Emirati Traditional Wear

Dress codes in Dubai might be the most liberal in the Gulf region, but Emiratis (and most other Gulf nationals) still maintain a modest appearance in public. Women wear the abaya, a full-length loose-fitting dress or light coat (traditionally black) and cover their hair with a hijab, a scarf that wraps around the neck and leaves the face exposed. The niqab (face veil) is not required in the UAE, but some women do choose to wear it, including females visiting from more conservative Arab countries. Traditional male dress is the kandura (known locally as a dishdasha), an ankle-length, long-sleeved garment usually made of white cotton. Completing the ensemble is a kaffiyeh (white headdress of cotton fabric) held in place by a rope (agal). Traditionally the agal was used during the night to hobble a camel and during the day to keep the kaffiyeh secured to the head.