A traditional UAE Bedouin wedding was reenacted at the Arabian Bedouin Life encampment on Friday, the last in a series of eight reenactments organised by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).
The wedding was an all encompassing recreation of a traditional UAE Bedouin wedding with the popular traditional dance Al Rasfah being performed by two rows of men swinging sticks in their hands and dancing shoulder to shoulder while humming a tune to greet the wedding guests.
The bride, dressed in a jewel-green jalabiya intricately worked with silver thread and wearing a black, gold-bordered suaeeya (a cloak covering the head as well), sat on top of the camel In a camel before her sat the groom, resplendent in crisp, white kandoura, a silver khanjar strapped to his waist. The groom was led by a group of singing men brandishing swords, walking sticks, even the odd gun.
The procession came back to the UAE pavilion and the bride and groom went inside the tent. Here, female relatives touched the bride's forehead and cheeks with turmeric paste while the bridesmaids - lined up behind the bride and groom.
The women laid out the bride's trousseau at her feet, many more heavily worked jalabiyas, most in shades of green.
Meanwhile, outside the tent, the men had been singing and dancing. They were performing Al Rasfah, the traditional dance. Some other men, flourishing guns and swords, joined in from time to time.
Bedouin men stood about with falcons regally resting on their wrists. Others passed around cups of hot, fragrant gahwa to participants and guests.
"Today's rituals are condensed to provide the visitor with a glimpse into the UAE Bedouin's life. These are genuine ceremonies performed by real life Bedouins," said chairman of the DTCM Committee for DSF 2004, Abdullah Hamdan bin Dalmook.
"Today's re-enactment displays our commitment to promoting the UAE's rich culture. Even though we are a modern and progressive metropolis, we have retained our traditional appeal.
Gulf News
