The second biggest fragrance trend on social media in 2025, with viewership up more than 60%, Middle Eastern perfumes are experiencing remarkable international growth.
Historically a major perfume market, the luxury perfume market in Gulf countries is estimated at $1.2 billion nearly half of the region’s total prestige beauty market.
Today, however, the region is also emerging as a major exporter. The United Arab Emirates in particular has risen from 10th to 3rd place globally among perfume exporters, behind France and Spain only, with exports reaching nearly $3bn in 2023.
This dominance is reflected in the ranking of the ten most popular Middle Eastern brands internationally, based on data from PERFUMIST, a leader in consumer fragrance preference analytics. Seven of the top ten brands are Emirati, and Amouage is the only non-Emirati brand to appear in the top five. Saudi Arabia is also emerging, with two brands featured in the ranking.
This success spans all market segments. In the mass market, Lattafa and ARMAF are riding the “dupe” trend and rank second and sixth respectively among the best-selling brands on Amazon worldwide in Q4 2025, according to data from Pattern®, an e-commerce brand accelerator.
In ultra-luxury, AMOUAGE stands out as the undisputed leader. Its creations, characterized by high concentrations, sell for over $350 per 100ml of eau de parfum. The brand, which received investment from L’Oréal last year, generated $430 million in revenue in 2025, with average annual growth exceeding 30% over the past five years.
Finally, KAYALI dominates the prestige segment: in 2025, it was the most talked-about brand by consumers on Sephora US, according to rAIviews, a leader in beauty product review analytics.
What lies ahead for 2026? The enthusiasm for these fragrances shows no signs of slowing. However, the conflict in Iran is currently impacting the UAE’s logistical capabilities more than those of Saudi Arabia. This context could allow Saudi brands to gain an edge and accelerate their international expansion. This is particularly true for Reef (REEF GROUP | مجموعة ريف), a Saudi brand founded in 2018, which has nearly doubled its revenue every year between 2020 and 2025, growing from 12 owned stores in 2020 to over 400 today, becoming one of the leading perfume brands in the Gulf countries.
