DOHA: The scent of oud, musk, and rare perfumes filled Alhazm Mall as visitors enjoyed the olfactory experience at the 13th edition of Teeb Al Hazm, Qatar’s premier luxury fragrance exhibition.
Among dozens of local and international perfume houses showcasing their creations, one stand drew attention for reasons that went far beyond fragrance itself.
Firas Parfum is not just a perfume stand specializing in carefully crafted blends of oils and notes, but also a story of resilience, determination, and refusing to let tragedy have the final word.
For Palestinian perfumer Firas Basal, the journey to Teeb Al Hazm began thousands of kilometres away in Gaza, where he once managed a small perfume project before his life changed forever.
“I started this after my injury,” he said. “I couldn’t just give up and drown in self-pity because of what happened to me.”
After sustaining severe injuries that led to the amputation of his legs, Firas arrived in Qatar for medical treatment.
Recovery was far from easy. He spent nearly a year in hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries and facing what he described as “one of the most difficult chapters” of his life.
“I was in the hospital for approximately a year,” he recalled. “To be honest, it was extremely difficult to go through.”
Even after leaving the hospital, the challenges continued. He also recalled working at another exhibition while still recovering from surgery that he described as “unbearable.”
“That period was a huge trial that I will never forget,” he said. “Despite how I felt, those tough moments encouraged me not to give up. Something inside me pushed me to get back on my feet and start making my own perfume blends.”
Instead of allowing his circumstances to define him, Firas returned to the craft that had always inspired him. The small perfume project he had started in Gaza became the foundation for a new beginning in Qatar.
“I opened this stand myself,” he said. “All these perfumes were personally made by me. I mixed the ingredients and created my own blends.”
For Firas, this is more than fragrance. Each perfume carries memories of his life in Gaza.
Among his collection are scents inspired by perfumes he first designed there. “Those perfumes remind me of the sweet memories of what life was like there,” he said.
But not all memories were sweet.
“In Gaza, I lost my home, I lost family, I lost my job,” he said. “I was left with no one and nothing.”
Rather than letting those losses define him, he said, “it made me realise I don’t want to depend on anyone ever.” He added, “I don’t want people to pity me. I don’t want to wait or ask people.”
That determination has touched many visitors at the exhibition in Qatar, who are left with a deep appreciation for the man behind the perfumes.
Since arriving in Qatar, Firas says he has found encouragement at every step. “The people in Qatar have been incredibly supportive,” he said, extending special thanks to Mohammed Al Emadi, who helped provide him with the opportunity to showcase his work. “I would also like to give special thanks to Mohammed Al Emadi, because he gave me this space to sell.”
When asked whether life here feels different from Gaza, his answer came without hesitation. “I actually feel as though I’m in Gaza,” he shared. “The people here are incredibly supportive and it feels like family.”
As the 13th edition of Teeb Al Hazm concludes, Firas’s story is only entering its next chapter. He plans to continue his work at Al Thumama Complex, where he will keep creating his own blends and welcoming customers from across the country.
Firas stands as a reminder that even after unimaginable loss, it is still possible to build something meaningful one bottle at a time. While home can be taken away, hope, craftsmanship, and determination cannot.
