No city can flaunt its cultural and financial wealth as conspicuously as Dubai, and in its latest display of opulence, the city has lifted the lid on the world's priciest perfume at a jaw-dropping 1.3 million U.S. dollars.

Perfumer Asghar Adam Ali, who founded Emirati house of perfumes Nabeel in 1969, has been on a quest to capture the city's essence in a scent. Three years and 494 trials later, Shumukh was born.

The company says that the name of their newest fragrance translates to "deserving the highest," but Shumukh, as a term and a product, embodies meanings of pride, glory and loftiness – evident in the design of the scent and its case.

Shumukh is an unlikely marriage between perfumery and jewelry. It's not so much a flacon that sits on a dressing table or is tucked into a bag as a life-sized statue, encrusted in jewels and boasting intricate designs. The three-liter bottle is made of hand-blown Murano glass and enclosed in a 1.97m tall casing zhuzhed with a selection of bling, from Philippine pearls and Swiss blue topaz to black diamonds.

A whopping 3,571 diamonds embellish the imposing showpiece, which also features 2.5 kilograms of 18-carat gold and almost six kilograms of pure silver.

"Shumukh was an extension of my creative persona and fondness for exceptional unique pieces," Ali told Dubai-based Khaleej Times newspaper, adding that it is "inspired by and pays tribute to the emirate of Dubai."

The nod to the "City of Gold" could be seen through a collection of motifs depicting seven elements that define Dubai, namely pearl diving, falconry, Arabian horses, roses, luxury, hospitality, and its reputation as a futuristic city.

The fragrance is a rich blend that pays homage to traditional Arabic aromas, such as musk, amber, sandalwood, frankincense and agarwood, infused with floral notes of Turkish rose and ylang-ylang.

The grand olfactory concoction is the most extravagant showcase of the UAE's fondness for fragrances, and a very visual reminder of Arabs' love affair with perfume.

Perfumes have an entrenched presence in the Middle East where dry weather and high temperatures pushed the area's inhabitants thousands of years ago to find ways to keep offensive odors at bay. Oils and aromatic essences extracted from botanical sources were used to anoint the skin and cure illnesses. The advent of Islam reinforced this tradition, with hadiths, which document the sayings and doings of Prophet Mohammad, extolling the virtue of smelling good.

Today, Arabs spend big on perfumes. The fragrance market in the Middle East and Africa stood at 6.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, according to Euromonitor International (EMI).

The Gulf region accounts for around half of the spending, fueled by demand from Saudi Arabia (1.8 billion U.S. dollars) and the UAE (674 million U.S. dollars). The regional market is forecast to see a compound annual growth rate of eight percent through 2021, when it would hit 8.5 billion U.S. dollars.

Shumukh has already shattered a couple of Guinness World Records, including for "Most diamonds set on a perfume bottle" and "Tallest remote controlled fragrance spray product." Retailing at 4.752 million (1.29 million U.S. dollars), it is also the world's most expansive cologne. Clive Christian No.1 Collection (2005) previously held the title, with an eye-popping price tag of 205,000 U.S. dollars for a 500ml bottle.

The unisex fragrance has hogged international headlines since its launch at Dubai Mall last week, but whether such great fanfare would translate into sales remains to be seen. Its creator, however, says he smells success in the air.

"We have high expectations with this unique masterpiece," Ali told Khaleej Times.

"We have already received few of inquiries for this product to order customizable masterpiece," he added, refraining from giving details.

(Cover image: A close-up of Shumukh, the world's most expensive perfume. /Photo via The Spirit Of Dubai)