Ajmal
Founded 1951
Started in 1951 by Haji Ajmal Ali in India, trading oud. The family moved its headquarters to Dubai in 1976 and opened its first shop there. Ajmal says it makes its perfume in its own factory in Dubai and also has a plant in Assam, India.
Hours and prices change, so check with the shop before you go.
Ajmal, from an Assam oud trader to Dubai
Ajmal began in 1951 with Haji Ajmal Ali, born into a family of rice farmers in Alinagar, a village in Hojai, Assam, India. Farming could not support the family, so he turned to the oud trade. He reached the UAE in 1961, landing in Sharjah, and the family set up its first shop in Dubai in 1976.
The company is still run by his family, now in its second and third generations. Gulf News reported in 2021 that it has its own oud plantations and distils raw materials itself. The Dubai Mall's directory counts more than 400 showrooms in over 70 countries and more than 300 fragrances. Besides sprays, Ajmal sells dahn al oudh, the oil from the resinous wood of the agarwood tree, in small vials from 3 ml.
In Dubai, Ajmal has a shop on the first floor of The Dubai Mall, and its UAE site has a store finder for its other branches. On that site Song of Oud costs AED 288.75 for 75 ml. Try Song of Oud first: it came out in 2023, won Popular Fragrance of the Year at the Beautyworld Middle East Awards, and sets oud with bergamot, apple, orris and jasmine.
- Song of OudOud tradition with a modern turn, opening on citrus and apple before orris, jasmine and amber.
- Rhythm of OudhA woody, spicy scent for cooler months, with saffron, rose and oud over patchouli and oakmoss.
- Strings of OudAn opening the house likens to a string pulling itself awake, with cardamom and black pepper over tobacco and vanilla.
- Dahn al OudhPure oil from the resinous wood of the agarwood tree, the oud the founder first traded in.
Where to buy
- Ajmal, The Dubai Mall, First Floor (unit FF246), Dubai
- Ajmal, Deira City Centre, Level 1 (unit B29C), Deira, Dubai
- Ajmal, BurJuman Mall, Level 2 (unit 28), Dubai
- Ajmal, Mall of the Emirates, Ground Level (kiosk TK-47), Dubai
- Ajmal, Gold Souq, shops 9 and 10, Deira, Dubai
In our city guides
- Ajmal at The Dubai Mall (Boutique, Dubai)