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Perfume in Dubai

Smell oud and attar oils in the old Deira souk, compare the big Emirati perfume houses under one roof at The Dubai Mall, or learn to make your own bakhoor.

Guide last checked 29 Sept 2026.

Make your own perfume

Oo La Lab bukhoor workshop

Book this workshop

Learn to make bakhoor, the scented wood chips burned in Emirati homes, and take your own blend home. The same studio also runs a perfume class where you leave with a 20 ml or 50 ml bottle.

Where
Building 4, Unit 204B, Dubai Design District
Length
2 hours
You take home
100 g or 200 g of your own bakhoor
Price
From US$109 (listed on the booking page)

Partly checked 29 Sept 2026. Oo La Lab also runs studios in Singapore and Bangkok, so it is not listed as a local brand. Session dates and whether the 2 hours applies to the perfume class were not checked. Reviews are on its own site only.

Sources (2)

The Perfume Bar make-your-own session

Book this workshop

A private session where a consultant helps you blend your own perfume from Arabic and French style scents. Handy if you are already at The Dubai Mall.

Where
The Dubai Mall (Downtown Dubai)
You take home
A perfume you blend and name yourself
Price
From AED 290 (listed on the booking page)

Partly checked 29 Sept 2026. Length, bottle size and exact floor in the mall not shown on the pages checked. No independent reviews found.

Sources (2)

Flagship boutiques

Ajmal at The Dubai Mall

Shop of the oud house that moved to Dubai in 1976. Try the oils and the perfumes side by side.

Where
The Dubai Mall, First Floor (Downtown Dubai)

Partly checked 29 Sept 2026. Hours follow the mall's opening hours; not checked. One third-party guide lists the store on the Ground Floor.

Sources (1)

Hind Al Oud at The Dubai Mall

Boutique of the Emirati luxury oud house founded in Dubai in 2001.

Where
The Dubai Mall, First Floor (Downtown Dubai)

Partly checked 29 Sept 2026. Hours follow the mall's opening hours; not checked.

Sources (1)

Swiss Arabian at The Dubai Mall

Shop of the UAE house founded in 1974. A good place to compare its oud perfumes and concentrated oils.

Where
The Dubai Mall, First Floor (Downtown Dubai)

Partly checked 29 Sept 2026. Hours follow the mall's opening hours; not checked.

Sources (1)

Perfume shops

Deira perfume souk

Dozens of small perfume shops near the Gold Souk sell attar oils, oud, bakhoor and copies of famous perfumes. Some shops will mix a blend for you. Reach it by metro or by abra water taxi across the creek.

Where
Sikkat Al Khail Street and nearby lanes, next to the Gold Souk (Deira)

Partly checked 29 Sept 2026. Opening hours vary by shop and were not confirmed on an official page. Many shops sell imitations of Western brands; ask for the house's own oils.

Sources (2)

Houses made in Dubai

Practical tips

  • Test oud on your skin, not on paper. It changes a lot over a few hours, so wait before you buy.
  • Attar oils are concentrated perfume oils. They come in small bottles and a drop lasts a long time, so they travel well.
  • In hand luggage at Dubai airport, each liquid must be 100 ml or less, and all of them must fit within one litre. Put big bottles in your checked bag.
  • Haggling is normal in the Deira souk. Ask for the house’s own oils, since many stalls also sell copies of famous brands.
  • Ajmal, Hind Al Oud and Swiss Arabian all have shops on the First Floor of The Dubai Mall, which makes side by side testing easy.