Al Ayyala dance also generally known as yowalah is a traditional group dance of United Arab

Emirates, The dance is accompanied with traditional music, and a separate group of male and
female are represented. Yowalah is distinctive in both its music and dancing. Leather bagpipes,
flute and drums are the traditional musical instrument played during the dance. History

Al-Ayyala is a popular and expressive cultural performance practised in north-western Oman and
throughout the United Arab Emirates. Al-Ayyala involves chanted poetry, drum music and
dance, and simulates a battle scene. Two rows of about twenty men face each other, carrying thin
bamboo sticks to signify spears or swords. Between the rows musicians play large and small
drums, tambourines and brass cymbals. The rows of men move their heads and sticks
synchronously with the drum rhythm and chant poetic lyrics, while other performers move
around the rows holding swords or guns, which they occasionally hurl to the sky and catch. In
the United Arab Emirates, girls wearing traditional dresses stand at the front, tossing their long
hair from side to side. The melody has seven tones in an irregular repeated pattern, and the
chanted poetry varies according to the occasion. Al-Ayyala is performed during weddings and
other festive occasions in both the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Performers
come from diverse backgrounds and age groups. The lead performer is usually an inherited role
and is responsible for training others performers. Al-Ayyala is inclusive of all ages, genders and
social classes. Yowalah is considered a victory dance, and it used to be performed usually after a
victory in a tribal war or after returning from a successful pearl diving. The dance form is
included in Unesco cultural heritage lisAl Ayyala and UNESCO

UAE has successfully recorded Al Ayyala on UNESCOs Representative List of Intangible

Cultural Heritage Items of Humanity in November 2014, in cooperation with Oman. Being part
of this important list will contribute towards reviving and promoting Al Ayyala as part of the
region’s national identity and the heritage of humanity as a whole. Additionally, this listing helps
in transferring knowledge, skills, and the values of Al Ayyala from one generation to another -
and contributes towards achieving respect, mutual understanding, and peace amongst the people
of the UAE.