Some Important Facts About Oud

It is impossible to visit the kingdom without being seduced by the scent of oud. This warm, woody fragrance comes from the sap of the agar (or aquaria) plant. When the heartwood of the agar tree becomes moldy, it produces a dark, oily, fragrant resin called oud, Oudh, or al oud. This sweet and pronounced fragrance is very expensive because of its rarity and the time required to produce the resin (about 300 years). The oud trade is worth about $6 billion annually. According to Fortune magazine, the price of this “liquid gold” can reach 10,000 dollars per kilo.

Oud in Saudi Arabia

Oud resin and oil are an integral part of Saudi life. “Traditionally, every Saudi family keeps small bottles of oud called tolahs in their homes,” explains Abdullah Bahabri, founder of the perfumery Nota Nota. Agarwood is also a wedding and engagement gift. Indeed, it is customary to include a beautifully crafted piece of wood in the box given to the bride’s family. During Eid, the practice of bakhur is to burn agarwood shavings to scent the house when entertaining guests. During Hajj, when Muslim pilgrims from all over the world travel to Mecca and Medina, the aroma of oud incense wafts through the Grand Mosque. It is also common to bring back small bags of oud shavings as souvenirs of the Hajj

Where does oud come from?

Agarwood is often referred to as the “wood of the gods” because of its widespread use and its multiple uses (according to some, oud oil has aroma therapeutic benefits on the body and mind). The trade of agarwood and oud dates back to antiquity. According to some texts, merchants used the famous Silk Road to transport agarwood from China to the Middle East via India. Originally, oud originated in South and Southeast Asia (India, Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam) and was mainly consumed in Japan and the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates). Today, there is an expansion of its production areas (Australia and Sri Lanka) as well as an expansion of demand (mainly in Western Europe). According to a 2008 report, the Persian Gulf remains the largest importer of oud, with consumption corresponding to two-thirds of world production. Saudi Arabia alone consumes 60% of the oud destined for the Persian Gulf.

The scent of oud

Many men and women wear oud as a perfume on their skin or clothes. If you want to bring back scented souvenirs from your stay in Saudi Arabia, visit Arabian Oud, Ajmal Perfumes, Nota Nota, and Abdul Samad Al Quraishi. Several leading Western perfumers also use oud in creations such as Tom Ford’s Oud Wood, Giorgio Armani Privé’s Oud Royal, Dior’s Oud Ispahan, and Kilian’s Musk Oud.