Amouage x Alula

A Journey of Shared Heritage and Scented Memory

By Dani O'Connor, Editor in Chief

All photos by Benjamin de Fracia

There are moments when a journey feels less like travel and more like a return to something familiar. Our recent media trip with Amouage to AlUla carried that feeling from the moment we arrived. The Omani fragrance house has long been known for its deep sense of identity. Its connection to heritage has always been more than a theme. It is a way of seeing the world. This made AlUla the perfect setting for their newest cultural chapter amongst VIPs, dignitaries, and top tier media.

All photos by Benjamin de Fracia

Amouage arrived in AlUla to celebrate something meaningful. The brand joined the Royal Commission for AlUla as the fragrance sponsor of the Incense Road Experience, a multisensory installation that honors the ancient trade routes linking Arabia to the wider world. The story of the Incense Road is also the story of Oman and Saudi Arabia, two lands shaped by the movement of caravans, culture and perfume. Frankincense from Dhofar. Myrrh from the southern deserts. Aromatics that once traveled through AlUla before finding their way across continents. Amouage carries these stories in every creation. Seeing the house return to this landscape felt profound.

All photos by Benjamin de Fracia

The visit began with a private tour of the Incense Road Experience, accompanied by the leadership of Amouage. The Chairman, Sayyid Khalid bin Hamad Al Busaidi, spoke with a sense of calm authority that reflects the house’s long standing reputation. The Chief Executive Officer, Marco Parsiegla, shared reflections on cultural partnership and the responsibility that comes with representing the region’s heritage on a global stage. Creative Director Renaud Salmon brought a quiet curiosity to each space, pausing at details that others might miss. Together they represented three perspectives that define Amouage: legacy, leadership and imagination.

All photos by Benjamin de Fracia

Walking through the installation felt like moving through time. Light, sound and scent carried us across centuries. The desert became a living archive of the trade networks that once shaped Arabia. Every fragrance note in the air held a memory of something older than the moment itself. There was a feeling of reverence, as if the landscape invited visitors to listen first before interpreting anything at all.

The signing ceremony between Amouage and the Royal Commission for AlUla took place shortly after. The agreement formalized a partnership built on authenticity and shared cultural values. It was an acknowledgment that fragrance is not merely an accessory. It is a storyteller. In AlUla, it becomes a bridge between Oman and Saudi Arabia, two cultures connected by scent, movement and history.

All photos by Benjamin de Fracia

As evening arrived, the desert shifted into something intimate and beautiful. Amouage hosted an exclusive dinner at The Chedi Hegra where candlelight reflected off sandstone walls that have stood for thousands of years. The atmosphere was serene. Music floated in the air with the softness of a whispered memory. Every course carried the influence of AlUla’s natural landscape, turning the meal into a continuation of the day’s narrative.

Later, guests gathered for a concert staged in front of Hegra. The monument stood illuminated, its quiet presence towering above the crowd. The performance marked the opening of the Ancient Kingdoms Festival of AlUla, a celebration that honors the region’s cultural legacy. The combination of music, history and desert air created a moment that felt suspended in time. It was impossible not to reflect on how deeply fragrance is tied to place. Standing beneath the stars, surrounded by the powerful stillness of Hegra, the collaboration between Amouage and AlUla found its fullest expression.

All photos by Benjamin de Fracia

This media trip revealed something essential about Amouage. The house understands that luxury is at its most meaningful when it carries memory, purpose and connection. Its story is rooted in Oman, yet it speaks naturally to the landscape of Saudi Arabia. Both places share an ancient history shaped by perfume. Both hold traditions that continue to influence contemporary creativity. And both are stepping into a future defined by cultural ambition and global visibility.

All photos by Benjamin de Fracia

In AlUla, Amouage honored the past while creating something new. The partnership felt less like an announcement and more like a continuation of a long and scented conversation between two cultures. It is a reminder that heritage is not static. It is alive and always becoming something more.