United Arab Emirates · Textile / Tailoring / Garment Making

Emirati Kandura Custom Tailoring

Kandura (also kandora, dishdasha, thobe); tarboosh (the decorative fabric piece resembling a tie, unique to Emirati kanduras)

The custom tailoring of the kandura, the white ankle-length robe forming the cornerstone of Emirati men's national dress, worn across the social spectrum from worker to sheikh and directly leveling social status through shared attire. Its roots lie in the Bedouin culture of the Arabian Peninsula, where functionality and modesty were paramount, and its pristine white color both reflects sunlight to keep the body cooler in the desert heat and symbolizes purity and equality. Sheikh Abdulrahman Al Shafei Al Madani, directly remembered as Dubai's first tailor and 'the sheikh of tailors,' stitched the emirate's story one kandura at a time over nearly eight decades from a small shop by the Creek in Deira, having begun his business, in his own words, 'when there was nothing in Dubai'; he started by sewing jellyfish-resistant diving suits for pearl divers before his name became inseparable from the traditional Emirati garment. Thousands of kanduras passed through his hands, and his family's tailoring business grew into a group spanning dozens of outlets across the UAE, including the country's first tailoring shop inside a mall in 1992; he passed away in 2026 at age 97, remembered by UAE Diplomatic Adviser Dr Anwar Gargash as one of the enduring figures of old Deira, known for his calm demeanour, dignity, perseverance, and kind presence. In Ras Al Khaimah, Pakistani-born tailor Mohammed Shafiq, now 68, has been closely linked with the Emirati kandura for nearly five decades, having begun his career in 1977 and continuing to work daily in his shop near the Ras Al Khaimah Museum; he has directly described the garment's enduring significance: 'The Emiratis' connection to the kandura has not been affected by the passage of years; it has become more firmly established.' Shafiq has witnessed the kandura's material history evolve firsthand: tailoring once cost between 40 and 50 UAE dirhams, with Japanese fabric historically preferred for its quality, while contemporary fabric is now sourced from a wider range of countries including China and Thailand. The garment's specific tarboosh element -- a distinctive fabric piece resembling a tie, unique to Emirati kanduras -- has itself evolved documented stylistic change: older tarbooshes were twisted rather than straight, and shorter in length, gradually lengthening over subsequent decades. Contemporary tailors, including Al Mheiri of Das Tailoring, Abu Dhabi (family-owned for decades, taken over in 2005), have collaborated with international luxury tailoring specialists to conduct extensive research on kanduras and accessories, blending high-quality tailoring tradition with contemporary design trends.

Risk level: Stable · Not independently inscribed