In his latest #Qtip, I Love Qatar co-founder Khalifa Saleh Al Haroon explains a key aspect of Qatari culture – giving off a pleasant scent.

According to Al Haroon, Qataris take their fragrances very seriously, and rely on the following products to smell good:

• Oud
• Dihn Al Oud
• Bukhoor
• Perfume
• Flowers

Though in the video, Al Haroon doesn’t go into the specifics of why a pleasant odor is so important, he explained to Doha News:

“Hygiene is something that is important religiously. Al nathafa min al eeman. Cleanliness is a sign of faith. This can also be seen by the wudu (cleansing before praying).

Also as you can imagine Qatar, being a hot country, didn’t have cooling systems back in the day. We had to rely on wind towers and fans. So smelling good was something that people tried to achieve with the different types of perfumes and flowers.

It was a sign that someone cared about themselves and the image they portrayed to others. We live in a judgmental society and smelling good is important.

Today, this has evolved into our daily lives. Some may say to an extreme, as we’re constantly buying the latest perfumes. It’s a fashion statement as well.”

Al Haroon warned people, however, not to get too carried away – “three puffs (of perfume) are enough.”

Have you ever gotten into an elevator and taken a deep breath of your companions, just because?