Beyond Business

At Abd Majid Oud and Aquiroma, our work is not limited to producing and supplying agarwood oil.

We believe that our experience also gives us a responsibility to share what we have learned. Agarwood is an important material in perfumery, but it remains widely misunderstood. Its origin, resin formation, species, production methods and olfactive diversity are often simplified or explained without a proper understanding of how the material is actually produced.

Our role is to make this knowledge clearer and more accessible to perfumers, students, fragrance professionals and anyone who wants to understand agarwood beyond its commercial value.

Closing the Knowledge Gap

Oud is recognised around the world, yet there is still a considerable gap between how it is marketed and what it is in reality.

It is often presented as one standard scent or described only through words such as rare, dark, luxurious or mysterious. In practice, agarwood oil is far more diverse. Its character depends on the species, geographical origin, quality of the wood, resin formation, preparation and distillation method.

A hydro-distilled oil from Vietnam can be completely different from a steam-distilled material from Indonesia. Two oils from the same country may also have very different profiles because of changes in species, raw material or production.

Understanding these differences is important for perfumers. It allows them to evaluate oud as a natural raw material and use it with greater purpose in a formula.

This is the knowledge gap we are working to address.

Learning Through the Material

Our educational sessions are centred on the material itself.

Participants are introduced to agarwood from the tree to the finished oil. We explain how resin is formed, how the raw material is selected and how different preparation and extraction methods affect the final result.

Whenever possible, the discussion is supported by a broad selection of oils. Smelling materials from different origins allows participants to experience the diversity of agarwood directly.

They can compare hydro-distilled, steam-distilled and co-distilled oils. They can also study the differences between woody, animalic, leathery, smoky, earthy, floral, fruity and balsamic profiles.

The purpose is not to tell people which oil is the best. There is no single best oud for every perfume. The purpose is to help them understand the differences and decide which material is most suitable for their own work.

Working With Students and Professionals

Over the years, we have shared our knowledge with perfumery students, professional perfumers, evaluators, fragrance manufacturers and luxury management students.

Our sessions have included the Grasse Institute of Perfumery, ISIPCA, the Italian Perfumery Institute and SKEMA Business School. We have also provided dedicated training for fragrance company teams.

Each audience approaches agarwood from a different perspective. A student may want to understand the basic relationship between the tree, resin and oil. A perfumer may be more interested in olfactive profiles and formulation. A purchasing or regulatory team may focus on origin, supply, traceability and CITES requirements.

We adapt each session to the people in the room while keeping the information practical, clear and connected to the material.

These sessions are also an opportunity for us to listen. Questions from students and professionals show us where confusion still exists and which subjects require better explanation. Knowledge sharing is therefore not one-sided. Every discussion helps improve the way agarwood is understood and presented.

Beyond the Scent of Agarwood Oil

Our commitment to knowledge sharing led to the publication of Beyond the Scent of Agarwood Oil by Khalid Iqbal.

The book was written after years of collecting questions from perfumers, customers and students. Many of the same questions appeared repeatedly. What is agarwood? How does resin form? Why do oils from different origins smell different? How does distillation influence the profile? How can purity be evaluated? How is oud used in modern perfumery?

The book brings these subjects together in one practical reference. It covers the tree, resin formation, sourcing, production, distillation, authenticity, analytical testing, sustainability and the use of agarwood oil in perfumery.

It also includes perspectives from perfumers and fragrance professionals who have worked with oud in different ways. This connects production knowledge from the source with the experience of those who use the material in fragrance creation.

The purpose of the book is not to present one fixed opinion about oud. It is to provide a clearer foundation from which readers can evaluate the material and form their own understanding.

A Continuing Commitment

Knowledge sharing is a continuing part of our work.

Through workshops, professional training, institutional sessions, written articles, material presentations and our book, we want to contribute to a more informed conversation around agarwood.

We believe that greater understanding benefits the entire community. It helps perfumers select materials more carefully. It helps students build knowledge based on real production. It encourages more accurate communication and creates greater awareness around sourcing, sustainability and compliance.

For us, business and knowledge should not be separated completely. Supplying a material also means helping people understand what they are receiving, where it comes from and why it has a particular character.

We do not claim to have every answer. Agarwood is a complex natural material, and there is always more to study. Our contribution is based on more than four decades of production experience, practical work at the source and continuous exchange with the fragrance community.

We share this knowledge because the future of agarwood depends not only on producing and selling it, but also on understanding it properly.