Traditional Majlis

The majlis — literally 'a place of sitting' — is the room where Arab social life happens. Cushions and carpets run along the walls, a coffee hearth sits at one end, and there are no chairs and no head of the table, because the arrangement is designed so that everyone faces everyone else.

Its function goes far beyond receiving guests. Disputes are settled here, marriages arranged, news exchanged, poetry recited and business concluded. In the Gulf the Kuwaiti diwaniya, the Emirati and Saudi majlis and the Omani sablah all serve the same purpose, and in many families the room is open on fixed evenings to anyone who chooses to walk in.

The etiquette is precise and unwritten. A guest is greeted, seated to the right of the host or in the place of honour, and served coffee before being asked their business. Shaking the small cup from side to side signals that no more is wanted. The oldest present speaks first, and disagreement is expressed carefully.

UNESCO inscribed the majlis on its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2015, recognising it as a living institution rather than an architectural style — one that continues to transmit knowledge, custom and dispute resolution between generations.