Hawas Ice is not an official dupe: Rasasi presents it as a cooler, brighter interpretation of its own Hawas for Him from 2015, and it is that original Hawas which is most often compared to Paco Rabanne's Invictus Aqua. Hawas Kobra, released in 2025, is a different scent altogether, a ginger-and-tea composition widely compared to Louis Vuitton's Imagination. For a UAE summer, Ice is the easiest of the three to wear. If every Hawas feels too sweet for you, a drier citrus-marine scent such as Gloria's Ocean Code at AED 90 is the direction to try.
Hawas, Hawas Ice and Hawas Kobra at a glance
Rasasi is a Dubai perfume house that began in 1979, and Hawas has grown into a whole family of flankers, including Hawas Fire, Hawas Viper, Hawas Atlantis and Hawas for Her. The three that UAE shoppers are searching for right now are compared below, using Rasasi's own note lists where the brand publishes them and Fragrantica's listing for Kobra.
| Hawas for Him | Hawas Ice | Hawas Kobra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | 2015 | 2023 | 2025 |
| Opening | Apple, bergamot, lemon, cinnamon | Frozen apple, bergamot, lemon, star anise | Ginger, bergamot, tangerine |
| Heart | Plum, orange blossom, cardamom, watery notes | Plum, orange blossom, cardamom, iced marine accord | Green tea, cinnamon, neroli |
| Base | Grey amber, patchouli, driftwood, musk | Crystal moss, driftwood, amber, musk | Musk, woody notes, amber |
| Character | Sweet, fruity aquatic | Brighter, fruit-and-marine | Citrus, ginger, tea, soapy musk |
| Most often compared to | Paco Rabanne Invictus Aqua | The original Hawas | Louis Vuitton Imagination |
| Best moment | Evenings, cooler months | Daytime heat | Daytime, when you want to be noticed |
Hawas for Him: the sweet aquatic that started it
Hawas for Him opens on apple, bergamot, lemon and a pinch of cinnamon, then settles on plum, orange blossom and cardamom over watery notes, with grey amber, patchouli, driftwood and musk underneath. Rasasi calls it fresh, aquatic and spicy-woody.
What most wearers notice first is the sweetness. "Bubblegum" is one of the words that turns up again and again in its Fragrantica reviews, and the plum is what pushes it there. That is also why it divides opinion: some people love a fresh scent with a sweet trail, while others find it cloying once the air gets hot.
The Invictus Aqua comparison is everywhere, from Fragrantica's forum to retailer blogs. One detail is worth knowing before you call Hawas a copy: Fragrantica dates Hawas for Him to 2015 and Invictus Aqua to 2016, so Hawas came first. The two share a fruity, sweet-marine direction rather than a formula, and reviewers who own both usually describe Hawas as the sweeter, fruitier one.
Hawas Ice: what "Ice" actually changes
Hawas Ice keeps most of the original's skeleton: apple, bergamot, lemon, plum, orange blossom, cardamom, driftwood and musk. Going by Rasasi's published notes, it swaps cinnamon for star anise, adds an iced marine accord to the heart, and trades patchouli and grey amber for crystal moss and amber. Rasasi describes the result as "a cooler and brighter interpretation" of the Hawas character and recommends it for spring and summer.
On skin, that means a sharper, more fruit-forward opening and a lighter base. Reviewers who own both often say Ice feels less sweet and less spicy than the original, though plenty still find it sweet for a fresh scent. Opinions on mint are split: some smell it, others insist there is none. If "Ice" makes you expect a menthol blast, you may be surprised.
Rasasi's UAE store files Hawas Ice with its unisex scents, even though its product text speaks of "him". In practice it is a fresh, fruity scent that anyone can wear.
Hawas Kobra: tea, ginger and a different family
Kobra shares the name, not the structure. Fragrantica classes it as oriental woody, with ginger, bergamot and tangerine at the top, green tea, cinnamon and neroli in the heart, and musk, woody notes and amber in the base. There is no apple, no plum and none of the bubblegum sweetness.
Its reference point is Louis Vuitton's Imagination, a 2021 citrus-aromatic by Jacques Cavallier Belletrud built on citron, bergamot, neroli, ginger, cinnamon and black tea. Roughly four in ten reviews on Kobra's Fragrantica page mention Imagination, and "soapy" is the other word that keeps coming up for its drydown. Rasasi has not published that comparison itself, so read it as the wearers' verdict rather than the brand's.
Which Hawas works in a UAE summer
Heat changes how a perfume behaves. At 40 degrees and above, sweet notes feel heavier, and a strong scent fills a car or a lift much faster. That matters here, because none of the three is quiet.
- Midday outdoors, June to September: Hawas Ice. It is the one Rasasi positions for warm weather, and citrus with a marine accord copes with humidity better than plum and cinnamon.
- Air-conditioned office: Ice or Kobra, one or two sprays. Kobra's tea and soap read clean, but reviewers describe it as loud, so go light.
- Evenings, winter nights, desert camps: the original Hawas. Its sweetness feels warmer and more welcome when the air cools.
- Weddings and majlis gatherings: none of these was built for formal occasions. Kobra is the most grown-up of the three; the original can feel youthful in a room full of oud.
Spray on skin rather than into the air, start with fewer sprays than you would in winter, and keep the bottle out of a hot car. Our guide to fresh aquatic perfumes for UAE heat covers application in more detail.
Is there a Hawas Ice dupe worth buying?
Be honest about why you want one. At the time of writing, Rasasi's own UAE online store lists Hawas for Him at AED 155 and Hawas Ice at AED 175, both for 100 ml of eau de parfum. That is already affordable, so a straight copy of Hawas Ice would save you very little.
The better reason to look elsewhere is the smell itself. If you like the idea of Hawas, a fresh scent that gets noticed, but find its sweetness tiring by August, you want something in the same fresh family with a different balance: more citrus, more sea air, less candy. None of the perfumes below is inspired by Hawas. Each takes a different fresh classic as its starting point, which is exactly why they are worth trying if Hawas is not quite right for you.
Gloria's fresh alternatives, matched to what you like about Hawas
You like the cold citrus-and-sea opening of Hawas Ice. Try Ocean Code, AED 90, inspired by Armani's Acqua di Gio. Lime, lemon and bergamot lead into jasmine, neroli and sea notes, with a touch of peach, rosemary and cyclamen before white musk settles. It shares the citrus-marine backbone that Hawas builds on, without the plum. Skip it if sweetness is what you love about Hawas; Ocean Code is drier and more classic. Our Acqua di Gio dupe page compares the two in detail.
You like how the original Hawas starts fresh and finishes sweet. Try Pulse, AED 90, inspired by Chanel's Allure Homme Sport. Orange, mandarin, sea notes and aldehydes open it, pepper and neroli follow, and tonka bean, vanilla, white musk and amber give it a soft, warm finish. Skip it if you want fruit; there is no apple or plum here.
Hawas is too sweet for your office. Try Horizon, AED 90, inspired by Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue Pour Homme. Mandarin, bergamot and grapefruit come first, then black pepper, rosemary and rosewood, then musk, incense and oakmoss. Skip it if you want a marine, sea-spray feel; Horizon is citrus and dry herbs.
You want the lightest scent you can find for 45°C. Try Sarab, AED 110, inspired by Louis Vuitton's Afternoon Swim. Bergamot, orange, mandarin, lemon and ginger, drying down to citrus peel. Skip it if you want a warm base; Sarab has no amber, vanilla or woods in its drydown.
You want the sea itself, not a sweet version of it. Try Megamare, AED 105, inspired by Orto Parisi's Megamare. Marine and salt notes, iodine and seaweed, then ambergris. Skip it if you want something everyone around you will like; salt and seaweed divide opinion.
You came here for Hawas Kobra. Try Imagination, AED 140, inspired by Louis Vuitton's Imagination, the scent Kobra is most often compared to. Citron, bergamot, orange and Tunisian neroli, warmed by ginger and Ceylon cinnamon, over olibanum, ambroxan, black tea and guaiac wood. Skip it if budget comes first; it is one of the most expensive perfumes in the Gloria range. The Imagination dupe page goes deeper.
For more picks built for the heat, see our best summer perfumes for men in the UAE.
Wearing it from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah
The air is not the same across the seven emirates. Summer humidity on the coast in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain makes a scent feel louder, so fewer sprays go further there, while the cooler mountain air around Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah and the Hajar mountains in Fujairah lets richer notes open more slowly. Wherever you are, delivery is free on every order and cash on delivery is available in all seven emirates.
Questions people ask
What is Hawas Ice a dupe of?
Rasasi does not present Hawas Ice as a version of any designer perfume; it calls it a cooler, brighter interpretation of the original Hawas. The original is the one people compare to Paco Rabanne's Invictus Aqua, and some reviewers carry that comparison over to Ice.
Hawas vs Hawas Ice: which is better?
It depends on the season. The original is sweeter, warmer and more spiced, thanks to plum and cinnamon. Ice is brighter and more fruit-and-marine, and Rasasi recommends it for spring and summer. If you own both, make Ice the daytime bottle and the original the evening one.
Is Hawas a dupe of Invictus Aqua?
Unlikely, on dates alone: Fragrantica lists Hawas for Him in 2015 and Invictus Aqua in 2016. They are compared because both are fresh, fruity and sweet-marine, and reviewers who know both usually find Hawas sweeter.
What does Hawas Kobra smell like?
Ginger, bergamot and tangerine over green tea, cinnamon and neroli, with musk, woods and amber in the base. Reviewers often describe the drydown as soapy, and many compare the whole scent to Louis Vuitton's Imagination.
Is Hawas Kobra a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination?
Rasasi has not said so, but Imagination is the comparison that comes up most in Kobra's Fragrantica reviews. The two share bergamot, ginger, cinnamon and neroli; Kobra puts more weight on green tea and musk.
Which Hawas is best for the office?
Hawas Ice or Kobra, applied lightly. The original's sweetness can feel heavy in a closed, air-conditioned room, especially in a shared office.
Is Hawas Ice for men or women?
Fragrantica lists it for men, while Rasasi's UAE store groups it with its unisex scents. Its fruit and citrus make it easy for anyone to wear.
Whichever Hawas you settle on, Gloria's fresh range is easy to try: free delivery on every order across all seven emirates, you can pay cash on delivery, and orders usually arrive in 1–3 days.
Wear what makes you feel remembered.
Gloria Naturals