The UAE Has Gotten It’s Very First Female Barber And She’s Come All The Way From Wales

According to Dubai’s Public Health & Safety Department, Section 4-9 of the Health Requirements for Barber Shops states that, “Females are not allowed to work/be present in barbershops. Only in the barbershops that are existing in the hotels that graded as four or more stars.”

Until now.

Chaps & Co Barbershop and Samantha Lloyd have successfully challenged this rule and the UAE has gotten it’s very first, and so far only, female barber.

29 year old Samantha has been cutting hair for eight years

Samantha trained in her home of Wales before moving to Australia, then Ireland and now resides in Dubai.

She applied for the job with well known barbershop Chaps & Co knowing it would be tougher for her being a woman. However, she beat off competition and with the support of Chaps & Co she is the first female barber in the UAE.

They did have to secure special legal approval before Samantha was able to begin work but she has been happily working in the Dubai Design District branch for five weeks now.

She will be joined by another female colleague next month

Samantha is already paving the way for future female barbers in the UAE with a female colleague joining her at Chaps & Co. next month.

Her employment is not without it’s challenges as barbershop traditions are steeped in a male only environment with many men skeptical about the idea of a woman cutting their hair.

Fortunately Samantha is ready to tackle these traditions and is proving her worth, showcasing her skills and talents to willing clients.