UAE Bans Non-Emiratis from Wearing National Dress in Media
- Publish date: Monday، 21 April 2025
The UAE has issued a new law prohibiting non-Emiratis from wearing the national dress in the media.
The regulation comes after the country issued a regulation prohibiting non-citizens from speaking in the Emirati dialect in the media.
UAE's national dress for men is a kandura (thobe) and a ghutra (headscarf); for women, it is an abaya.
The Chairman of the National Media Office, Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, said in a tweet on X, "The policy was implemented in response to increasing instances of misrepresentation of the Emirati dialect and cultural symbols, particularly in advertising.”
About the new regulation for the national dress, he said, “The decision does not aim to limit the use of dialect or dress, but rather seeks to frame their appearance within standards that preserve their cultural status.”
The new regulation stipulates that an Emirati citizen must wear the national dress in advertisements.