Rasasi Perfumes

Rasasi is one of the oldest perfume houses in the UAE, founded in Dubai in 1979, and it remains a genuinely local institution rather than an import.

The Hawas line

Hawas For Him is the house's best-known fragrance — aquatic, fruity and woody, an excellent all-rounder for the Gulf climate. The line has since expanded considerably: Hawas Ice is cooler and cleaner, Hawas Fire warmer and spicier, Hawas Black and Kobra darker again. Hawas For Her and Hawas Pink cover the women's side.

Outside Hawas, Al Wisam, Daarej and Shuhrah are the classics worth knowing.