Khaleegy (dance)

Khaleegy (Arabic: خليجي) is a traditional folkloric dance in eastern Arabia. It is a cultural dance in the countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The name of the dance literally means "gulf" in Arabic and it is performed by women at weddings and other social events. Over time it gained popularity among belly dancers.

This dance entails rows of women in close proximity to one another who move in a slow, shuffling fashion while rhythmically swaying their hair. The women's hips mainly remain stationary while performing this dance. Khaliji music, which accommodates the dance, has roots going back more than 1,000 years, to the Islamic period, under the Umayyads.