Men’s Clothes

When he goes out of his house a man wears a bisht, which is a cloak usually made of wool. The main dress is al-thawb which is similar to the European style shirt but much longer. In the past, man wore a thawb made of light wool without a collar. It was called thawb alshadd.

Today’s man wears under the thawb a sirwaal which is a pair of long pants. In the past, man wore a wizar under the thawb and at one stage wore the ziboon which is a sort of luxurious dress.

On the head, man still wears the ghutra which is a square piece of cotton cloth that is folded into a triangle and placed on the head, then topped with the ogaal. The ghutrah is fixed in place by the qahfiyyah which is a kind of skull cap worn under the ghutrah.

In winter, man wears the ghutrah which is also used as scarf, shaal, made of Kashmir wool. In the past, boys started wearing the ogaal after the age of 12. Today, children wear both the ghutra and the ogaal

In his feet, man wears the ni'aal, around his waist; a Bedouin wraps a leather belt that he also uses to hold such weapons as the dagger, sword or rifle. The belt has slots that hold the ammunition.