Traditional Clothing In UAE
Maitha Alfalahi
The Emirati attire is typical of Arabic countries and is inherited from the Bedouin culture which prevailed in the Arabic peninsula. Today, men and women carry forward these ancestral traditions not least by means of their way of dressing.
Both men and women wear “veils” and long sleeved “robes”. This is immediately understandable to anyone who has spent time in the Arabic peninsula especially in the summer! The more protection you have from the sun, the better. The traditional attire is therefore best adapted for the local conditions except for the black abaya which must capture a certain amount of heat due to its color.
There is always a big question mark whenever the topic of traditional clothing in the United Arab Emirates crops up. Other than Islam followers, not many are aware of the Arabic style of clothing typical to Muslim culture. With the exception of Dubai, remaining Emirates in the UAE are conservative in regards to their style of dressing and to a certain extent strictly adopt what modesty in Islamic text offers.