Trump’s UAE welcomes inspire anger, UAE proudly responds – “Our legacy does not need to be allowed” | World News
On May 15, 2025, the scene outside the Grand Palace is filled with something much deeper than the ceremony – it is full of heritage as the golden sun casts the final lights on the horizon of Abu Dhabi.
That day, U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in the United Arab Emirates. A story is told before exchanging words or shaking. Not speech or symbol, but rhythm, pride and poetry.
The carrier of that story is perfect form – young UAE girls dressed in excellent traditional costumes, men holding emirati holding tall slim crutches, ready to perform Ariara, the soul of the emirates.
It looks like a dance on the overwhelmed eyes. But for the UAE, this is a historical development.
A nation greets in poetry
Alayyala is not a dance seeking applause, but a declaration of legacy. It originates from the tradition of the Bedouin warriors, which mimics the battlefield with the stick at hand and the stick on the loyal lips. The girls stood like sentinels of grace, wiggling their hair to the other – this was not a rebellion but a gesture of celebration.
In their actions, generations of echoes convey not only sounds, but songs are conveyed through their souls.
For everyone, the “hair swing” ceremony in Trump’s UAE visit is bothered by:
That’s not random. That’s not a tictok dance.
That’s ancient. deliberately. Royal.This is what it really means:
The ceremony is famous in Arab Gulf culture as part of the ceremony. pic.twitter.com/rt1syyqg8g– 589bull (@589bull10000) May 16, 2025
It is this show that greets Trump – bold, real and unfiltered. As the world adjusts, chaos quickly becomes full of curiosity. Social media is full of excitement for enthusiasm, but in the noise, the UAE has found their voices.
“Our legacy does not need to be allowed to exist”
One of the earliest apologists was journalist Sara Al Hosani, whose calm but unwavering words were chatting endlessly. She proudly posted a video online: “Our legacy does not need to be allowed to exist.
She mistakenly regards young girls’ participation as critics of “oppressiveness”, and she asks keenly: “Oppression? What oppression? These are the daughters of the desert, not the young girls who died.”
One of the most powerful and beautiful moments during Donald Trump’s visit to the UAE was the traditional welcome of beautiful young UAE girls who sparked a lot of hatred.
Our legacy does not need to be allowed to exist. It’s tall, like a daughter… pic.twitter.com/l5j2acwpid– Sara Alhosani | Saraalhosani_10) May 17, 2025
She reminds the world that religions are not obliged to wear hijabs, and more importantly, they are proud to embody their culture rather than their victims.
“This is my identity”
UAE public commentator Hassan Sajwani wrote on X: “This is who I am. It is my tradition. It is my cultural hospitality. It is my country, my country, the United Arab Emirates. I am proud of all this.”
This is my identity
This is my tradition
This is my cultural treat
This is my country, United Arab Emirates
I am proud of all this.
Thanks to our little angels for welcoming UAE President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/js6c6lcho4– Hassan Sajwani (@hsajwanization) May 17, 2025
Sajwani’s pride, like many others, is not only in the show. How seamless it is to stitch the past and present, politics, poetry and honor and humility together.
But perhaps the most touching moment is not in the grandeur, but in the gentle moment.
Content creator Sarah Fahmi from Dubai emphasized a simple and powerful image – UAE President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan introduced a child to a visiting head of state.
“Did the president say hello to his children in the middle of state-owned visits?” she asked.
She continued to point out how. At another moment, the young girl can be seen rushing towards UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, asking for photos – smiling and glittering eyes.
“That’s not performance. That’s attribution,” Fahmi said.
Two photos, one legacy
As the image floods the timeline, a collage stands out. On the left: The founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed, stood high, and the Alayala dancers moved harmoniously around him. On the right is: a May 15 performance, smiling next to Sheikh Abdullah.
Time has passed, but the dance has not changed.
Because there are things that don’t need to be reinvented; they just need to be remembered.
In a world that is eager to modernize, few things survive. But Alayyala is not one of them. It continues to flourish, not because it stays in time, but because it contains identity.
It is a lively heartbeat of a country that knows who it is, rather than welcoming the world in an exaggerated way, but rather with a rhythm, grace and stick attitude than eloquence.
