A bottle designed after the domes of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, perfumes born between the Arabian desert and Paris: Widian, formerly AJ Arabia, is one of the leading houses of Emirati perfumery. Aswan, Baniyas, Liwa, New York, Black I, Black IV, Black V and the house’s other creations are ready to try at Sayhar, rue de Marignan in Paris 8th, or to discover online.
The Widian house
Widian means ‘valleys’ in Arabic. The house was founded in Abu Dhabi by Ali Aljaberi, a chemical engineer with a passion for perfume, who left the corporate world to follow his calling. His studies at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi took him to Paris, where he discovered the perfume industry and spotted a gap no one had yet filled: luxury Franco-Oriental perfumery with an international outlook. He brought with him the materials of the Arabian desert, oud, amber, incense and rare flowers, and composed his perfumes with Jean-Claude Astier, known for the Oud collection by M. Micallef. Launched under the name AJ Arabia, the house became Widian in 2016, without changing its formulas or its bottles. Those bottles, inspired by the architecture of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, have become its signature. Its motto, ‘if you love it, wear it’, sums up its vision: all its perfumes are unisex.
Widian perfumes available at Sayhar
Aswan: raspberry, bergamot and pink pepper, a heart of violet and cedarwood, then leather, tobacco, vanilla and musk.
Baniyas: lavender and bergamot, a heart of oud and cedarwood, then patchouli, sandalwood and vetiver.
Liwa: saffron, bergamot and jasmine, a heart of amber and rose, then incense, sandalwood and oud.
New York: mandarin, bergamot and lemon, a heart of rose, caramel and jasmine, then white musk, tonka and ambergris.
London: oud, violet and cypress, a heart of raspberry and lily of the valley, then leather, vanilla, amber and musk.
Black I: cardamom and cinnamon, a heart of cypress, incense and sandalwood, then cedarwood and musk.
Black IV: plum, blackcurrant and bergamot, a heart of white flowers and rose, then vanilla, musk, leather and sandalwood.
Black V: cinnamon, peach and lemon, a heart of tuberose, orange blossom and solar notes, then caramel and vanilla.
Hili: pink pepper and cinnamon, a heart of tiare, ylang-ylang and tuberose, then coconut milk, vanilla and sandalwood.
Which Widian perfume should you choose?
For aromatic freshness: Baniyas or New York. For oud and incense: Liwa or Black I. For leather: Aswan or London. For a fruity floral: Black IV. For a sunny, gourmand floral: Black V or Hili. All Widian creations are unisex and come in 50 ml.
Where to buy Widian perfumes in Paris
Widian perfumes are waiting for you in our Sayhar boutique, 27 rue de Marignan, Paris 8th, a short walk from the Champs-Élysées, where our team takes you on a journey from Abu Dhabi to New York. To find your bearings before you visit, the Scent Matchmaker offers you a selection based on a few questions.