Dubai: A nose for success has won Jihad Badran Dh45,000 after he was announced the winner of Ajmal’s Young Perfumer Talent Hunt of 2013 on Friday. He also scooped an internship with Swiss company Firmenich Perfumes and the opportunity to work on Ajmal’s youth perfume.
The first-of-its kind competition was open to all nationalities living in the UAE aged between 16-21. The participants created their own perfume in 90 minutes using 16 ingredients and were judged by a panel of perfumery professionals. The perfume’s theme was “French Mukhallat”.
Ajmal partnered with Firmenich Perfumes and searched the UAE for potential talent. The search resulted in 20 contestants, ten men and ten women, to take part in the competition at The Westin Dubai on Friday evening.
Runners-up Sakina Sawan, Mohammad Ali Al Hamadi, Ziad Awad and Maitha Mohammad Salem scooped Dh15,000, Dh10,000 and Dh7,500.
Abdullah Ajmal, general manager at Ajmal Perfumes, told Gulf News prior to the event that he had met all the participants during the training and was “very hopeful because during the trials last week we had some decent work given that they have only had one day of training”.
