Dubai: Arab ladies are lifting the veil to party on the dance floor at a Dubai hotel. Next month guests can shed their abayas to reveal clubbing clothes without offending their faith or families at an adults-only evening. However, this is Arab ladies hitting Dubai's party scene with a traditional Muslim twist - no men, no alcohol and no prying eyes, but plenty of spirit.
Yes, Arab ladies are being invited to step out - literally. A handful of guests have already confirmed they are attending the event in which Muslim women will step out on the town and out of their traditional abayas to wear party outfits for a night with the girls, without compromising their religion or morals.
Come February the Arab women will groove to a DJ on a hotel dance floor until 3am at an event believed to be the first of its kind in the country, called Ladies Big Chill-Out Night at Dubai's five-star Gloria Hotel.
The event is billed as a chance for Arab women to let their hair down. It is a take-off of the popular UAE phenomenon "ladies night" which targets Western women at hotels. Every Tuesday females are offered free drink deals and door entry. The weekly favourite, which attracts both sexes, is attended by thousands in Dubai alone.
However, it is a no-go area for women who are Muslim and, therefore, view drinking alcohol and interacting feely with unknown men as unacceptable.
The Arab ladies' night is designed to give them a fun evening partying like other women enjoyed, organiser Rochelle Lubbe, Managing Director of events company King Entertainment, told XPRESS. Otherwise, she said, they would never dream of setting foot in any establishment offering the typical western ladies' night.
The idea for it came to South African expat Lubbe, who is also a personal trainer, when she was with an Arab client in her 20s, who wanted to party in town to celebrate her birthday, but without compromising her beliefs. Shortly after, the idea became a reality when Lubbe confirmed sponsors, an appropriate hotel venue and her first few bookings.
In her experience, Lubbe said, the younger generations of UAE women were keen to encounter new experiences in the business and academic worlds.
The social event was just another reflection of Arab women stepping out of their traditional roles.
But any chance of a male encounter had to be eliminated. More than 20 female staff - including a female DJ, chef, waitresses and security staff - have been hired to work at the event to ensure there were no men present.
The hotel's male management had even been banished from the exclusive party. Reza Borhani, a management official, said there was no fear of any alcohol being served either as it was the largest dry hotel in the world with 1,100 rooms.
Lubbe added that when guests arrived they would be greeted by a female hostess who would take their vehicle keys and hand them to males who would offer the valet parking.
The evening also includes a three-course buffet meal and mocktails. A special screened area will also be set up so the ladies could take off their abayas to enjoy the night in going-out evening clothes.
"We are trying to have a nice chilled out night for the ladies, so they can let their hair down and go out dancing and do whatever they want to," Lubbe said. The event would be a regular event, perhaps on a monthly basis, if the inaugural event on February 10 proves popular.
Bookings started earlier this month, with tickets priced from Dh180 to Dh350. The event could cater for up to 250 people and a percentage of ticket sales will be donated to Dar Al Ber Society's charity for orphans, Lubbe said.
The biggest issue for her confirmed guests so far was an age old problem for woman world-wide, regardless of religion - what to wear?
Attractions
- Three-course buffet meal and mocktails
- Tickets: Dh100 to Dh300 >Expected attendance: 250
- Part of the proceeds to go to charity
- Female DJ
- Female security
- Female valet parking assistant
- Female waitresses
- Female chef
- No alcohol
