The Reason Why the Middle East Perfume Industry is Obsessed with the Indonesian Market

Al Wataniah at Jakarta X Beauty 2026 (doc. Ist)

JAKARTA - The cosmetics and fragrance market in Indonesia continues to show a strong magnet for global industry players. Not least for fragrance manufacturers from the Middle East, who are now increasingly working on the domestic market.

The interest is not without reason, but is driven by cultural proximity and an incredibly large market potential.

The director of ABC Fragrances and one of the owners of the Dubai perfume brand Al Wataniah, Cassim Pardesi, revealed that Indonesia holds a crucial role in their global fragrance business map.

The characteristics of the Indonesian people who have emotional closeness with the Arab region are the main basis for the acceptance of products with the characteristics of the Arabian Peninsula.

"The Indonesian market is very broad because Indonesia has a large Muslim population. For this reason, many Indonesians go to Umrah or to Saudi Arabia, so they are always exposed to oud scents, Arab perfumes, and typical scents that are smelled in holy places such as the Ka'bah," said Cassim Pardesi at the Jakarta X Beauty event at the Jakarta Convention Center, Thursday, July 2.

According to Cassim, the use of fragrances in the Muslim tradition is not merely a complement to appearance, but part of the cultural and spiritual values. The tradition of lighting bakhoor to scent the room when welcoming guests or giving perfume as a wedding dowry makes the Indonesian people's sense of smell very open to distinctive aromas such as oud and musk.

This massive market growth is evidenced by a significant business surge since Al Wataniah partnered with local distributor PT Kharisma Sukses Persada.

"Now, our business has grown rapidly, perhaps growing more than 50 times since we started working together," added Cassim.

The existence of this Dubai-based brand is further emphasized through their participation in the Jakarta X Beauty 2026 beauty event held at the Jakarta Convention Center on July 2-5. This step is an opportunity to interact directly with Indonesian cosmetics consumers who are known to be very expressive in choosing fragrances.

In this event, the Middle Eastern perfume industry is trying to redefine its aromatic image to be more relevant to modern preferences without abandoning its original identity.

However, market penetration is not done rigidly. Middle Eastern fragrance manufacturers are aware that consumer preferences are very personal and dynamic. In order to reach a wider market beyond traditional aroma lovers, product adaptation is carried out through in-depth research in collaboration with global fragrance manufacturers.

Al Wataniah applies a hybrid formula by combining global trends such as sweet gourmand scents (vanilla, fruits, and flowers) with a subtle touch of Dubai heritage elements to maintain its original identity.

Cassim explained that his party observed a shift in trends globally to be applied to their products. "Our chemists work tirelessly to create acceptable aromas. Once we get these aromas, we choose which ones are the most durable," he explained.

This consistent growth potential has sparked optimism for Dubai's fragrance industry players to continue investing in the Indonesian market. In the future, the expansion space is not limited to body fragrance products, but is beginning to look at the wider beauty sector to capture the momentum of local consumer enthusiasm for self-care trends.