Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs Zaya

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 31 Oct 2026 199 ratings analysed

6 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #25,326 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

15%scent match

Clearly different

Zaya

Parfums d'Elmar

4.36113 votes

Rank #9,975 SweetWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 6 of 7 categories.

Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Zaya
Choose it for a sweet and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Abjar6/7

Zaya1/7

Ratings & consensus: Abjar
Community sentiment: Abjar
Longevity: Abjar
Sillage & projection: Abjar
Value for money: Abjar
Versatility: Abjar
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Zaya

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

ZayaParfums d'Elmar

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

4.36/ 5 · 113 votes

Have 24%Had 7%Want 69%

Category winnerAbjarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

72%Love

13%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

86 votes

69%Love

15%Like

6%Ok

3%Dislike

7%Hate

113 votes

Category winnerAbjarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value27

Category winnerAbjarBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

sweet100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

fruity77%

cinnamon69%

honey61%

Scent match15%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

Top15-30 mins

CognacAppleHoneyNutmegBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonOakDatesTonka Bean

Base8-12 hrs

Siam BenzoinPralineVanillaSandalowood

InformationalShared notesNutmeg. Durations are only published for Zaya, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring80

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day64

Night100

Category winnerAbjarMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men37

Unisex49

Women14

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,326

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#9,975

PerfumerChristian Carbonnel

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerZayaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Abjar by The Spirit of Dubai opens with a sharp burst of aromatic cypress, pine needles, and spicy nutmeg before settling into a dense heart of birch leaf and natural leather. As the composition warms on skin, smoky incense, Indian oud, and rich labdanum take control, giving the fragrance a dark resinous texture. The …

Reviews →

Parfums d'Elmar Zaya smells like warm spiced apple compote drizzled with golden honey and aged cognac. The opening hits fast. A crisp blast of fresh orchard apple blends into boozy warmth and grated nutmeg before rich honey thickens the air. As the heart takes over, toasted oak wood, sticky dates, and ground cinnamon …

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Abjar or Zaya?

Abjar takes 6 of 7 categories. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; Zaya is rated 4.36/5 from 113 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Zaya for a sweet and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or Zaya?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Zaya 81/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or Zaya?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Zaya 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abjar and Zaya smell similar?

Clearly different: a 15% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Nutmeg.

Is Abjar or Zaya better for summer or winter?

For summer, Abjar is the stronger pick. For winter, Abjar is the stronger pick. Zaya suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Abjar and Zaya?

Abjar has top notes of Cypress, Pine, Clary Sage and Nutmeg, heart notes of Leather, Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Incense, a base of Castoreum, Civet, Tobacco and Agarwood (Oud). Zaya has top notes of Cognac, Apple, Honey and Nutmeg, heart notes of Cinnamon, Oak, Dates and Tonka Bean, a base of Siam Benzoin, Praline, Vanilla and Sandalowood.