The hair dance, an Emirati girls' tradition

When Donald Trump touched down in Abu Dhabi, he was treated to a spectacle that stretches back generations

May 16, 2025

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Anyone who has spent even a short time in the UAE will be familiar with what is popularly known as the "hair dance", or more accurately "Naashat", which is performed by younger girls at important celebrations and social occasions.

When US President Donald Trump touched down in Abu Dhabi – becoming only the second serving American president to visit – the airport terminal was lined with a group of girls performing the hair dance, often seen at UAE weddings.

Long before its exposure to US audiences this week, the tradition was captured by Alain Saint-Hilaire, a French filmmaker who visited Abu Dhabi and the other emirates several times from the 1960s.

Emirati girls perform the raqs sha'ar, or hair dance, at Al Hosn Festival in 2021. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
The dance is often performed at important celebrations and social occasions.
Girls prepare to perform at the Maritime Heritage Festival on Abu Dhabi Corniche, in 2023.
The traditional dance is part of Al Ayyala cultural performance.
Raqs sha'ar is a common sight at festivals and traditional Emirati weddings.
The hair dance is performed at Al Hosn Festival.

Saint-Hilaire, who is held in high esteem in the UAE and received the Abu Dhabi Award for his work in 2012, captured scenes from a local wedding in the city.

As cooks watched over large vats of food, the celebrations continued into the night, including men's sword dancing and musicians playing traditional instruments such as the mizmar, a wind instrument, and a type of lyre called the tanbura, which was then widely played in the Gulf, but originally came from Africa.

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