Fragrance house

Widian by AJ Arabia

Widian by AJ Arabia was founded in Abu Dhabi by Ali Aljaberi, with the business established in 2011 and its first fragrance launched in 2014. The house originally operated as AJ Arabia and was rebranded Widian in January 2016; the change introduced a new name and logo while retaining its existing fragrance formulas, bottles, and reference numbers. The name Widian refers to valleys in Arabic, and the brand’s visual identity draws on Abu Dhabi, including the domes and lines of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, in a contemporary meeting of Arabian heritage and modernity. Its creative work follows a founder-led, collaborative model, with Aljaberi working alongside fragrance artists including Jean-Claude Astier, Jordi Fernández, Philippine Courtière, Hamid Merati-Kashani, Nathalie Lorson, Randa Hammami, and Marie Salamagne. Black I, launched in 2014 with Aljaberi and Astier, was the house’s first fragrance and the first release in the Black Collection. Early collections also included Gold, with an oud- and amber-oriented direction, while the later Sapphire Collection drew inspiration from cities important to Aljaberi. Widian is currently owned by AJ Arabia Enterprise.