UAE breaks out the hospitality for President Lee, including Unesco-registered hair dance

Korean President Lee Jae Myung was honored with a traditional welcoming ceremony — rarely seen by the Korean public — to mark his state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

On Tuesday morning, as President Lee’s white Mercedes made its way to the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi for a summit with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, both Korean and UAE flags were displayed along the roadside. The UAE welcomed him with a 21-gun salute, an airshow by its air force demonstration team and a children’s welcome group.

Of particular note was the moment President Lee’s car appeared — dozens of local women dressed in white traditional attire stood in rows on either side and swayed their long, loose hair from side to side. The ritual, known as Al-Ayyala, is a traditional performance registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage with Unesco. It is meant to bestow spiritual blessings upon an honored guest.

The ceremony features men standing in two lines beating drums while holding sticks or swords, as women move their hair rhythmically to traditional music. Unlike in other Middle Eastern countries such as Iran, the UAE does not mandate the wearing of hijabs for women.

The UAE held the same Al-Ayyala ceremony in May during U.S. President Donald Trump's visit, and extended the same honor to President Lee on his first state visit.

The UAE showed exceptional hospitality from the first day of President Lee’s visit. Upon the arrival of President Lee and his wife, Kim Hea Kyung, at Abu Dhabi Airport, top officials including Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority, Minister of State Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi, Minister of State Saeed Mubarak Rashid Al Hajeri and Abdullah Saif Al Nuaimi, UAE ambassador to Korea, greeted the couple in person.

At the luncheon following the summit on Tuesday, the meal featured dishes prepared with Korean ingredients. The UAE military band played classic Korean songs such as Na Hoon-a’s “Crying Over Bakdaljae Passway” (1978) and Hye Eun-yi’s “The Third Han River Bridge” (1979).

“It was a state summit that stood out for the UAE’s remarkable hospitality,” said Kim Nam-joon, spokesperson for the presidential office. “You could sense the meticulous preparation in every detail,” he added.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]