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Emirati traditions

Henna

Henna leaves are harvested twice a year, dried, ground and made into a paste. Women use it to dye hair and fingertips and to decorate hands and feet, every day and at births and weddings. UNESCO lists it as of 2024.

Updated October 2026 · Facts checked 22 October 2026

Year on the UNESCO list
20241
Year on the UNESCO list
Countries on the listing
161
Countries on the listing

Henna

At a glance

At a glance
Item Detail
Name in Arabic الحناء
UNESCO list Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Year on the list 2024
Listed by 16 Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates

Source: UNESCO: Henna: rituals, aesthetic and social practices1

From leaf to paste

The ingredients and techniques for the paste vary with its use and from country to country. Branches, leaves and paste are also used in crafts and in traditional remedies, including for some skin conditions.1

Songs and social life

Applying henna often comes with chants, songs, proverbs and poems. Families pass on the knowledge by watching and doing, and today beauty centres, universities and the media also help.1

Sources

  1. UNESCO: Henna: rituals, aesthetic and social practices
  2. UNESCO: United Arab Emirates, elements on the Intangible Cultural Heritage lists

Facts checked 22 October 2026. Prepared by Invest-Emirates.ae for general information.

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