Henna artists in the UAE are seeing strong demand days after Eid Al Adha. While some attribute it to a longer than usual Eid break, others say word of mouth has a strong role to play in the sustained demand.
Dubai-based henna artist Fathima Afsal said she was fully booked on Friday and had many clients for the weekend as well. “In my experience, this is quite unusual,” she said. “Normally, most bookings and inquiries slow down or stop by the day before Eid, as clients prefer to get their henna done in advance. This year was different.”
She added that she saw a mixed bag of clients this year. “While some of my regular clients were travelling during the holidays and did not get henna done, I continued to receive new inquiries even during the Eid holidays,” she said. “I believe the extended holiday period encouraged more social gatherings, visits, and celebrations, which contributed to the continued demand for henna services.”
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This year, UAE residents enjoyed between six and nine days of holidays for Eid Al Adha. While public sector employees got five days of break starting from Monday, May 25, private sector employees got a four-day holiday starting from Tuesday, May 26. For those with a Saturday-Sunday weekend, this translated to a total six-day break.
Another artist Hariya Shaikh echoed the sentiment and said she is completely booked for a week after Eid. “There are many parties and gatherings where people have a henna corner for their guests,” she said. “This year, I have seen the trend sustain longer because of the longer Eid holidays so I am still getting a lot of enquiries and bookings.”
For Dubai resident Asiya Raheem, word of mouth has sustained the demand for her services until Friday and the weekend. “I got many enquiries on Eid day as well as the Eid holidays,” she said. “When people see the henna designs and stains on their cousins, friends or family members, they contact me immediately asking for henna.”
Popular designs
The henna artists unanimously agreed that the demand for designs depended largely on individual preferences. “This Eid, I saw a huge demand for dome designs and Arabic florals,” said Asiya. “Usually, the kind of designs they like depends on the age and nationality of the client.”
Hariya said that this year, she had seen many clients are asking for modern styles. “They like simple, clean and stylish designs that look good in photos and on social media,” she said. “They most popular designs are elegant and classy ones, instead of traditional designs.”
Fathima said there were several trends she noticed this year. “I am getting a lot of queries for jagua,” she said. “I also saw a lot of people asking for traditional designs and modern Arabic patterns. This was a marked change from previous years where people preferred only modern designs.”
Source: Khaleej Times