One of the most frequent questions we get asked is regarding clothing and what to wear. You know what the local Emirati’s wear, and you’re wondering how your own dress aligns. The good news is that you probably won’t need to buy a new wardrobe, but you should err on the side of conservative, so aim to dress more modestly than if you were in the Mediterranean heat. In the hotel, near the re ...
One of the most frequent questions we get asked is regarding clothing and what to wear. You know what the local Emirati’s wear, and you’re wondering how your own dress aligns. The good news is that you probably won’t need to buy a new wardrobe, but you should err on the side of conservative, so aim to dress more modestly than if you were in the Mediterranean heat. In the hotel, near the resort, wear your bikini or trunks, but women shouldn’t go topless. For women outside the hotel, dresses, knee length skirts and sleeveless tops are fine as long as they are not tight. You might want to avoid spaghetti vest tops. If you want to be conservative, cover up your shoulders and back, and go for a looser t-shirt than a tight fitting one. Don’t go for skimpy skirts or tank tops for example. If you opt to wear sleeveless, carry a shawl with you in case you feel uncomfortable. Shawls are also useful when in an air conditioned environment such as the mall or the restaurant. However, when it comes to dressing for bars and clubs, you can almost get away with wearing what you wear back home. Most clubs actually encourage dressing up in order to gain entry, although keep cleavage viewing to a minimum. Short dresses are fine, as long as not overly short. For clubs, skinny jeans and a glitzy top are usually a safe bet for clubbing. For men, shorts and t-shirts are absolutely fine. You can wear sandals or flip flops. Abu Dhabi is slightly more conservative than Dubai – and Sharjah is very conservative in comparison. You’ll get a very quick picture of what people wear by one visit to a mall or a bar. The aim is more for glam than for skimpy. You could probably push the limit of what you’d like to wear, but why the need? And why take the risk? Business dress, again, is more conservative – for women, go for longer skirts and no cleavage. For men, suits and a tie are good for a first impression, but in many offices ties are not necessarily worn and shirts and trousers are the norm. As far as walking around in a Kandoura or Abaya, we don’t feel it is appropriate, although others may have other opinions. That said, they are great souvenirs to buy to take back home for your next fancy dress party!
