Chocolate oud. Strawberry. Caramel. Espresso.
No, this is not a dessert order. Almas Anfar Kathuria is developing fragrances, and her ideas are deliciously unexpected.
Perfume is the family business, but Almas has added her own dose of color and playfulness. She is also a cricket team owner, international pageant titleholder, pageant organizer, hotelier, entrepreneur, and private philanthropist.
That is quite a list. Almas, however, treats it all with a laugh, a strong opinion, and an intense desire to get things done. Let’s get to know the inner workings of this amazing woman, shall we?
Dubai.News: Chocolate oud, strawberry, caramel, and espresso: are you launching perfume or serving dessert delight?
Almas: Well, it is fragrance, and the scent menu is giving deliciously unhinged. I personally developed chocolate oud, strawberry, caramel, chocolate, and espresso concepts. I love ideas that grab attention immediately.
Perfume can be playful, colorful, surprising, and seriously addictive. My goal is simple, you know, I want it that when somebody sees the bottle, tries one spray, and says, “Okay, this absolutely is a keeper.” Sweet notes deserve their own celebrity era, and I am happily making that happen.
Dubai.News: Your perfume family history dates to 1950. Give us the legacy receipts.
Almas: My grandfather started the fragrance business in 1950. My father expanded it into the GCC region in 1988, and I represent our family’s third generation in perfumery. This is something I am very proud of and I will do whatever it takes to uphold the legacy, this time with that signature Almas touch.
Dubai.News: Your Gen Z fragrance collection is coming. What is the launch tea?
Almas: Development has already started, and the launch is coming very soon. So for context, this collection speaks Gen Z from every angle from fragrance concepts, branding, packaging, colors, and presentation.
It is my biggest business priority right now. Young customers understand individuality, visual impact, humor, and value, so the collection respects all four. I want the launch to create instant excitement, social posts, unboxings, and group-chat debates about favorite scents. Keep watching, because the bottles are going to serve big time.
Dubai.News: Is it going to have an affordable luxury price tag?
Almas: Yes, for sure. Affordability matters because young fragrance lovers deserve great options their bank accounts can survive, of course, even their parents’. Knowing how luxury works can produce accessible products, and that is exactly my plan.
Customers should enjoy trying a caramel, strawberry, espresso, or chocolate oud concept while avoiding a financial crisis afterward. Parents can relax too. The price makes collecting several scents possible, which lets customers match fragrance to mood, outfit, event, or their latest personality era.
Dubai.News: Your brain apparently lives in permanent CEO mode. Accurate?
Almas: Extremely accurate. Business ideas occupy my mind constantly. A concept quickly becomes questions about execution, branding, manufacturing, product development, and the next project. I am passionate, competitive, and intensely work-driven.
Challenges send my brain toward solutions. I have little interest in accepting defeat simply because a project looks difficult. Give me a complicated assignment and I start calculating possibilities. It can become obsessive, but creating something fresh gives me enormous satisfaction. Work is genuinely my favorite sport.
Dubai.News: Speaking of sport, why did a fragrance entrepreneur buy a cricket team? I mean, c’mon now… Please explain.
Almas: For sure, let me make this make sense. You see, cricket combines entertainment, commercial opportunity, and talent discovery. Sports ownership is heavily male-dominated, and some people questioned my involvement because I am a woman. Their skepticism made me even bullish about my decision.
I want girls to see female owners and consider leadership in cricket completely normal. Nobody gets to box me into perfume, hotels, or pageants. I am multifaceted, competitive, curious, and excited by unfamiliar industries. If an opportunity challenges me and creates value, I want a seat at that table.
Dubai.News: A host of international pageant titles? Let us in on all the crowns, please.
Almas: I earned Mrs. India Middle East, Mrs. Tourism International, and Regent Smart City Queen. Pageantry gave me amazing friendships, recognition, a public platform, and stronger self-belief. More importantly, the women I met made the experience super special. Listen, many of them had postponed personal dreams due to marriage, motherhood, family expectations, or life responsibilities.
Seeing them celebrate themselves again was unforgettable. Those experiences inspired me to create Luxestar Pageants and my belief that glamour, competition, personal expression, and a crown is certainly meant for women from many backgrounds.
Dubai.News: Contestants aged 50, 55, 58, and 60 had critics a bit triggered, don’t you think? What’s your response to quite a reaction?
Almas: Critics can seethe, fine by me. Luxestar welcomes married women, divorced women, and older contestants excluded by conventional pageant expectations. Critics questioned their ages, appearances, and suitability. Their opinions changed nothing.
A woman at 60 can wear the gown, do some major stage takeover, enjoy glamour, and pursue a crown. Dreams have no expiry date. Age policing is tired, and women reclaiming postponed goals is iconic. Every contestant deserves celebration based on her story, character, effort, and personal growth.
Dubai.News: That is truly groundbreaking! And we found about something remarkable that perhaps not many people are aware of. Your hotel housed people free for roughly three months during our toughest times here recently. What did your team provide?
Almas: People facing a major crisis needed shelter and practical assistance, so I opened the hotel free of charge. We provided accommodation, food, milk, diapers, and basic daily necessities for roughly three months. I had resources available, and families needed help. The choice was simple. Housing somebody, feeding a child, or supplying essential items can change an unbearable day.
Useful action matters most to me. I prefer charity to remain personal, because grandstanding or making this part of my headline have no role in my decision to help. In short, you can me in my pink Rolls Royce wearing my exquisite collections. Sure. But, helping people out? I mean why do I need to let the world know about it? What matters most is I help. Whether people find about it or not, doesn’t mean anything to me.
Dubai.News: Almas, you truly are amazing in so many ways. Thank you for letting in your world. It’s definitely a pleasure knowing about how you think, and more importantly, how you get things done, no matter what it takes. As final note, what message do you have for all exceptional women eavesdropping on this conversation?
Almas: Start by trusting your ability. Other people may question your age, marital status, career choice, background, or dream. Their opinions have no authority unless you hand it to them. Turn every obstacle into a problem requiring a solution. Learn the business, master your craft, choose supportive people, and take action even amid uncertainty.
Through it all, a woman can lead any industry, pursue a forgotten dream, and begin a fresh chapter at any age. Protect your goals, remain fearless, and create a life that makes you proud. Let the doubters watch the entire glow-up, period.
