What Is the 'Shayla' Worn by First Lady Kim Geon-hee at the Mosque?

President Park Geun-hye and First Lady Kim Jung-sook Also Wore
Arab Traditional Attire Worn During UAE Mosque Visit
Islamic Law Prohibits Women from Showing Hair

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] During the state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee visited the Grand Mosque, where Kim Keon-hee attracted attention by wearing the traditional Arab attire 'Shayla'.

On the morning of the 15th (local time), President Yoon and Kim Keon-hee visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi to pay respects at the tomb of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the UAE.

Sheikh Zayed, the first president, led the founding of the UAE federation in 1971 and ruled the UAE until his death in 2004. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, named after him, is the largest mosque in the UAE and symbolizes the unity of Islamic culture.

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who is on a state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with President Yoon Suk-yeol, is wearing a shayla, a headscarf worn by women according to Islamic customs, as she tours the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi on the 15th (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Keon-hee, accompanying President Yoon, wore the Shayla, a traditional Arab headscarf. The Shayla is a traditional scarf worn by Muslim women on their heads. It appears she wore it to respect Islamic law, which requires women not to show their hair.

Previously, female politicians who visited mosques also wore the Shayla. Former President Park Geun-hye wore a white Shayla during her Middle East tour in 2015, and Ivanka Trump, then Senior Advisor to the White House, wore a black Shayla when delivering the keynote speech at the Dubai Global Women's Forum in 2020 while visiting the mosque.

Kim Jung-sook, spouse of former President Moon Jae-in, also wore a black Shayla during her visit to the mosque in 2018.

On this day, President Yoon wrote in the guestbook at the Grand Mosque, "With the spirit of inclusion and harmony, the Republic of Korea and the UAE will firmly cooperate for world peace and prosperity."

Before visiting the Grand Mosque, President Yoon and his wife visited the UAE National Cemetery, 'Wahat Al Karima', where they reviewed the honor guard and observed a moment of silence and laid flowers. Wahat Al Karima means 'Oasis of Dignity' in Arabic.

Meanwhile, President Yoon embarked on a six-night, eight-day tour on the 14th, visiting the UAE and Switzerland in sequence. Before departure, he posted on Facebook, "All schedules are focused on the economy," adding, "I will do my best to promote Korea's excellent investment environment and activate the economy through export expansion."

President Yoon's visit to the UAE is the first state visit by a foreign head of state since President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan took office in May last year.