Luban BakhoorWoody Resinous Agarwood Incense

Luban Bakhoor by Oman Luxury is an agarwood chip incense, resinous and woody, presented in a 48 g package. Luban is the Arabic name for olibanum—the substance that gives Oman its reputation.

An Omani house that calls upon master noses

Oman Luxury is an independent house founded in 2012 by Muatasim, Muadh and Ahmed, then relaunched in October 2020 with a new identity. Its approach is twofold: draw on Omani heritage—the incense route, spices, agarwood—and entrust the formulas to leading French perfumers, including Dominique Ropion, Marie Salamagne, Pierre Negrin, Maurice Roucel and Emilie Coppermann. One of the three founders, Muatasim Al Hinai, composes two of the collection's fragrances himself. The bottles incorporate motifs from Omani architecture and textiles.

What this bakhoor smells like

A resinous, dry, peppery woody scent. Olibanum brings its clear, lemony, slightly camphorous gum, while agarwood gives it a darker base. The house describes an opening of clear incense that then gives way to a woody warmth: heating it produces a fine smoke, very different from the density of oud alone.

Bakhoor, and how to use it

Bakhoor is an incense made of agarwood chips infused with perfumed oils and resins, then left to macerate. It is not burned with a flame: one or two chips are placed on an electric warming plate or on already-whitened charcoal, and the gentle heat releases the fragrance without carbonizing it. A few minutes are enough to perfume a room, and the scent clings to textiles for hours. The house itself indicates three uses: perfuming the home, perfuming the majlis—the living room where guests are received—and perfuming clothes.

The house's signature

Four of the house's bakhoors simply bear the Arabic name of their main ingredient: Anbar for amber, Oud for agarwood, Luban for olibanum, Ward for rose. This one is the most steeped in history for the country: olibanum is the resin around which the peninsula's caravan routes were built, and the house claims for this bakhoor an atmosphere that is "serene, elegant and distinctly Omani." Offering it in chips is to sell the foundational material in the form closest to its original use.

For whom, for what occasions?

For those who love clear and dry incense rather than heavy smoke. It is suitable all year round, by day as well as by evening, and is enough to refresh a room. Luban Bakhoor by Oman Luxury will appeal to those who want olibanum on its own.