The eponymous brand “FARIDAH”, was created by the visionary Faridah F Ajmal, who has over 20 years of perfumery expertise. Faridah’s journey evolved from a passionate exploration of blending fragrances, transitioning from a personal hobby, into an emerging business. FARIDAH, the perfume brand, was launched in February 2024. This marks the first original fragrance brand by an Asian woman perfumer-cum-entrepreneur. Stepping into the role of Founder-Director of Faridah Perfumes, she was intimately involved in the creation process, the bottling, branding of the fragrance. She has also personally designed her first boutique store in Jumeriah on Al Wasl Road, to launch her eponymous label … writes Soniya Kirpalani, Images: Santosh Rai
FARIDAH, is not just her namesake, it translates to ‘Unique’, and keeping this value in mind, she spends time in research and careful study, to craft something fresh and classic fragrance, designing it for those who understand the beauty of aroma, and its deep impact on human mind. The brand’s exquisite fragrances and product lines are meticulously developed over her direct supervision, in their in-house multi-room lab facility, shaping her brand’s legacy with a perfect blend of tradition and innovation. Besides a series of fragrances, she has specially designed a set, a His + Her combinations. FARIDAH launches at a time when the UAE’s fragrance market grows at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.88 percent from US$6.4 million in 2022 to US$1.16 billion in 2028.
FARIDAH also sets another milestone, highlighting the strength of the region’s first women perfumers, highlighting UAE’s reputation of Dubai as a creator hub where new ideas flourish and where dreams are turned into realities.
As she explains “FARIDAH is the realisation of my life-long passion for fragrances that turned into a burning desire to create my own perfumes. While being in this business, I always had a dream to create a fragrance that will reflect my fashion statement and create a uniquely beautiful perfume for those who have taste and care for class, quality, and variety FARIDAH is a carefully conceptualised, curated, and crafted genre of perfume that is unique. Those who understand fragrance will feel the difference when trying the varieties that we have created through a complex blend of oil and other ingredients. These carry my signature and through FARIDAH, we are creating a completely new international brand.”
Attending the launch, witnessing several socialites and friends, Emiratis, Arabs, and Asians, all connoisseurs of fragrances and essences, fragrance testing and experimenting with the various ranges of oils, Ouds I heard complimentary words like “Classy, Elite, Royal” to describe the collection. It seemed like the brand was a resonating with its target audience.
Embracing the Holy Month of Ramadan and its festivities, FARIDAH Perfumes has also launched the inaugural Oudh Festival. This 10-day extravaganza showcases several varieties of Oudh, highlighting the origin and growth of this fragrant, dark, and resinous wood extensively used in perfume making. It is a unique opportunity for perfume enthusiasts to delve into the world of Oudh and experience its cultural significance. Approaching life with humility and a forward-thinking mindset, Faridah Ajmal’s perfumes are swiftly gaining prominence in the world of fragrances.
