Waiting for henna in the salon that never sleeps

It is 2pm, and the woman sits with a phone in her hand, a bored look on her face.

Her arms and legs heavily decorated with intricate henna designs, she is unable to move. A small heater whirrs at her legs, drying the paste until it turns from moss brown to black.

It is a familiar sight in an Abu Dhabi beauty salon, and especially so in the run-up to Eid.

Amid a sea of phones pressed to customers’ faces, staff studiously apply henna, their concentration interrupted every few minutes by someone calling, hoping for an appointment.

Mehndi, or henna dye comes from the Lawsonia inermis, a flowering plant sometimes known as the Egyptian privet, but also referred to as “the henna tree”.

From its use, as an art form in Asia, to being used as a hair dye in Ancient Egypt, today its use is synonymous with religious and cultural festivals in the Middle East and South Asia.

The plant is also claimed to have healing properties, its bark and seeds are used in Ayurvedic and Unani medicines, and fans say it makes their skin softer.

The origins of its popularity in the UAE may have had more to do with vanity than anything else, says Prof Hamad bin Seray, of UAE University’s history and archaeology department.

“A long time ago, it was a kind of make-up. They used it to be put on during Eid and also other celebrations, like weddings.”

Designs, too, were simpler, Prof bin Seray says. “Before, they put it on just in one way. But now, we have different things. Years ago, there was only one way. It is very complicated now.”

An exhibition of 45 sheets of paper hang in plastic pockets, showcasing the range of designs on the back wall of the beauty salon.

The floral patters are influenced by the Arab world, one staff member says. Lattice designs and finer detail, she adds, take their cue from Indian culture.

At midnight, the salon is still full; the phone, still ringing. The tang of the paste fills the room.

Staff flit between customers, creating patterns at the flick of a wrist, the speed with which they work having no effect on the quality of the designs. Some take snapshots on their mobiles of the patterns on the wall, keeping the pictures within view so as not to make a mistake.

The Disney film Frozen starts to play in the background, though it is anything but in the chaos of the salon, the heaters dotted around creating a stifling atmosphere.

“This is my least favourite Disney movie,” one lady sighs, as she removes the dried henna from her hands with a table knife.

Children sit by their mothers, twiddling their newly decorated toes. Nearby, a woman closely inspects the flowers on her left foot, nodding with satisfaction. The flowers on the right, she says to the lady applying her henna, need more detail.

The fuss, Dubai resident Saeeda says, is worth it.

“I think no festival is complete without henna. It’s very traditional. As far back as I can remember, we’ve never missed out on henna, particularly on a festival.”

Although the trend seems to lean towards more intricate designs, the Indian expatriate says it does not take away from the beauty of the practice.

“These days, it is very decorative. I remember my mother used to get some blobs and make a flower out of them and they used to be so beautiful.

“We would wait late into the night after she finished all her work. We would patiently wait for her to apply it for us.”

For Saeeda, the intricacy of the designs she chooses depend on the occasion. For a wedding, a highly detailed tattoo is desirable. “Ideally, I would like something simple yet decorative. And a good colour.”

Once the henna crumbles off, a coppery, some say dark amber, colour remains. A daily application of olive oil, a salon employee says, will prolong the time it takes for the pattern to start fading.

White henna is also available at some salons, although black is banned in the UAE.

Containing the dye para-phenylenediamine, which gives the paste its black tint, it can cause blistering, scarring and life-threatening health issues if someone has an allergic reaction to it.

A few nights before Eid, Saeeda will have henna applied, most likely, on her hands. “Henna is a very, very important part of our tradition,” she says.

Back in the salon it is 2am, and the phone is still ringing. One of the ladies helping passes out takeaways that have been delivered to customers as they bide their time, some impatiently, waiting for the henna to dry. Another calls a friend who comes quickly, laden with snacks.

A would-be customer, unhappy with the queue, bemoans her situation to a staff member, asking when the salon will reopen.

“7am,” she says incredulously. “Do they [the staff] not sleep?”

Not much, admits one of the ladies, as she delicately applies paste to an arm.

Over the past few days, she has slept only a handful of hours a night, the demand for henna tattoos taking precedence.

When Eid comes, she says with a smile, she knows what she will be doing. “Sleeping,” she laughs, as she completes a customer’s order and prepares for the next request.

It is 2.30am, and, in the salon that never sleeps, the phone is still ringing.

Zaineb Al Hassani is a senior news editor at The National.

zalhassani@thenational.ae

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THE BIO

Bio Box

Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul

Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader

Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Favorite food: seafood

Favorite place to travel: Lebanon

Favorite movie: Braveheart

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Batti Gul Meter Chalu

Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5

The burning issue

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Tips to stay safe during hot weather

Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

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Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

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