Muscat—The Oman Perfume Exhibition (OPE) held its sixth edition in October 2022 at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (ECEC), showcasing more than 200 exhibitors from both Oman and across the globe in a multi-sensory experience celebrating craft, culture, and commerce. HH Sayyida Basma bint Fakhri bin Taimur al Said patronised the exhibition. The event, which continues until 28 October, demonstrates Oman’s increasing prominence in the global luxury fragrance market.
This year’s exhibition was promoted as a complete experience for consumers and retailers. It is considered a “visual” representation of the blending of tradition with today’s retail practices. The design of the branding of this year’s exhibition was influenced by the long history of the Arabian Peninsula’s perfumery (use of natural ingredients to create scents) and by the Arabian Peninsula’s ancient perfumery trade routes. The branding incorporates elements from Oman’s natural environment, including frankincense groves, mountain roses from Jabal Al Akdhar, etc., in addition to highlighting the importance of the ingredients and heritage that give the scent of place value in this market.
At this conference, attendees will have access to exclusive product launches and live demonstrations, as well as an extensive array of perfume brands from both local and international markets, including Saudi Arabian brands Laverne and Assaf; influencer Noor Stars’ brand Nafas; India-based Naqwa; and well-established Omani perfume houses Deraah, Ibn Sheikhan, and Ghazali. Additionally, fintech company QPay will be exhibiting at the event to demonstrate modern payment innovations and retail infrastructure as part of the overall fragrance industry.
This upcoming exhibition will serve as both a marketplace and a place to find investment opportunities for exhibitors. In addition to last year’s 30,000+ visitors, the fair has high expectations to bring in international delegates and shoppers to improve hotel occupancy rates/hospitality business revenues with potential for distribution agreements and brand partnerships. The show gives retailers and entrepreneurs looking to enter the Middle Eastern market focused access to buyers and opportunities to verify product quality and gauge regional purchasing habits.
Beyond a venue for trade, the Oman Perfume Exhibition provides an opportunity to communicate stories and experiences about a person or place. An example of this is the UNESCO designation of the “Land of Frankincense,” which is still celebrated throughout the area of Dhofar; thus, many modern-day perfume producers and distributors are utilising this designation to build a premium narrative orbrand identity for their products. For example, the various mountain distilleries in Jabal Al Akhdar that produce traditional rose water and speciality extracts offer an ideal opportunity to showcase to the global luxury consumer base how important authenticity is today.
A luxury fragrance producer that specialises in high-quality niche fragrances can take advantage of the Oman Perfume Exhibition for the purpose of establishing a foothold in the global marketplace using the principles of authenticity, craftsmanship and Digital Reach.
