View of part of the Fujairah Corniche and the Hajar Mountains in the Background

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Hair Cuts and Styling in the UAE

This posting continues the theme of shopping and living costs in the UAE.

Even in times of financial recession, hair dressing shops seem to survive because the haircut is one of the last things that people snip from their budget.

Pictured is Ramesh, who owns the Ramsis Saloon in Faseel, Fujairah (opposite the Preventive Medicine Department).

Ramesh works with his nephew, Ageesh and they both hail from near Cochin in Kerala, India.

Things are done decently and in order in this saloon (see my earlier article on salons and saloons) with Ramesh donning his white coat, removing the tools of his trade from the sterilizer and setting them out methodically like a surgeon. His work on the locks is equally meticulous.

The cost of a hair cut or trim is Dh15.00. This generally comes with a dry head massage that includes a swift cracking of the neck.

A wash and shampoo is another Dh5.00.

Coming from the centre of the art of Ayurvedic massage in Kerala, Ramesh and Ageesh also offer a scalp massage with Indian herbal oils for an extra Dh10.00.

At nearby Ladies’ Hair Saloons, a hair cut or trim (without a wash and shampoo) can cost Dh30.00.

In one of the hair salons (not saloon this time) located in a major hotel in downtown Fujairah the cost of a trim for a man or a woman is currently Dh50.00. Here the shop rental will be higher than other salons and there are many international hotel guests and clients who will have the wherewithal to pay higher prices. As always it would be useful to receive comparisons with other UAE cities and towns.

Geoff Pound

Image: Ramesh, owner of the Ramsis Saloon.