Video: Al Ayyala dancers welcome Trump with hair-flip dance; why were social media users confused?

The UAE culture of hospitality was on full display as the nation welcomed a US President for the second time in 17 years. From traditional drummers, a royal military salute, and a bouquet of flowers, Donald Trump was welcomed in style. He was also received by none other than the UAE President himself, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

But the cultural moment that seems to have taken social media by storm was the traditional Khaleeji dance, Al Ayyala, where several young Emirati girls flipped their long hair in rhythm to traditional beats.

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Multiple users took to X to voice their curiosity about the dance. While some found it a "bit strange", others had questions about why young women were flipping their long hair as part of a dance in a region typically seen as conservative by the Western world.

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Most of these comments seemed to come from people unaware of the UAE's rich cultural heritage.

Watch the video here:

What is the Al Ayyala dance?

The Khaleeji dance, also called Al Ayyala, is an art form that dates back hundreds of years, and reflects the heritage of not just UAE, but multiple Gulf countries.

The word Khaleeji is Arabic for the word 'gulf'; the dance is performed by women in groups, flipping their hair in a rhythmic motion, from side to side. The traditional art form is performed wearing colourful embroidered garments, called thobe.

Dancing to traditional tunes, the women or young girls wear jewellery and ornaments such as gold, making their costumes stand out even more.

So, this is not a trend that UAE created exclusively for Trump; it is a part of the country's legacy, a performance that women have been joyously putting on for centuries.

While the dance is performed at weddings, it is also seen at other celebrations and important social events.

Responding to some of the commenters, X users shared a video of women performing the dance in front of the UAE's founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed – a testament to how long the dance has been part of UAE culture.

Poojaraj Maniyeri

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pooja@khaleejtimes.com

Poojaraj Maniyeri is a Digital Journalist who loves turning everyday conversations into news stories. She is also a typical bookworm, and brings a novel with her everywhere she goes.