We are witnessing a slow but steady shift in the world of industry leadership. Within the fragrance industry, an industry projected to generate a revenue of US$62.11 billion in 2025, women leadership is still few and far between despite accounting for 64% of perfume sales.
However, Eurofragance is leading the charge for change. Just recently, the Spanish fragrance house announced a strategic leadership change within the Middle East, appointing fragrance development expert Oumayma Tabet as the new General Manager for the Gulf region, effective January 2026. With over 21 years of experience in the fragrance industry, Tabet brings her creativity and her technical and market knowledge to the forefront of Eurofragance’s Middle Eastern sector.
While we wait to witness Eurofragance’s new beginnings, we interviewed Oumayma Tabet, getting to know her favourite scents and how she anticipates the challenge ahead.
You’re stepping into this new role at a pivotal moment for Eurofragance in the Middle East. What is your top priority heading into 2026?
Two priorities in a nutshell: Our clients and our people. My focus as I step into this role is on continuing to strengthen and nurture our client relationships, serving their needs with purpose, and co-creating successful fragrance solutions with them.
And I also plan to spend more time with our people, as I am fully committed to empowering them and exploring new opportunities while leading with a client-centric mindset. My approach is deeply aligned with our company’s core values, which remain at the heart of everything we do. This transformation is a continuation of Eurofragance’s global growth strategy, providing us with the necessary structures and leadership to meet the industry’s evolving demands.
What does ‘continuity with drive’ mean to you in the context of this leadership transition? How do you plan to build on Antoine de Riedmatten’s decade-long legacy?
Continuity with drive means building on the foundation and achievements that Antoine has established over the past decade, while bringing new energy and proactive initiatives. I intend to build on Antoine’s legacy by keeping what works well, introducing new ideas, and empowering the team to reach new heights, while maintaining Eurofragance’s vision and values at the core.
What do you see as the biggest untapped opportunities in the Middle East fragrance landscape today?
The Middle East is such a fascinating blend of tradition and innovation! Deeply rooted in heritage, while also open to being influenced by global trends. One of the biggest opportunities I see is translating these deep-rooted olfactive preferences into modern scents, as consumers here are eager to discover fragrances that combine heritage and originality.
As for the Middle Eastern consumer, they are connoisseurs seeking individuality. They have sparked a growing interest towards niche, self-expressive scents with oil formats, and it has been gaining a lot of traction, reflecting richness and higher performance.
You’ve been leading the Creative Center in Dubai for the past two years. What was your biggest takeaway from that experience, and how will it inform your approach as General Manager?
It’s been a privilege to work with such an incredible team and to see us become a regional benchmark for innovation and collaboration. Leading the Creative Center has reinforced my belief in the power of people and the strength that comes from shared ideas. I am a strong believer in collective leadership: Together we optimised processes, built strong partnerships, fostered a high-performance culture, and maintained close engagement with our clients. The result was not only repeat business and referrals but also a deeper trust in our capabilities.
This client-centric, collaborative approach is my biggest takeaway, and it will remain central to how I drive commercial success and position our brand as a trusted partner in the industry as General Manager. As I move into this new role, my goal is to drive growth and build even stronger partnerships. And I am excited and ready for the challenge!
Are there any cultural or sensory inspirations – from your upbringing, travels, or personal rituals – that have shaped your creative lens in fragrance?
Growing up in Lebanon, I was surrounded by rituals that awakened my senses: the use of frankincense, walks through the cedar forests, and the delicate scents of rose water and neroli water in traditional desserts. These experiences were later complemented by my discovery of the Gulf’s rich palette of ingredients. This exposure broadened my creative lens immensely, highlighting the contrast between Mediterranean freshness and the depth of ouds, ambers, and resins. These experiences shaped my understanding that fragrances are deeply sensitive to cultural nuance, storytelling and emotions.
Eurofragance puts great emphasis on ‘client-centric innovation.’ Can you give us a sense of how creativity and commercial objectives work together in your strategy?
Creativity is at the heart of everything we do and every team member is encouraged to think outside the box and bring innovative ideas to the table. But creativity alone isn’t enough. In my opinion, it must be paired with expertise and a deep understanding of our clients’ needs and market realities.
Our Creative Center in Dubai demonstrates this approach. It’s not just a lab for developing new scents; it’s a collaborative space where we integrate cultural insights and client perspectives. Innovation, for us, is always a response to real-world opportunities.
You mentioned that innovation, sustainability, and a passion for fragrance are the ‘key ingredients’ of your growth vision. Could you elaborate on how you plan to activate those pillars in your new role?
For me, innovation is about staying ahead, exploring new raw materials, formats and personalised experiences. And sustainability is woven into everything we do, from our ingredients to our production processes. And of course, our passion for fragrance brings it all together.
On top of that, our newly expanded production site in Barcelona has tripled our capacity to serve the Middle East. With a €10 million investment, we’re now able to respond to demand faster and with more customisation. The plant features advanced robotics, automates 80% of production and uses solar panels for over a third of its energy. We’ve also enhanced workspaces for employee well-being.
Whereas sustainability is guided by four pillars: safety, community, business ethics, and resources. We’re proud to say that 76% of our main suppliers have sustainability policies. Our Spanish sites use 100% renewable energy, and here in the UAE, we’ve cut carbon emissions across our supply chain, saving over 2,000 litres of diesel and more than 5.5 tons of CO₂ emissions. At our Dubai Creative Center, we treat waste as a new beginning, not an endpoint, by actively reducing and recycling. These efforts have earned us a Platinum EcoVadis rating for the second year running.
Looking ahead, we’re focused on expanding renewable energy across all our global operations, embedding circular economy principles into product development and supply chains, and working even more closely with our suppliers to create a truly responsible value chain.
You’ve worked at major fragrance companies before joining Eurofragance. What drew you to Eurofragance, and what has kept you here?
The company’s great reputation in the region, its entrepreneurial spirit, values, and focus on people were what drew me to Eurofragance. After 21 years in the region and 15 years at one company, I felt the need to renew myself. And that’s what Eurofragance offered.
What keeps me here is witnessing our ability to keep up with the changes happening in the industry, quickly adapting to the evolving demands, and remaining focused on our clients’ needs and our strategic plans. I’m proud to be part of a team that’s so committed to leading the way.
On a more personal note, do you have a favourite fragrance, something that holds a special memory, or simply feels like you? What draws you to it?
This takes me back all the way to 2004 and my first months in the perfumery world when I was still learning olfactive notes. I smelled Narciso Rodriguez for Her created by Christine Nagel and Francis Kurkdjian. The scent hooked me from the first spritzes; it was mysteriously inexplicable and became my absolute favourite. I discovered with time that Patchouli is one ingredient that I like a lot, and that is one pillar in this scent.
Going a step further, is there a particular kind of scent you gravitate towards when you’re clocking into a high-stakes workday? Is there a particular note or fragrance that helps you step into that ‘boss mindset’?
In fact, to date and throughout my fragrance journey, except for my roll-on deodorant, I am used to coming to work unscented. It was essential that when you develop briefs, you need to smell as neutral as possible. Leaving the day fully scented with many scents is the norm. So if I imagine a boss’s mindset kind of scent, I would still pick Narciso Rodriguez for Her. Feminine yet powerful and assertive, exactly the way I see myself stepping into this new role.
