Little-known facts about the hair-tossing dance of young girls welcoming President Trump

On May 15, when arriving in the capital of Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), US President Donald Trump was welcomed with a special performance.

It is a traditional hair tossing dance of the local people called Al-Ayyala.

The moment when a group of young girls in white tossed their hair to welcome President Trump went viral ( Video source: NY Post).

The performance was both graceful and powerful, creating an impressive image and attracting the attention of international media. Along with that, the video created a great spread, causing a fever on many social networking platforms, receiving a large amount of interaction.

Al-Ayyala is a traditional folk performance, deeply rooted in the culture of the United Arab Emirates and the northwestern region of Oman.

The dance of young girls welcoming President Trump went viral (Photo cut from clip).

This art has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Al-Ayyala is not simply a dance, but also a symbolic reenactment of a battle scene, often performed to express community spirit, unity and national pride.

This dance is often performed during festivals and weddings in the UAE and Oman. However, unlike other countries in the Middle East such as Iran, the UAE does not require women to cover their hair.

This dance is universal, regardless of age, gender or social class.

Al-Ayyala dance is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (Photo: News).

Some of the main elements of this performance include reciting poetry to express courage, love for one's homeland or unity. The background music is indispensable with traditional drum beats and percussion instruments.

Traditionally, men would line up in two rows facing each other, moving in rhythm.

Meanwhile in the UAE, young women will participate by standing in front, tossing their hair from side to side to the music, creating a strong and distinctive image of the Gulf region.

The performance during President Trump’s visit to the UAE is understood to be a formal welcome and a symbol of cultural identity, demonstrating that traditional heritage still plays an important role in modern diplomatic and public events.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/dieu-it-biet-ve-dieu-mua-cua-dan-thieu-nu-hat-toc-chao-don-tong-thong-trump-20250516135424262.htm