Al Haramain 50 Years Collection gift set, the story of the perfume house founded in Makkah in 1970
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Perfume Origins Oud Heritage Makkah Made in UAE Brand Story Arabian Perfume Al Haramain History Ajman

Pick up a bottle of Al Haramain perfume in the UAE and you'll often see "Dubai" in the name or "Made in UAE" on the box. So it's no surprise that one of the most common questions people ask about the brand is a simple one: is Al Haramain a Saudi brand or an Emirati one?

The honest answer is both. Al Haramain Perfumes was born in Makkah, grew up in the UAE, and today makes its fragrances in Ajman. Here's how it happened.

The Short Answer: Founded in Saudi Arabia, Made in the UAE

Al Haramain Perfumes was founded in 1970 in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, by Kazi Abdul Haque. During the 1980s the family business moved its main operations to the United Arab Emirates, and it is now run and manufactured from Ajman, UAE. So the brand's roots are Saudi, while its home today is the Emirates.

How It Started: A Perfume Business Beside the Holy Mosques

The story begins with Kazi Abdul Haque and a small perfume trading business in Makkah. Alongside his shops in Makkah and Madinah, he traded in agarwood, the fragrant resin-filled wood that gives us oud. For pilgrims and residents alike, fragrance was part of daily life, worn for prayer, offered to guests and given as gifts.

The company released its first perfume in the summer of 1970. It was a modest beginning: a family trading business serving customers in the two holy cities, with no factory and no international plans.

What it did have was a deep connection to the traditions it sold into. That connection shaped everything that came later, from the brand's name to the oud-based perfumes it is still best known for.

The founder's son, Mohammed Mahtabur Rahman, grew up around the business. According to the company, he developed his own interest in perfumery after visiting traditional distilleries in Ta'if, the mountain city famous for its roses. That interest would later take the family business far beyond Makkah.

What the Name and Logo Mean

The name was chosen with care. "Al Haramain" means "the two holy sanctuaries", a reference to the two holiest mosques in Islam: Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah and Masjid Al-Nabawi in Madinah. These were the two cities where the business first served its customers.

The logo carries the same meaning. It represents the Maqam Ibrahim, the station of Prophet Ibrahim that stands beside the Kaaba inside Masjid Al-Haram.

For many customers, especially across the Gulf and the wider Muslim world, the name and logo signal something important: a perfume house that began in the place where fragrance and faith have always met.

From Makkah to the UAE

In the early 1980s, Al Haramain opened its first showroom in Dubai, in Murshid Bazaar in the old trading district of Deira. Dubai was fast becoming the commercial centre of the Gulf, and it gave the business room to grow.

Over the following years, the family moved its main operations and production to the UAE. Manufacturing settled in Ajman, where the company built its factory in the New Industrial Area. As Khaleej Times reported in its profile of the group, the Ajman site handles lab testing, packaging and final production, while agarwood is processed into oil at facilities overseas.

At the same time, the business passed to the next generation. Mohammed Mahtabur Rahman became Chairman and Managing Director, and he leads the group today.

Al Haramain at a Glance

  • 1970: Founded in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, by Kazi Abdul Haque. The first perfume is released that summer.
  • Early 1980s: The first Dubai showroom opens in Murshid Bazaar, Deira.
  • 1980s: Main operations and production move to the UAE, with manufacturing based in Ajman.
  • 2020: The brand celebrates its 50th anniversary.
  • Today: Nearly 100 stores across the Gulf, a portfolio of more than 1,000 fragrances, and a presence in over 100 countries.

Where Are Al Haramain Perfumes Made Today?

Al Haramain perfumes are made in Ajman, UAE, at the company's manufacturing site in New Industrial Area 1. You may read online that the brand is produced in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, but that isn't correct. Dubai is where the brand's retail story in the UAE began, and many collections carry "Dubai" in their names, but the factory itself is in Ajman.

That's also why your bottle may say "Made in UAE" even though the brand was founded in Saudi Arabia. The perfume in your hands was most likely blended, tested and packed in Ajman.

The company says its manufacturing follows recognised quality standards, including ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 22716 for good manufacturing practice in cosmetics.

Al Haramain Today

More than five decades after that first summer in Makkah, Al Haramain is still a family-run business, led by the founder's son. It has nearly 100 stores across the Gulf, including more than 25 in the UAE, and its fragrances are sold in over 100 countries through its own stores, partners and travel retail.

The range has grown well beyond traditional oud oils. Today it includes perfume sprays, concentrated perfume oils, Dehnal Oudh, bukhoor and gift sets, with well-known lines such as the Amber Oud collection and the premium Sheikh Series. In October 2026, Gulf News told the brand's story from Makkah to its international presence today.

Yet the heart of the brand hasn't moved far from where it started. Oud, amber, musk and rose, the materials the business first traded in Makkah, are still at the centre of what Al Haramain makes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Al Haramain a Saudi or an Emirati brand?

It's both, in a sense. Al Haramain was founded in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in 1970, so its origins are Saudi. However, the family moved the company's main operations to the UAE during the 1980s, and today the business is run from the UAE and its perfumes are manufactured in Ajman. It's best described as a UAE-based perfume house with Saudi roots.

Who founded Al Haramain Perfumes?

Al Haramain Perfumes was founded by Kazi Abdul Haque, who started a perfume and agarwood trading business in Makkah in 1970. You may see other names listed as founders on some fragrance websites, including the perfumers who have created scents for the brand, but the company was founded by Kazi Abdul Haque. His son, Mohammed Mahtabur Rahman, later grew it into an international group.

Who owns Al Haramain today?

Al Haramain is still a family business. It is led by Mohammed Mahtabur Rahman, the founder's son, who serves as Chairman and Managing Director of the Al Haramain Perfumes group. Under his leadership, the company expanded from its first Dubai showroom into a group with nearly 100 stores across the Gulf and a presence in more than 100 countries.

Why does my Al Haramain perfume say Dubai or UAE?

There are two reasons. First, the perfumes are manufactured in the UAE, at the company's factory in Ajman, so the packaging says "Made in UAE". Second, several collections include "Dubai" in their names, such as Amber Oud Gold Dubai Edition, as a nod to the city where the brand's UAE story began. Neither means the brand started in the UAE. Its roots are in Makkah. If you'd like to be sure your bottle is genuine, here's how to check if your Al Haramain perfume is original.

Is Al Haramain Perfumes connected to other organisations with the same name?

No. Al Haramain Perfumes is a fragrance company and has no connection to other businesses or organisations that use the name "Al Haramain". The name refers to the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah, which is why it's shared by a number of unrelated organisations around the world. When searching for the perfume house, it helps to include "Perfumes" in the name.

Final Thoughts

Al Haramain's story is a short trip on a map, from Makkah across the Gulf to Ajman, but it covers more than five decades. The business that began trading agarwood beside the holy mosques now sends its perfumes around the world, and it is still led by the same family. Next time you see "Dubai" on the bottle, you'll know the rest of the story.

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