# Emarati Kandora - acceptable attire for expats?



## jagatr

Here's a question -

Would it be considered offensive if I, as an expat, were to try and adopt the Emarati culture, including wearing a Kandora and speaking Arabic? 

I asked a colleague and she said she thought it might actually be illegal!

Whats the verdict?


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## dizzyizzy

Don't know about illegal but definitely not acceptable(wearing the kandoora). As for the Arabic, nothing wrong with that, is always good when you can speak the local language and it shows a desire to understand and integrate with the local culture.


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## Jynxgirl

I would suggest your first task is to befriend some locals. Quite a few of locals are married to indian wives so you will find lots of 'indian' looking people in kandoras anyhow. As long as you have learned arabic, you will not have an issue. I would not suggest jumping into wearing the kandora without a good knowledge of arabic. Many styles, and those styles usually dictate what region you are from.


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## indoMLA

^ Why can't I wear the traditional Bedouin attire? Why would it be considered unacceptable? It has nothing to do with Emarati or Arab, it is the dress the people indigenous to this region wore.


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## pamela0810

I've seen a lot of Indian women wearing Abayas and trying to cut in line at Lulu's Hypermarket and even told some of them off. I don't know why they would think that wearing that dress would make other people not realise where they're from!

As for men, I'm sure it's ok to wear a kandoora but it is highly unusual for someone of a different race to wear one to work, etc. I have many muslim friends from India and Pakistan who wear kandooras to Friday prayers and sometimes to go to the grocery store, etc but they don't wear it to work.


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## dizzyizzy

Yes i agree with the above. When I said I is not acceptable I had in mind the 'western'expat' (didn't see your flag, sorry!), I think they would be really frowned upon if they are wearing a kandoora


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## indoMLA

pamela0810 said:


> I've seen a lot of Indian women wearing Abayas and trying to cut in line at Lulu's Hypermarket and even told some of them off. I don't know why they would think that wearing that dress would make other people not realise where they're from!
> 
> As for men, I'm sure it's ok to wear a kandoora but it is highly unusual for someone of a different race to wear one to work, etc. I have many muslim friends from India and Pakistan who wear kandooras to Friday prayers and sometimes to go to the grocery store, etc but they don't wear it to work.


Damn... I was planning on wearing it and doing everything that the people wear it do to me... like cut in line at the grocery store (Carrefour lines are insane on Saturday morning), drive like badass (cutting people off and the roll down the window as if your are baiting them to say something to you), walk into a store and have all the staff run to help you cause they think you are going to drop some major dirhams, etc. However, I will take it off right before I buy the pork...

On a side note... do they wear anything underneath or do they go commando?


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## pamela0810

I think they go commando but never really checked!


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## Jynxgirl

Have had this conversation a few times and many of my local friends would prefer that if going out in their group of friends (meaning a large group of locals) that the person would wear an abaya or a kandora to make themselves as well as others to feel more at ease. One time, we went out to go for a walk and my local friend who ALWAYS wears a kandora came in shorts and I said something to the sorts of how comforting it was to see him in 'normal' clothes. His response was along the lines of "Now you know how we feel." They will only frown upon you if you do it in a rude way or in a condescending way.

There are 'white' locals who have mixed families that if they dont have their kandoras on you would never know they are locals. So, really has little to do with skin color so to say, even though if you are a shade you might blend in a bit better.


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## Jynxgirl

indoMLA said:


> On a side note... do they wear anything underneath or do they go commando?


Personal choice. Usually commando. There is a cloth that is tied around their waist and they wear a white thin shirt under the kandora.


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## Tropicana

The white gown is ok.

What is not allowed is wearing the Aqal and, the headress and the black rope.


One of the reason its not allowed is that many expats used to wear the national dress and then proceed to cut queues, behave rudely , shout in shops. Why on earth did they associate a dress with a license to behave rudely can be a study in a sociology class


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## DubaiCharmer

*Of course acceptable :ranger:

You can wear whatever u want 


And regarding the commando thing , LooooL

yes sort of technically yes commando , but though i have to worn you that u should not forget the "wzaar" which is the white cloth underneath otherwise it would be kinda transparent in the light LOL

would recommend tailor shops in malls, like "almadani" or whatever, they have everythin u need .. and the wzaar thing could come also with a sort of elastic on top for people not used to tie it properly.. ( yes another recommendation) so u dont end up holding ur waist afraid of it falling LOL :tongue1:

I hope i have cleared everythin out :ranger: *


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## indoMLA

Jynxgirl said:


> ......even though if you are a shade you might blend in a bit better.


That is what some of my GCC friends tell me, they tell me to wear it so I would blend in.



Tropicana said:


> The white gown is ok.
> 
> What is not allowed is wearing the Aqal and, the headress and the black rope.
> 
> One of the reason its not allowed is that many expats used to wear the national dress and then proceed to cut queues, behave rudely , shout in shops. Why on earth did they associate a dress with a license to behave rudely can be a study in a sociology class


Seriously? I can wear the dishdah but not the head dress? That seems kind of weird as if you are going to do, then do it all the way. If I can't wear the head dress, then how does one tie the shumagg (headscarf) around one's head? 

Also, I was just joking to as why I would wear it... but it seems in the summer, the dishdash would be a cooler option.


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## pamela0810

DubaiCharmer has answered everything. Please guys....please wear the wizaar!!


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## dizzyizzy

Jynxgirl said:


> Personal choice. Usually commando. There is a cloth that is tied around their waist and they wear a white thin shirt under the kandora.


Wish I hadn't read that, I am having a really had time trying to block the images in my head !!

:lalala:


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## jagatr

Jynxgirl said:


> Personal choice. Usually commando. There is a cloth that is tied around their waist and they wear a white thin shirt under the kandora.[/QUOTE
> 
> I cant even begin to imagine how you know this


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## Jynxgirl

jagatr said:


> I cant even begin to imagine how you know this


You havent come to quiz night...  I have a few local friends.


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## jagatr

Jynxgirl said:


> You havent come to quiz night...  I have a few local friends.


Didn't think quiz-nites would be THAT interesting. Hmmm.....I think I might have to drop by, soon


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## Maz25

dizzyizzy said:


> Wish I hadn't read that, I am having a really had time trying to block the images in my head !!
> 
> :lalala:


Same here and I work with a lot of locals! I'm never ever going to be able to look at them in the eye again!! That's quite disturbing actually!


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## pamela0810

Maz25 said:


> Same here and I work with a lot of locals! I'm never ever going to be able to look at them in the eye again!! That's quite disturbing actually!


Maz....would you be looking some place else?


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## buddyab

You can wear anything you want.

If anyone wants to try it I will lead him from where he can buy one with good price. 
first time you will feel that is staring then you will get to use to it, so you can walk near to me and if anyone despised you I will slab him on his face.


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## _DXB_

DubaiCharmer said:


> *Of course acceptable :ranger:
> 
> You can wear whatever u want
> 
> 
> And regarding the commando thing , LooooL
> 
> yes sort of technically yes commando , but though i have to worn you that u should not forget the "wzaar" which is the white cloth underneath otherwise it would be kinda transparent in the light LOL
> 
> would recommend tailor shops in malls, like "almadani" or whatever, they have everythin u need .. and the wzaar thing could come also with a sort of elastic on top for people not used to tie it properly.. ( yes another recommendation) so u dont end up holding ur waist afraid of it falling LOL :tongue1:
> 
> I hope i have cleared everythin out :ranger: *



I personally like the kandora (although I don't wear one) - I think it looks smart and gains respect.


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## Guest

Yes, there is no problem!
I like seeing men with white khanduras; I am a European girl and sometimes I wear Abaya... :cool2:

Have a great day


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## zaafu

Jynxgirl said:


> Personal choice. Usually commando. There is a cloth that is tied around their waist and they wear a white thin shirt under the kandora.


r u sure commando


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## ArabianNights

How can this be illegal for an expat to wear? Will they get arrested or something? I dont get it. I think its sad that one has to wear one, in order to jump lines and stuff, thats really sad. When me an my husband went to Dubai, some locals actually dressed my husband into their local dress, same happened here in Egypt. But I guess we look Arabs, so maybe that had something to do with it.


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## Fletch1969

Interesting thread.. Personally I would not wear the local dress unless asked to/invited to by a local. I'm quite a fair skinned Brit, so I would never pass for a local and wouldn't even try.

That said, a few words of Arabic that I learnt before having a long weekend scouting around Dubai to see if I would take the job offered seemed to go a long way with the people i interested with. I would be surprised if it were actually illegal to speak Arabic or wear certain clothes, but it's notnverynculturallynsensitive..


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