Doing business in Dubai: Attire

18 Nov Doing business in Dubai: Attire

Although it is sufficiently westernised, the original population of the UAE is quite conservative with regard to their dressing style; all the locals wear traditional Arab clothing (except on special occasions).

Male attire
The kandura is a tunic that reaches ankle length. It generally has a pocket at the top left and is sewn in a way for the air to circulate smoothly so as to cool the body. It is generally made of white cotton (especially in summer and in very hot places); in winter, the kandura is also worn in colourful variations, mostly in darker shades and can also be made of wool or other warmer fabric.
An over-tunic (coat type) can be worn over the kandura, called Bisht, djellaba or aba, generally dark in colour and worn for formal occasions (a kind of dress uniform);

The men generally cover their heads with a keffiyeh, a kind of rectangular scarf, folded into a triangle and wrapped around the head in various styles. This also protects the head from the direct sun rays and allows the face to be covered during sandstorms.
Ghutrah generally indicates the summer white version, which is common in the UAE and also a bit in all the Arab countries or chequered white and red, which is more common in Saudi Arabia.
The keffiyeh can be held in place on the head with a double black band (a sort of 8-shape folded back on itself to form a double circle), which is called agal. Some men wear a taqiyah under the keffiyeh, a kind of Muslim prayer cap worn for the head to breathe better (sometimes it is also perforated).

Female attire
The abaya is a female garment used in some Muslim countries, mainly in the Persian Gulf. It is a long lightweight black cloak that covers the entire body except the head, the feet and the hands.
It is customary to use another garment to cover the head, which varies according to the country. Niqab covers all the head except for the eyes, which is mainly used in Saudi Arabia and Oman, where often black gloves used to cover the hands are also matched with a simple black veil, which covers only the hair in more moderate countries like the United Arab Emirates.