Gulf Headwear Terminology — The Reference
Gulf headwear is essentially one garment with many names: "ghutra" in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain; "shemagh" in Saudi Arabia and Jordan; "yashmagh" in Iraq; and "keffiyeh" or "hatta" in the Levant. This reference from Ashbiliya — a Gulf house in the trade since 1970 — gathers the names, types and companion pieces on one page.
The name in each country
The same piece — a square cloth folded into a triangle and held by the egal — carries a different name in every country. Knowing the local term makes buying and understanding easier:
| Country / region | Common name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| UAE | Ghutra | The plain white is the default for daily and formal wear |
| Saudi Arabia | Shemagh | The red-patterned is most common; the white ghutra appears in summer and on occasions |
| Qatar | Ghutra | High, often starched folds; a winter season for the shal ghutra |
| Kuwait & Bahrain | Ghutra | Plain white, as in the UAE |
| Iraq | Yashmagh | The local name for the patterned piece |
| Jordan | Shemagh | As in Saudi Arabia |
| The Levant | Keffiyeh / hatta | Similar in form, different in use and symbolism |
Spelling: ghutra, ghutrah, ghitra?
In Arabic the word is written both غترة and غتره — one sound, two spellings, both common in writing and search. The shemagh also appears as yashmagh or yashmag depending on country and dialect. The garment is the same; only the spelling shifts.
Ghutra types
Behind the familiar plain white ghutra is a family of types that differ in fabric, border and use:
- Safrah (plain): the unadorned white — the near-daily formal choice and the most widespread.
- Umm qalam: framed by a printed border in black, brown or light green, named for its pen-line edge.
- Boudama: coarse cotton or linen in darker tones — practical and durable, historically tied to sea and manual work.
- Shal and shal tirmah: the winter ghutra in heavy wool with warm-coloured decoration; the tirmah, woven from fine down, is the most luxurious — sold as "full tirmah" or "half tirmah", with Afshar, Bulbul and Shahmina among the patterns known in the Qatari market, where it has a busy winter season.
The shemagh and its colours
The interlaced pattern — not colour alone — is what separates the shemagh from the plain ghutra. Red-on-white is the most famous form and the base of Saudi daily dress; white-on-white offers a quieter elegance between the ghutra’s formality and the pattern’s presence.
Worn with the ghutra and shemagh
- Taqiyah (gahfiyah): the under-cap that anchors the scarf and absorbs sweat.
- Egal: the doubled black cord that holds the ghutra or shemagh, traditionally woven from wool and fine goat hair (mir’az).
- Egal thickness and tassels differ by country: the Qatari is thicker, marked by the karkousha (rear tassels) and hadad cord, while Saudi and Emirati styles run slimmer and simpler.
Fabric grades
Ghutra and shemagh fabrics fall into three broad grades: light everyday cotton; mercerized cotton with a softer hand and higher durability; and premium Japanese or Swiss cotton with the finest, most colour-fast weave. The right grade depends on use — daily wear or occasions.
The numbers behind the words: the lightest summer cloth is sheer cotton voile (roughly 60–80 g/m²), and "mercerized" refers to John Mercer’s 1844 alkaline treatment that strengthens the thread and improves dye uptake — the silky lustre came with the 1889 refinement of treating the yarn under tension.
Sizing
Size depends on head circumference and preferred fold: draped, shoulder-length folds need a larger size than raised ones. The ladder used across Gulf markets runs from about 39 for children (95–100 cm tall) to 62 for men over 180 cm, with adult sizes most commonly between 54 and 62. Head circumference is measured with a soft tape from the forehead, above the ears, to the back of the head.
Sources & references
- Saudipedia — the difference between shemagh and ghutra
- Arabic Wikipedia — the keffiyeh and its names by country (Arabic)
- Arabic Wikipedia — the egal (Arabic)
- Alsabbaq — ghutra types in Gulf tradition (Arabic)
- Al-Sharq, Qatar — the winter shal ghutra season (Arabic)
- Al-Ain News — how to choose the right shemagh size (Arabic)
- Wikipedia — mercerised cotton and the Mercer process (1844)
Related questions
What is the difference between a ghutra and a shemagh?
The ghutra is plain white; the shemagh carries an interlaced pattern and comes in red or white. Both are worn over a taqiyah and held by the egal.
Why is it sometimes spelled ghutrah or غتره?
A common spelling variation in Arabic (taa marbuta vs haa) and in transliteration. The word and garment are the same.
What is a yashmagh?
The Iraqi name — also heard in parts of the Gulf — for the same patterned piece called a shemagh in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
What is a shal ghutra?
The winter ghutra in heavy wool with warm-coloured decoration; the finest is the shal tirmah of soft down. It has a known winter season in Qatar.
How does the egal differ across the Gulf?
In thickness and tassels: the Qatari egal is thicker with its karkousha tassels and hadad cord; Saudi and Emirati styles are slimmer and simpler.
Is "keffiyeh" a Gulf term?
It is primarily Levantine. In the Gulf, "ghutra" is used for the plain white and "shemagh" for the patterned piece.