Perfume Tales

Great oud gets you to the border.

The right papers get you into the shop.

An oud seller in his Dubai shop holds a vial up like a trophy

Dubai. His oud shop.

Everyone in Dubai loves my oud. Now I will sell it in Paris, London and New York!

A customs officer studies the perfume label through a magnifying glass

Paris airport, customs. Six days later.

Monsieur, your label does not list the ingredients or the allergy warnings. And which company in Europe is responsible for this perfume?

I am responsible! It is my perfume!

You are in Dubai. Europe needs a company here that it can call.

The seller lies flat on a floor of cartons in a warehouse

All his oud is stuck in a customs warehouse. Paris said no. London said no. New York said no.

The seller squints at his phone in the dark

3 o’clock in the morning. He cannot sleep.

how to sell oud in europe

The seller at a desk buried in paper, a pen in his teeth

In the morning he books a call with an expert.

☎ The expert: I do this every month. Send me your label and your formula. We start with Europe.

Mmhm.

The seller proudly holds a bottle whose label unrolls to the floor

Two weeks later.

The ingredients, the allergy warnings and a company in Europe. Everything is on the label now!

The seller hugs his stamped carton while the customs officer looks on

Paris airport, customs. The second try.

TAK.

The same oud, Monsieur. With the right papers.

Bring your project. We’ll look at it together.

Rules behind the story: EU cosmetics regulation 1223/2009 (label, safety file, a responsible company in Europe); US FDA cosmetics registration; CITES permits for agarwood.
© Ahmed Hamed 2026