In almost every Emirati home there is a cupboard that smells of bukhoor. Open it, and somewhere near the back, folded with more care than anything else, you will find an abaya that nobody wears any more and nobody will ever give away.
Every family in the Emirates has a version of this story. Here is one, the way it is usually told.
The grandmother: the abaya that came from the head
Her abaya had no sleeves. It did not need them. It was a wide, weightless square of black that she lifted over her head each morning and let fall from the crown, holding it closed at the chin with one hand while the other hand did everything else: carried water, held a child, paid for fish at the souq.
Under it she wore her thobe and her sheila, and over her face, when she went out, the golden burqa that caught the morning light. The abaya was never new for long. The sun of the Gulf faded black to brown in a season, so she dyed it again, and again, and the fabric grew softer each year, like a voice that has told the same prayer ten thousand times.
Before any wedding, any Eid, she held it open over the bukhoor burner until the smoke had climbed into every thread. That is why the cupboard still smells the way it does.
The mother: the first abaya with sleeves
Her daughter grew up in a different Emirates. There were roads now, and schools for girls, and a university in Al Ain. She was going to drive, and you cannot drive while holding an abaya closed with one hand.
So, somewhere in the 1980s, the abaya moved. It came down from the head and settled on the shoulders. It grew sleeves. Heritage researchers describe this as the biggest visible change in the garment's modern history, and for the women living it, it felt exactly that big. The first time the mother walked out in a shoulder abaya, both hands free, her own mother looked at her for a long moment and said nothing. Then she went to the kitchen, came back with the bukhoor, and held the new abaya over the smoke herself.
That is how traditions survive in this country. Not by refusing to change, but by blessing the change.
The daughter: the abaya she chose herself
The granddaughter is in her twenties now. Her abaya arrived in a box, made to her exact length, in a colour her grandmother would have found astonishing: a deep forest green. She has a black one too, of course. Every Emirati woman has a black one first. But the green is the one she wears when she wants to feel like herself.
She did not grow up dyeing fabric in the sun. She chooses between Korean Nida and crepe on her phone, she knows her size is a length in inches, and she has her abayas delivered to her door in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah.
And yet, the night before Eid, she still opens the cupboard, takes out the bukhoor, and holds her green abaya over the smoke until it smells like her grandmother's.
Three women. Three abayas. One thread that never broke.
What makes an Emirati abaya different
If you have ever stood in a mall in Dubai and watched the abayas go past, you will have noticed that the Emirati abaya has a look of its own. It is not the same as the Saudi, Omani or Kuwaiti abaya, even when all of them are black.
- It falls, it does not cling. The Emirati line is long and fluid from the shoulder, with movement in the hem. The grandmother's weightless cloak is still in it somewhere.
- The fabric does the talking. Smooth Nida, crepe and fine linen blends that drape well and survive a twelve-hour day in air conditioning.
- Detail is placed, not poured. Embroidery, lace, piping or crystal on the sleeves, the front edges or the hem, and then restraint everywhere else.
- The sheila completes it. Many Emirati abayas come with a matching or complementary sheila, so the whole look is considered as one.
- It is built for this climate. Light for most of the year, with warmer weaves for the short, sweet winter.
How to choose your Emirati abaya
1. Start with where it will live
For work, university and everyday errands, choose a simple open or closed abaya in a fabric that doesn't crease. For weddings, Eid and National Day, look at lace, handwork or crystal details.
2. Get the length right
The hem should sit at or just below the ankle in flat shoes. If you live in heels, go one length longer.
3. Decide about the sleeves
Wide and bell sleeves are graceful. Straighter sleeves are kinder if you drive a lot or type all day. The mother in our story would tell you to choose the ones that leave your hands free.
4. Choose your first colour, then your second
If this is your first abaya, black is the one you will reach for most. If you already own black, a deep brown, olive or charcoal is the easiest next step. The green can come after.
Abayas from our collection, made in the UAE
Signature Black Open Abaya, High-Neck Design
The black one every wardrobe starts with. A clean high neckline and smooth Korean Nida give a polished line from morning to evening.
See the Signature Black Open Abaya
Black Kimono Abaya with Gold Embroidery
Soft gold on deep black, the way the grandmother's burqa caught the light. A modern kimono shape for gatherings and special days.
See the Black Kimono Abaya with Gold Embroidery
Hand-Embroidered Green Abaya with Headscarf
For the daughter who is ready for her own colour. Rich green with hand embroidery, and a matching headscarf to complete the look.
See the Hand-Embroidered Green Abaya
Browse more in our abaya collection, our black abayas, or our new arrivals.
Questions women ask us about the Emirati abaya
What is a traditional Emirati abaya? Historically, a loose black abaya worn over the head, with a sheila and often a burqa face cover. Today "Emirati abaya" usually means the shoulder abaya with sleeves, in a flowing cut with refined detail.
When did the abaya move from the head to the shoulders? Heritage researchers generally place the change around the 1980s, as more Emirati women began driving, studying and working.
Do Emirati women only wear black abayas? No. Black is still the classic most women own first, but browns, greens, greys and soft pastels are worn across the UAE today.
Where can I buy an Emirati-style abaya online in the UAE? Every MSquare abaya is designed and made in the UAE, made to order in your length, and delivered free across the Emirates.
Before you order
- Size = length. Our women's sizes run from XS (52 inches) to XXL (62 inches). Measure from the top of your shoulder to your ankle and pick the closest length.
- Made to order. Every MSquare abaya is made to order in the UAE, so please order a little ahead of any date that matters.
- Delivery. Free delivery across the UAE in 3 to 5 days, with Cash on Delivery, Tabby or Apple Pay.
Not sure which size or style suits you? Message us on WhatsApp and we'll help you choose.
And when it arrives, you know what to do. Open the cupboard. Light the bukhoor.