National Dances

United Arab Emirates14 February 1995Draft

The United Arab Emirates have many folk dances which attract the people and make them enjoy the rhythm of the drums, the singing of the groups and the dancing. The most popular dance is the AI Aya'alah, which is considered the oldest dance in the area. It is linked with horsemanship and represents a battle through the different stages of the dance. AI Aya'alah, AI Razfa and AI Harbia are all similar dances which represent the Arab folk art as a heritage of the United Arab Emirates. AI Aya'alah is composed of two rows of men facing each other with the drummers in the middle. The large drum which gives a loud tone is called the AI Ra'as, and being the leader, is always in the front, followed by the AI Takhmeer, ordinary drums and then AI Ta'ar and AI Taeus. Sometimes AI Aya'iah is accompanied by young girls or AI Nashat, who wave their heads from right to left with their heir flying in the air. AI Shah'hoh is similar to the AI Aya'alah as it also consists of two rows of male dancers with five to eight drummers in the middle. It is a very colourful dance as the men carry swords which are thrown glimmering in the air and caught by the hand without ever dropping the swords. The folk dances represent a branch of the U.A.E. heritage and have been performed on different occasions and festivals, and wedding ceremonies.