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Women

Emirati women wearing the traditional Emirati dress

The traditional dress most commonly worn by Emirati women is the Abaya, a simple, loose-over garment, usually black in color, it is often worn alongside the Shayla, a long rectangular headscarf. Usually it is either wrapped around the neck and tucked or pinned in place at the shoulders.

Other traditional Emirati piece of clothing for women include:

• The Gishwah, a light see-through fabric that is wrapped around the face.
• The Battoulah, also known as Gulf Burqa, a metallic-looking fashion mask that typically covers a woman’s eyebrows and lower face. The burqa is mainly worn for modesty by married women. However, it also protects a woman’s face from the sweltering sun and dust, and according to numerous tales, the burqa's design was influenced by the countenance of the falcon.
• The Jalabiya, also known as Kaftan, a colourful embroidered dress,worn during special occasions such as weddings, the dress is an important aspect of the traditional Emirati dance Khaleegy.is the traditional attire of Emirati women. There are many different types of jalabiyas. Jalabiyas worn daily are usually made of cotton threads or prism embroidery threads, while jalabiyas worn on special occasions such as weddings and Eid are called thobes. Thobes are made of zari threads (shiny threads) and crystals. The jalabiya comes in traditional forms as well as modern ones, varying in designs, colours and materials.
• Gold is a very important part of Emirati attire. Many unique gold pieces adorn woman from head to toe. Some accessories are worn daily, such as the heyool (bracelet), mariya (necklace), and shighab (earrings). Other pieces are only worn on special events such as:
  • The tassah, a heavy headpiece made of pure gold with dangling gold chains draping over the hair.
  • The haqqab, a gold belt usually worn on top of the thobe.
  • Fitakh, a wide toe ring that covers most of a woman's toe.