TRAILBLAZERS
Allure of Ajmal
Ajmal Perfumes, an exquisite blend of tradition and innovation, is built on a cherished family legacy. At the helm of its affairs is Abdullah Ajmal, CEO, who has rewritten the rules of scent.
Perfume, a blend of aromatic compounds, is much more than an exquisite and pleasant scent: it's an expression of identity, mood and style. It has the power to evoke memories, emotions and inspiration. The quote by Christian Dior aptly encapsulates the link between scent and memory: "A woman's perfume tells more about her than her handwriting." However, it's what goes into the making of perfumes that made Thierry Mugler to utter the words of wisdom: "Creating perfume is an art, and I am an artist." Indeed, perfume creation is a blend of science, creativity and passion as Ajmal Perfumes' CEO Abdullah Ajmal often says to people who inquire about the uniqueness of Ajmal fragrances.
Founded by the late Haji Ajmal Ali, Ajmal Perfumes has grown into a leading perfumery with multiple branches in the UAE and other GCC countries. It was established in India's northeast State of Assam in the early 1950s. Haji Ajmal Ali was born in 1923 in Alinagar close to the southern part of Nagaon district in Assam. His father, Abdul Majid, a farmer, sold rice to raise his family. From a young age, Ajmal Ali assisted his father in his small business. He went to Nilbagan High School in Hojai. He married Maryamunnesa, and the couple had seven children, two daughters and five sons. He soon realised that he could not continue to remain a farmer like his father if he wanted to earn a better livelihood. He ventured into the trade of oudh or agar wood, which is used for its aromatic properties to produce perfume or incense.
Origins of Ajmal Perfumes
In 1951, Ajmal Ali established Ajmal Perfumes, with an initial capital of Rs 500, which is around $6 today. In a short span of time, he learned that the majority of customers for oudh were Kuwaitis and Saudis who came to Mumbai (erstwhile Bombay) to buy it. In the early 1960s, he managed to relocate to Mumbai, along with his family, and continued to deal in oudh perfumes.
In the early 1970s, he arrived in the UAE at what would later become Sharjah Airport. This opened an exciting vista for his business. He established many personal relationships with the natives, including with the members of the ruling families in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In 1976, Ajmal Ali's second son Fakhruddin established a new outlet in Dubai's Souq Al Kabir, Murshid Bazaar. In 1986, the late Nazir Ajmal, the youngest of the second generation, created a new oriental fragrance, Sarah. Ajmal Perfumes set up its first factory in 1987 in an industrial area, Al Quoz, located on the outskirts of Dubai. Ajmal Perfumes' Dubai store marked the beginning of its expansions in the UAE.
Throughout the 1990s, Ajmal Perfumes established retail outlets across the Gulf, starting with Kuwait in 1991, followed by Oman in 1992, Saudi Arabia in 1995, and Bahrain in 1996. Ajmal Perfumes successfully launched exports to Iran in 2001. The Ajmal fragrance was well received in Syria, the Maldives, Russia, Egypt and Bulgaria by 2005, and Yemen, Turkey and Pakistan in the following year. It exported its perfumes to Sudan, Singapore, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Kenya and Jordan in 2007. By 2008 it began to expand its operations into South Africa and Ukraine, and thereafter into the markets of Lebanon and Malaysia in 2010.
Abdullah Ajmal
Ajmal Perfumes, headquartered in Dubai, UAE, has been into perfumes for more than 70 years. With Abdullah Ajmal now shepherding the company as its CEO, it has taken a significant step forward to further strengthen its business and to grow its reach across various markets. Under his able leadership, the pioneers of scents are positioning the company for its next phase of growth. In his previous stint as COO of Ajmal Perfumes, Abdullah, with his exemplary leadership and vision, contributed to growing the brand’s legacy manifold. The brand that was known earlier specially for its excellence in oriental perfumery is now a complete house of fragrance. Today, Ajmal Perfumes' unique farm-to-fragrance perfumery brand is available in more than 50 countries and across over 300 retail outlets.
Abdullah Ajmal was born in Mumbai, India. In 1988, he moved to the UAE along with his family. Equipped with the expertise and experience that he gained in the UK, Abdullah returned to Dubai, and further developed the firm's French-aligned fragrance line. With the aim of diversifying Ajmal’s clientele through an effective and efficient brand-positioning strategy, he introduced Ajmal Perfumes to more countries in the region and across the globe. Also, he created a broader range of products for Ajmal Perfumes to evolve into a lifestyle brand.
Being the first of the third generation of the Ajmal family to join the family business of perfumes, Abdullah has served the business in various capacities. He has gradually worked his way up through grit and hardwork. His core responsibilities, besides the overall management and administration of the company, is strategic planning for expansion of the business in retail and through exports. His mission is to introduce Ajmal Perfumes in more countries in the Gulf region and every corner of the world. Moreover, he wants to create a broader range of Ajmal products, with a vision to evolve the range into a lifestyle brand over the years to come. Ajmal Perfumes has a variety of perfumes, both for men and women, home fragrances, and for gift sets. It also has retail shops in India. Each bottle of Ajmal Perfume, according to Abdullah, is a work of art, which is meticulously designed and adorned with intricate details, reflecting the essence of the fragrance within.
Media-savvy Abdullah Ajmal has appeared in the Arabian Business list of "100 Most Powerful Indians in the Gulf" for his work in helping build a modest family-run business into a multimillion-dollar corporate entity. He was nominated for the "Asian Rising Star of the Year" and was also voted among the "Top 100 Indian Business" list by Forbes Middle East. Adding to the long list of honours that he has received is the award of the "Retail ME Icon Trailblazers" in 2022.
Today, Ajmal Perfumes is well established in Dubai, with over 331 international retail outlets, besides exporting to more than 45 countries. The company is now run by members of both the family’s second and third generations.
(Photo: Courtesy Company Site)
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