25 July 2014
Eid is not only a time for happy celebrations, but also the chance for enterprising women to boost their henna businesses. These enterprises have evolved to such an extent that various designs are on offer including Khaleeji, Arabic, Indian and traditional ones. Women have already starting making appointments at beauty salons and henna artists to get their hands decorated on the night the moon is sighted. Ifrah Mehmood, a home-based henna artist, offers fine detailed designs not found anywhere else in Riyadh. She said her bookings for Eid rose by 60 percent over the past two days compared to her routine bridal appointments. She is a pharmacist by profession but loves doing this work.
"Art is food for my soul. All the designs are from the creative processes in my mind." She has a Facebook page displaying her work, with many women and girls posting comments and asking for appointments. Depending on the work, she charges SR25 to SR80 for strips and between SR300 and SR600 for brides. "People are mostly attracted by black and brown henna cocktail, in which I outline using black henna and fill it with brown or red henna. It's more stylish then traditional henna and loved by Asians and Arabs," she said while applying a Khaleeji design to the hands of a customer.
Gul Naz, a trainee at a local salon, said she is learning to apply Arabic henna designs on hands because it is a lucrative business in Riyadh. "It is the best skill a young girl can learn, and earn a good amount of money with creativity and hard work." Khadija, a Pakistani expatriate, said she misses Eid and chand raat (moon sighting) in Pakistan with her grandparents and cousins. "I remember how my cousins and I ate almost everything around the mehandi (henna) stall while waiting for four long hours to get henna designs on our hands last year."
Khadija and her family, who have spent Eid in Lahore every year for the last 25 years, are not able to do so this time because it would cost too much for their eight-member family. Mehmood said the secret to making strong-colored henna should include applying sugar syrup with lemon when the henna is dry, she said. Mehmood will have a henna stall at the Ramada Hotel, Hai Al-Wazarat, on July 25. The hotel would also have other stalls selling food, Asian dresses and jewelry.
Eid is not only a time for happy celebrations, but also the chance for enterprising women to boost their henna businesses. These enterprises have evolved to such an extent that various designs are on offer including Khaleeji, Arabic, Indian and traditional ones. Women have already starting making appointments at beauty salons and henna artists to get their hands decorated on the night the moon is sighted. Ifrah Mehmood, a home-based henna artist, offers fine detailed designs not found anywhere else in Riyadh. She said her bookings for Eid rose by 60 percent over the past two days compared to her routine bridal appointments. She is a pharmacist by profession but loves doing this work.
"Art is food for my soul. All the designs are from the creative processes in my mind." She has a Facebook page displaying her work, with many women and girls posting comments and asking for appointments. Depending on the work, she charges SR25 to SR80 for strips and between SR300 and SR600 for brides. "People are mostly attracted by black and brown henna cocktail, in which I outline using black henna and fill it with brown or red henna. It's more stylish then traditional henna and loved by Asians and Arabs," she said while applying a Khaleeji design to the hands of a customer.
Gul Naz, a trainee at a local salon, said she is learning to apply Arabic henna designs on hands because it is a lucrative business in Riyadh. "It is the best skill a young girl can learn, and earn a good amount of money with creativity and hard work." Khadija, a Pakistani expatriate, said she misses Eid and chand raat (moon sighting) in Pakistan with her grandparents and cousins. "I remember how my cousins and I ate almost everything around the mehandi (henna) stall while waiting for four long hours to get henna designs on our hands last year."
Khadija and her family, who have spent Eid in Lahore every year for the last 25 years, are not able to do so this time because it would cost too much for their eight-member family. Mehmood said the secret to making strong-colored henna should include applying sugar syrup with lemon when the henna is dry, she said. Mehmood will have a henna stall at the Ramada Hotel, Hai Al-Wazarat, on July 25. The hotel would also have other stalls selling food, Asian dresses and jewelry.
© Arab News 2014
