Using henna to decorate the skin is very popular with female visitors to Abu Dhabi. Henna is a plant dye that has been used throughout the Middle East for centuries. It is used on women's hands, feet and hair. Generally, Arabic henna features large, floral patterns and these ‘tattoos' are painless and wash off in a week. The dye comes from the leaves of the henna tree, which are dried and ground. Water is then added to form a paste.
Henna's decorative purpose varies from culture to culture, but its most popular use is as make-up for bridal parties.
Visitors to Abu Dhabi can get beautiful henna patterns while visiting the emirate’s heritage villages, or while embarking on an exciting desert safari, organised by one of Abu Dhabi’s tour operators.