Heritage
A house, in its own words
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. 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.