With 25 years of perfumes manufacturing, Ahmed Al Maghribi Perfumes has made a strong and formidable presence in the GCC with 190+ retail outlets that have attracted more than 55,000 loyal customers in the UAE
Key Highlights:
- The total number of business licences owned by Emirati women increased 23 percent to 135,171 in August 2024;
- The total number of commercial licences owned by Emirati women was 109,871 in 2023;
- As many as 25,000 Emirati women entrepreneurs contribute Dh60 billion ($16.3 billion) to the UAE economy annually, according to a research;
- The UAE ranks among the top five economies globally for supporting female entrepreneurship, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2023-2024;
- The UAE ranked 7th globally and the first regionally in the UNDP Gender Inequality Index 2024, securing 82.5 out of 100 in the World Bank’s record on Women’s Rights.
Ahmed Al Maghribi Perfumes, a leading UAE-based manufacturer of oriental and western perfumes, celebrates the Emirati Women’s Day with the launch of a brand-new women’s fragrance – Niswa.
The launch of Niswa is a perfect tribute to the Emirati women – who have defied the odds, broke the proverbial glass ceiling to achieve milestones not only in their career, but made the UAE proud in the world. The UAE ranked 7th globally and the first regionally in the UNDP Gender Inequality Index 2024, securing 82.5 out of 100 in the World Bank’s record on Women’s Rights – way higher than the regional average of 53.2 score. The UAE has a mandate to secure 30 percent of all leadership positions to be held by women by 2025.
Women are significantly involved in entrepreneurship, with over 44,000 trade licenses granted to women, leading projects valued in the billions. The UAE ranks among the top five economies globally for supporting female entrepreneurship, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2023-2024. A NAMA Women Advancement and UN Women study found that 25,000 Emirati women entrepreneurs contribute Dh60 billion ($16.3 billion) to the UAE economy annually.
The number of business licenses owned by Emirati women reaching over 135,000 in August 2024, a 23 percent increase from 2023, according to UAE Ministry of Economy.
“Emirati women today constitute a major part of the economic work in the UAE, as the total number of commercial licences owned by Emirati women in the country reached 135,171 licences until August 26, an increase of 23 per cent compared to 109,871 licences by the end of 2023,” said Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy.
According to Mastercard research released in March 2025, 49 percent of women in the UAE consider themselves entrepreneurs, a high figure reflecting a strong and evolving business landscape. GoDaddy’s 2025 survey found that 36 percent of businesses in the UAE are operated by women.
Ahmed Al Maghribi Perfumes, which celebrates 25 years of excellence this year in producing some of the best fragrances in the Middle East, has honoured three distinguished Emirati women achievers – Dr Engineer Suaad Al Shamsi, the first UAE female aircraft engineer and holder of a PhD in Aviation Science, Dr Walaa Al Shehhi, an accomplished Engineer, Certified Trainer, Interviewer, Motivational Speaker, TV Presenter, Licensed Influencer, Training and Development, Project Management Consulting, Family and Relationships, Session Management, Media and Advertising Coverage and Noura Al Attar, Media Director of the International Relations Authority, Media Advisor to the European Council of Ambassadors – who have done exceptionally well in their fields.
“As an essential part of the UAE’s growth story, Ahmed Al Maghribi Perfumes aligns itself with the UAE’s national development strategy and we take this opportunity to salute the remarkable progress made by the Emirati women in not only national but also international stage – that makes all of us very proud,” Mr Kafeel Ahmed, Founder and Chairman of Ahmed Al Maghribi Perfumes, says.
“As mark of tribute, we dedicate the launch of the new perfume note – Niswa – to the Emirati women’s achievements and as a mark of respect, we have decided to honour the three distinguished Emirati women leaders and experts in their own field. Their inspirational stories, I’m sure, will encourage others to achieve greater feats in national and international field.”
Established in 2000 in the UAE, Ahmed Al Maghribi Perfumes has grown from a small outfit in the last quarter of a century to become one of the largest perfumes manufacturer, wholesaler retailer and exporter in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. It currently has a strong network of 190+ stores across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the GCC countries, exporting to almost 200 countries.
Of the 190+ retail stores, 80 of them are located in the UAE, 30 in Saudi Arabia, 45 in Oman, 10 in Bahrain, 10 in Qatar and five serving customers in Kuwait. With more than 1,000 employees, it serves a customer base of 55,000 in the UAE mostly comprising of Emirati and Arab customers who love oriental fragrances.
Dr Engineer Suaad Al Shamsi
Dr Engineer Suaad Al Shamsi graduated in aviation management from American Academy for Specialised Studies. She holds an MBA degree from Coventry University in aviation management, Master in Aeronautical engineering from Coventry University and a degree in Aerospace Engineering from Hertfordshire University along with Bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the UK.
She has an Honorary Doctorate for the role of women in leadership and women empowerment. She embarked on this journey in the aviation industry when she joined many leading companies involved in aviation as a part of her training in aircraft engineering field such as Messier Bugatti, Honeywell, Kunz, Airbus, and Boeing.
She joined Emirates Airlines as first aircraft engineer in the UAE and has been working in maintenance field for more than 17 years, continuing her growth in the aviation. She is currently working as technical advisor for one of the biggest aviation projects in the UAE. She is an alumnus of the Emirates Association in the UK, a member of IEEE, as well as one of the founders of Woman in Aviation Organization Middle East chapter.
She also serves as the VP of Women in Aviation (Shehana) while also being the Chief Executive Officer of L2L [Learn to Live] consultation company. She is the Ambassador of the International Union for Technical Education in UAE and has founded her own aviation program to empower young girls and women to build careers in the aviation industry.
She has been in awarded the best female influencer in aviation field for year 2023 woman in aviation; Emirates Women Award; Gold Award from Emirates group in the role of Emirati lady engineer, beside her awarded of fast track award from Emirates Airline. She was an outstanding representation of UAE Women in Shanghai Expo 2010 and presented as a jury member in Star of Science programme. She has been part of the main jury in James Dyson Awards in the UAE for four years. She participated as a speaker in many forums and conferences in the UAE, GCC, and worldwide.
Dr Walaa Al Shehhi
A Project Manager at the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), Walaa Al Shehhi brings experience from previous roles at Telecomindication Regulatory Authority, Dubai Police HQ, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), and ADNOC Group. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy – PhD in Management of Engineering Projects and Advanced Strategies at American Studies and Specialised Research. She is a life coach and a motivational speaker.
Noura Al Attar
Noura Al Attar is an accomplished media professional with great achievements who currently advises diplomats and has built expertise in international media relations by becoming the Media Director of the International Relations Authority and Media Advisor to the European Council of Ambassadors.
Ahmed Al Maghribi Perfumes produces a wide range of oriental perfumes, including oud, bukhoor, and oil-base high-quality perfume blends as well as spray-based occidental fragrances. Established in 2000 by Mr. Kafeel Ahmed, a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) fragrance specialist, who turned his passion and expertise into a global enterprise that serves hundreds of thousands of customers in more than 20 countries in the world.
Ahmed Perfumes also exports perfumes to almost 200 countries including United Kingdom, Europe – in Bulgaria and Italy, Azerbaijan and a few other Central Asian destinations as well as Chicago and Dallas in the United States, where the local distributors maintain its presence.
It has a large manufacturing plant in Ajman from where the products are manufactured, packaged, and shipped to its network of retail outlets and distributors across the world. The company plans to open at least five new outlets in Saudi Arabia, where business is growing due to ongoing economic reforms and massive infrastructure development.
Ahmed Al Maghribi Perfumes has a strong growth vision that will see the company expand into new territories while strengthen its presence in the GCC with scores of new stores.
