Best Initio Perfumes in the UAE: Oud for Greatness, Side Effect and the 2026 Releases

Short answer: For oud, start with Oud for Greatness, the dark, spicy one, or Oud for Greatness Neo, the fresher, greener one. For sweet scents, Sugar Blast is caramel and vanilla, and Narcotic Delight is cherry and tobacco. For the heat, Paragon and High Frequency are the easy picks. At AZ & CO, Oud for Greatness costs AED 830 for 90ml extrait de parfum and Neo AED 790 for 90ml, against a boutique price of AED 1,620 for both. We have 14 Initio perfumes in stock today.

Initio is one of the most searched niche houses in the UAE, and Oud for Greatness reached its highest search level of the year in mid-October. The newer bottles are rising fast too: Wild Rush, Sugar Blast, Oud for Grace and Lift Me Up are all breakout searches this year, and Can't Get Enough is up about 300%. This page lists every Initio we have in stock, with today's prices, and says honestly which popular ones we do not have right now.

Which Initio is which, at a glance?

"You pay" shows our price and the size, with the strength (EDP is eau de parfum; extrait de parfum is stronger) and whether it is boxed or a tester. "Boutique price" is the price we compare the bottle with, and a tester is compared with the same boutique price as the boxed bottle. The Character column sums up each perfume's notes. It is not a wear test.

Oud for Greatness or Oud for Greatness Neo: which should I buy?

Buy Oud for Greatness if you already love oud and want it dark and spicy. Buy Neo if you want oud that feels fresh and green. Oud for Greatness opens with saffron, nutmeg and lavender, then oud, agarwood oil and patchouli take over, and musk softens the dry down. Our description calls it dark, woody and spicy, and suggests one or two sprays to start. It is an extrait de parfum, from Initio's Black Gold Project collection.

Neo came out in 2024 as a fresher branch of the same line. It keeps the lavender and saffron but adds bergamot and balsam fir, which our description says smells like pine needles after rain. The oud is woody, kept fresh rather than smoky. It is an eau de parfum.

With us, Oud for Greatness costs AED 830 for 90ml. Neo costs AED 790 boxed or AED 680 as a tester. Both have a boutique price of AED 1,620.

Skip Oud for Greatness if you are new to oud. Skip Neo if you want the deep, classic oud of a wedding or majlis.

Is Oud for Grace in the UAE yet?

Oud for Grace is one of Initio's 2026 releases and a breakout search in the UAE this year. We do not have it in stock today. Send us the name on WhatsApp and we will tell you the price and when we can deliver it. Until then, Oud for Greatness Neo is the lighter oud we have, and Oud for Greatness the deeper one. Lift Me Up is the same: not in stock today, but ask on WhatsApp.

What are Wild Rush and Sugar Blast like?

They are two of the new Initio bottles, and they go opposite ways. Sugar Blast is sweet. Wild Rush is dry. Sugar Blast opens with bergamot and pink pepper, then caramel, heliotrope and rose, on vanilla, tonka, musk and sandalwood. Our description calls it a sweet gourmand where the pepper and sandalwood stop it from feeling flat.

Wild Rush opens with the same pink pepper and bergamot, then turns to labdanum, leather and cedar, on ambergris, vetiver and musk. Our description calls it raw, warm and skin-like, more dry and leathery than sweet. Both cost AED 1,010 for 90ml, against a boutique price of AED 1,430.

Skip Sugar Blast if you dislike caramel. Skip Wild Rush if leather is not for you.

Where can I buy Initio Side Effect in the UAE?

Side Effect is sold out with us today. Send us the name on WhatsApp and we will tell you when it is back. Our description of it is rum, nutmeg and pink pepper, then tobacco and heliotrope, on vanilla, musk, sandalwood and tonka. The closest bottle we have in stock is Narcotic Delight, AED 780 for 90ml: it shares the tobacco, vanilla and tonka base, with cherry and cognac on top. For coffee instead of rum, try Mystic Experience at AED 680.

Can't Get Enough, up about 300% in searches, is also sold out today. It moves from icy citrus to cognac, cinnamon, oak and amber. Ask us on WhatsApp for it too.

Which Initio works best in the UAE heat?

Paragon and High Frequency are the best for warm days. Paragon is bergamot, lemon, iris and white tea on cedar and white musk, and our description says it tends to suit daytime, work and warmer weather. High Frequency is creamy magnolia and jasmine, suggested for spring and summer. Power Self and Rehab also work for daytime and the office. The ouds, Sugar Blast, Wild Rush, Narcotic Delight, Mystic Experience and Absolute Aphrodisiac are best saved for evenings and the cooler months from November to March. For more cool-season picks, see our best winter perfumes for the UAE.

Which Initio is the most clean and quiet?

Magnetic Blend 7 is the quietest: musk is the only note listed, and our description says it sits close to the body. Rehab is the cleanest for every day, a modern take on the lavender fougère with sandalwood and musk. Absolute Aphrodisiac also stays close to the skin, but warmer, with vanilla, amber and leather. It came out in 2015 and changes little from start to finish.

Tester or boxed: which should I pick?

A tester is the same perfume in the brand's own tester box, new, unused and unsprayed. Only the box differs. Of these bottles, two come as testers today: Oud for Greatness Neo at AED 680, AED 110 less than boxed, and Power Self at AED 700, AED 100 less. If it is a gift, the boxed bottle is the better choice. More in tester vs boxed perfume.

How do I know my bottle is real?

Every bottle is checked before it ships, and its batch code is left readable so you can check it with the house yourself. If a bottle is not genuine, we collect it free and refund every dirham, and you will not need to prove it. To check a bottle yourself, read how to check if a perfume is original.

Delivery is AED 25 anywhere in the UAE: same day in Dubai and Sharjah when you order by 10 AM, otherwise next day, and one day more elsewhere. Delivery is free on orders of AED 1,000 or more, and this works together with discount codes. You can pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard or Tabby (pay in 4).

Browse the Initio collection, or read our best niche perfumes in Dubai guide. See all our guides.

Questions people ask

Is Oud for Greatness Neo better than the original?

Neither is better; they suit different people. The original is darker and spicier, an extrait de parfum. Neo is fresher and greener, an eau de parfum, and easier for daytime. With us, the original costs AED 830 and Neo AED 790 boxed or AED 680 as a tester.

How much is Oud for Greatness in the UAE?

At AZ & CO, Oud for Greatness costs AED 830 for 90ml extrait de parfum, against a boutique price of AED 1,620. The product page always shows the current price.

What is the sweetest Initio?

Of the bottles we have, Sugar Blast, with caramel and vanilla. Narcotic Delight, with cherry, tobacco and vanilla, comes next.

Is Initio unisex?

Yes. Our description of Oud for Greatness says every Initio perfume is unisex and made in France.

Where can I buy Oud for Grace in Dubai?

We do not have it in stock today. Send us the name on WhatsApp and we will tell you the price and when we can deliver it.

Prices on this page were correct on 25 October 2026. The product page always shows the current price.