Swiss Arabian hits the right notes

Hussein Adam Ali, founder and chairman of SAPG, speaks at the launch of the group's largest flagship store at The Dubai Mall

Swiss Arabian Perfumes Group, a UAE-based perfumery pioneer, unveiled its latest and largest flagship store at the Dubai Mall. Nader H. Adam Ali, director of SAPG, talks about the brand's marketing and offerings that embody its demand and success

Published: Tue 4 Feb 2020, 11:43 AM

Last updated: Wed 5 Feb 2020, 1:56 PM

Perfumes are an intimate affair. No two people have the same taste. Keeping this is mind, Swiss Arabian Perfumes Group (SAPG) recently opened its largest flagship store at The Dubai Mall to cater to the upper, middle and budget segments of the fragrance market.

Nader H. Adam Ali, director of SAPG, said: "The opening of the new store proves to be both timely and strategic as the GCC region's perfume industry is projected to reach $3.87 billion by 2024 at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 8.9 per cent from 2019 to 2024. This new flagship store complements our efforts to mark a stronger presence in the region and is the latest addition to the already two existing kiosks at the Dubai Mall. To date, Swiss Arabian has 105 outlets spread out across the GCC and African region."

Marketing mix
SAPG engages a healthy mix of marketing strategies for an extensive reach. "Social media plays a huge role but we have that balance of outdoor and print media as those are still important. The key thing in marketing these days not to be led by influencers or bloggers. Companies are increasingly looking at ways to measure commercially their marketing activities. So, if I spend a dollar or a dirham, I want to understand how much business I am bringing in. Online and digital today are allowing us to do that," he said.

Offerings at the new store
Strategically located on level one of the mall, the new store signals a renewed period of heritage for Swiss Arabian, highlighting the company's continuing commitment to create a diverse portfolio of unique fragrances, perfume oils and Dehn El Oud that perfectly fuse the combination of the rich Arabian culture and the company's technical expertise.
"To mark the occasion, we have launched a special collection named WAAW, which means unity and harmony in Arabic. The collection is based on the various stages of love and are under three specially created
unisex fragrances - Gharaam, Hayaam and Wajd," said Ali.

The new store displays an incredible variety of perfumes along with an exclusive premium collection. With immense experience in the art of perfume-making and having partnered with world's leading perfume manufacturers, Swiss Arabian aims to awaken one's sense of smell and help individuals find their unique mix of fragrances.

Over the last four decades, the company has created various offerings across major product categories. Some of them are eau de parfum (EDP); eau de toilette (EDT); concentrated perfume oils (CPO); Dehn El Oud; bukhoor and agarwood, which is a traditional incense widely used in Arab households.

Dubai Mall, as its base of operations, serves as an ideal destination as the largest mall in the world.

"It is the number one mall in the world and is a big statement for us to be here. We have had flagship stores in Abu Dhabi and Dubai previously, but this one is our largest store and we are happy to be here," said Ali.

Brand journey
The Swiss Arabian Perfumes Group was founded in 1974 in Aden, Yemen by Hussein Adam Ali. He came to Dubai during the oil rush and started the business in collaboration with Swiss company Givaudan SA, one of the largest essential oil manufacturers in the world.

"Originally, we were distributing their perfumes, and this eventually led to opening retail stores in the UAE. We then started looking into the UAE, followed by stores in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait," said Ali.

The brand also has a lucrative online presence that lucrative, as well as outlets outside the GCC, where the US, Morocco, India and Pakistan are its big export markets.

"Japan is surprisingly quite good for us, and there are lot more potential markets we are looking to explore, such as the UK and Russia. We have recently opened our first flagship store in Belgium and plans to open three more in US this year. Overall, we aim to launch 300 stores across the globe in the next three years.

A cut above the rest
Swiss Arabian is looking to cater to a niche high-end clientele and be on par with renowned brands, such as Gucci, Giovanni, Dior, Bvlgari, etc. with its new fragrance, WAAW. However, it still stays true to its original focus of providing value for money, giving clients access to affordable luxury.

But what really sets Swiss Arabian apart is its unique positioning - an ideal mix of western technology, precision and quality, complemented by Arabian passion, heritage, exotic ingredients such as oud, sandalwood and musk.
"When you combine the two you get something extraordinary," Ali added.
Swiss Arabian Perfumes Group operates two manufacturing facilities in Sharjah, and is the first of its kind to obtain an ISO 9000 certification.

Future goals
Looking ahead, Ali shared Swiss Arabian Perfumes Group's passion to expand globally.
"We really want to move ahead from being a regional brand. Our short-term goal is to remain among the top three Arabian perfume houses in the region. Our long-term goal is to expose the rest of the world to the brand by opening more retail outlets. We are moving beyond our traditional boundaries," he said.