HX Report
Irishman in the Middle East
Arab Headgear
The male Arab headgear protects wearers from the hot sun and blowing sand & dust. The visible top garment is called the ‘Kufiya’ or ‘ghoutra’. The circular ring on top that holds the kufiya in place is called the ‘iqal’ which was traditionally made from camel hair. Very often a white skullcap is worn underneath. Different countries, regions or tribes may use different colours or call the garments by different names. Arabs in the UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi & 5 other Emirates) tend to wear white colour kufiya while Saudis and Qataris tend to wear red & white chequered colour. The material is generally cotton and square in shape, folded into a triangle before placing on the head.
MB took a few shots in recent days.
I have often wondered if there was a significance due to color, and the manner in which the headscarf is worn. At what age does a male begin wearing theirs?
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I do not think there is any set age. But I have seen some boys wearing it in the 11 to 12 age group. The young boy pictured in one of the photos is approx 14 I suspect.
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