There was a photography exhibition at the art gallery in the cultural village titled “Zabra,” the most precious moment of one’s lifetime. “It is a traditional Qatari word that defines the dressing up for special occasions, it stems from our genuine heritage, our great history and our own identity to describe one’s maximum feeling of honor, pride and excitement in a specific time and definite place,” says the exhibit brochure.

I photographed a lot of the exhibit as it was just stunning, and the more I look at the images, the more taken I am with them, an insight into Qatari culture that I never could have found on my own.

“’Um Zein’ is the name given to a girl looking extremely pretty with henna on her hands and wearing golden bangles and pendants.”