What is Al Razfa? The traditional Emirati dance that welcomed Donald Trump

US President arrived in Abu Dhabi to meticulously arranged ceremony

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US President Donald Trump arrived in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, on day three of his Gulf visit, and was received by President Sheikh Mohamed as he stepped off Air Force One.

He was then escorted through a ceremonial walkway lined with flags and flanked by Emirati guards and dancers.

The dance was a traditional Emirati dance called Al Razfa – but what is it, and what does it mean? The National explains below.

Honouring years of heritage

Al Razfa is a ceremony most prevalent during important occasions or joyful gatherings. The practice involves two lines of dancers who face each other, using sticks to symbolise the reins of a horse while head movements are meant to imitate a rider on the horse.

It was added to Unesco's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2015. According to the Arabic Dictionary, Al Razfa means two things, making noise and moving forward. These are represented through the art forms of poetry and dance.

In a previous interview with The National, Emirati poet Ali Al Kaabi said its origins stem from nomadic Bedouin tribes. It would be performed by a poet and his entourage to let all tribal members know it is time to move to a different spot in the desert.

While the songs and poetry at first resonated with calls to war, Mr Al Kaabi explains it has evolved to include all occasions such as weddings, homecomings or rain.

Initially, the tradition was only composed of a poet in the middle who would recite poetry and the two facing lines accompanying him would melodically repeat it after. However, as time passed, different musical instruments were added like drums and oud that “enriched the tradition further”, he explained.