Messe Frankfurt Middle East is to launch Notes Dubai, a new trade show dedicated to niche and artistic fragrance and positioned as the sister event to Asia’s leading niche perfumery platform, Notes Shanghai. Messe Frankfurt inked a partnership with Notes Shanghai in May 2025, and now co-organizes that show.
Messe Frankfurt Middle East announced the new event at a cocktail party in Milan on the fringes of the Esxence fragrance trade show last week.
Notes Dubai will take place from January 21-23, 2027, at the Dubai Mall Exhibition Centre in the United Arab Emirates.
Messe Frankfurt is positioning Notes Dubai as the global platform for the niche fragrance category, while also reflecting the Middle East’s connection with scent. It adds that Notes Shanghai will remain as the niche and artistic fragrance trade show for Asia.
Notes Dubai will host between 150 and 180 exhibitors, and organizers say the event will prioritize relevance and curation, as opposed to the conventional trade show metrics of size and volume.
“Notes Dubai has been built around the idea that niche perfumery deserves a different kind of platform, one defined not by scale alone, but by curation, discovery and emotional resonance,” said Ravi Ramchandani, Event Director, Notes Dubai.
He added: “The GCC has stopped being a market the fragrance world simply sells into; it now shapes it. Brands born here are sold around the world, and international houses want to be in Dubai because this is where East and West meet. Notes Dubai is built to work both ways, a launchpad for regional brands and a route for international ones.”
Alex Wu, Founder of Notes Shanghai added: “When we launched Notes Shanghai, our goal was to change how niche perfumery connects with the market by prioritizing artistic integrity over sheer volume. The response in Asia proved the independent fragrance community was waiting for this shift. Expanding this vision to Dubai is a natural evolution. By linking these two dynamic markets, we are creating a global axis that helps independent creators’ cross borders seamlessly.”
Messe Frankfurt says Dubai is the right location for the show due to its rich fragrance culture and its position as a crossroads between East and West. It adds that the Middle East’s luxury market is valued at $12.8bn, with fragrance representing 49% of total luxury beauty spend, highlighting both the cultural importance and commercial strength of the category.
The first two days of Notes Dubai will be for distributors, retailers and buyers to connect with the niche fragrance brands exhibiting their products. The third day will be open to the public.
The show will feature a conference program, including talks by industry figures and masterclasses led by master perfumers.