its first proprietary fragrance, Wood White, marking a shift from pure raw material supply to finished perfume creation. The launch was supported by a modest boutique in Jeddah, where early customers could experience the new scents alongside the classic oud blocks. Over the next ten years Al Majed introduced a series of limited‑edition releases, each named after precious stones or natural phenomena, such as Prestige Topaz (2024) and Noir (2024). The brand’s revenue profile changed dramatically; a 2022 financial report shows that perfumes and oud together accounted for 78 % of the company’s SAR 767 million turnover, securing a 5.2 % share of the Saudi fragrance market. In 2023 the house opened a distribution hub in the United Kingdom, partnering with Fragrance Forte to reach European retailers. This expansion was accompanied by a refreshed visual identity that retained the original Arabic calligraphy while adopting a minimalist bottle silhouette. Today Al Majed Oud operates a network of production facilities, a research laboratory, and a design studio, all rooted in the same family‑driven ethos that began with a single oud crate in 1956.
Craftsmanship
Production at Al Majed Oud blends time‑honoured artisanal steps with modern quality controls. Raw agarwood is first sorted by age, density and aroma profile; only the most fragrant slabs are selected for distillation. The house employs a low‑temperature steam distillation process that preserves volatile compounds, followed by a cold‑macération period of up to six months in glass vats. This dual‑extraction yields a thick, amber‑colored oud oil that serves as the backbone for most of the line. For blended fragrances the oil is combined with hand‑picked botanicals—such as Bulgarian rose, Indian sandalwood or Moroccan amber—using a measured ratio that each perfumer records in a master formula. The brand’s perfumers, though not publicly named, work in a shared laboratory where they test accords on blotter strips before moving to pilot batches. Quality assurance includes gas‑chromatography analysis to verify the concentration of key oud constituents like guaiacol and sesquiterpenes. Bottling takes place in a climate‑controlled facility; each bottle is hand‑filled, capped with a brushed‑aluminum atomizer, and sealed with a wax‑coated label that bears the Al Majed calligraphic logo. The final product undergoes a 30‑day resting period to allow the scent layers to integrate fully. Throughout the process the company records batch numbers, ingredient origins and test results, enabling traceability from forest to fragrance. This meticulous workflow underpins the brand’s claim of delivering a consistent, high‑purity oud experience across its expanding portfolio.
Design Language
Visually, Al Majed Oud adopts a restrained, monochrome palette that mirrors the dark richness of its signature ingredient. The bottle silhouette is a tall, slender cylinder with gently rounded shoulders, allowing the amber liquid to be seen through a clear glass front. Caps are machined from brushed aluminum, etched with a subtle Arabic script that spells the brand name. Labels are printed on textured matte paper, featuring a single line drawing of an oud tree branch in deep charcoal; the design avoids overt ornamentation, letting the scent’s depth speak for itself. The brand’s retail spaces echo this minimalism: soft, warm lighting, polished stone countertops, and display cases of reclaimed wood that reference the forest origins of agarwood. Marketing imagery often pairs the bottles with close‑up photographs of agarwood chips, emphasizing texture and grain. In the UK launch, the packaging was slightly adapted with a slimmer bottle to suit European shelf standards, but the core visual language remained unchanged. The overall aesthetic conveys a sense of quiet confidence, inviting the wearer to experience the perfume without distraction.
Philosophy
Al Majed Oud frames its creative vision around three guiding ideas: authenticity, balance, and stewardship. Authenticity means preserving the raw character of agarwood, allowing the natural resinous notes to speak before any synthetic accent is added. Balance reflects the brand’s effort to pair the intensity of oud with complementary accords—citrus, floral or spice—so that each fragrance can be worn in both formal and everyday settings. Stewardship guides sourcing decisions; the house works with certified sustainable farms in India, Laos and the United Arab Emirates, and it supports local harvesters through fair‑price agreements. The brand also invests in research on oud extraction methods that reduce waste and lower energy consumption. In marketing materials Al Majed often references the idea of “intentional scent‑making,” a phrase that signals a deliberate, slow‑crafted approach rather than mass‑production. This philosophy extends to the retail experience: boutique staff are trained to discuss the provenance of each ingredient, and the company publishes annual sustainability reports that detail progress on environmental goals. By anchoring its values in tangible practices, Al Majed aims to appeal to consumers who seek both heritage and responsibility in their fragrance choices.
Key Milestones
1956
Ali bin Othman Al Majed opens a wholesale shop in Riyadh dealing in raw oud and saffron.
2010
Al Majed launches its first proprietary fragrance, Wood White, marking entry into finished perfume production.
2022
Company reports that perfumes and oud account for 78 % of SAR 767 million revenue, securing a 5.2 % market share in Saudi Arabia.
2023
Al Majed Oud expands to the United Kingdom through a partnership with Fragrance Forte, opening a European distribution hub.
2024
Release of multiple new scents including Prestige Ruby, Prestige Topaz, Noir and Sun, expanding the modern oud collection.
2025
Launch of Special and Oudi, the brand’s latest limited‑edition releases celebrating its 70‑year heritage.
At a Glance
Brand profile snapshot
Origin
Saudi Arabia
Founded
1956
Heritage
70
Years active
Collection
1
Fragrances released
Avg Rating
4.7
Community sentiment
Release Rhythm