ParfumPlus Arabia

P A R F U M P L U S 38 SAEED ALQARNI, A CERTIFIED NATURAL PERFUMER FROM RIYADH IN SAUDI ARABIA, TELLS US MORE ABOUT OUD “There is hardly any house in Saudi Arabia where you will not find oud or agarwood, used as incense (Bukhoor). It's impossible to find any occasion without oud whether it is big or small and social or religious since oud is one of the inherited customs that can't be forgone in Saudi Arabia. Among the social occasions, which witness the use of Oud, are wedding parties and family occasions. As do religious occasions, they include festivals and religious seasons like Ramadan month, Hajj, and Umrah. Many mosques, also, burn Oud every day. A large proportion of people consider it as a daily supplement to their elegance. The usage is seen on clothes, to scent houses, cars and even at work. Additionally, it is frequently used as a gift. When you want to give somebody a gift, the first thing that comes to your mind is maybe a fragrance and some Oud. As a result, it has become one of the pillars of Saudi heritage. A few years ago, getting Oud was somewhat difficult for consumers since it was monopolized by some traders, so the consumers needed to go to the famous popular markets in the center of each city in the Kingdom in order to buy it. However, with e-commerce and the multiplicity of sale points, accessing and purchasing oud became easier. Several types and qualities are now available. Saudi Arabia isn't very different from other Gulf countries in terms of habits and heritage, especially concerning Oud. However, its large area, population, and the high rate of consumption contributed to increasing the demand for Oud, thereby making it the highest consumer of it in the world.” With popularity and accessibility increasing, a decline in natural Oud will become dramatic for GCC very soon. The Middle East has a very important cultural heritage; it is urgent to protect and invest in the preservation of Oud. The International Perfume Foundation (IPF) is developing a program to protect Oud through a natural resource valuation approach for the benefit of local communities. SUSTAINABLE GROWING AND PROCESSING AQUILARIA PLANTING PROGRAMS TO PROTECT OUD AND PROVE ITS SUSTAINABILITY IPF WORLD HERITAGE PROGRAM AND TEACHER’S ACADEMY IMPLEMENT BEST PRACTICES FOR PROCESSING AQUILARIA FOR OUD FRAGRANCE USING BEST PRACTICES • Help plant growers develop sustainable organic agricultural best practices for growing and harvesting trees for fragrance, ensuring continuous sources of sustainable, high quality essential oud oils. • Helping farms recognize the advantages of waiting until aquilaria trees mature before harvesting them to keep quality at the highest levels. • Introducing effective agricultural methods allowing “cash” crops to be grown on the same parcel providing income while aquilaria trees are maturing.