Garment Care 7 min read

Abaya, Kandura and Thobe Alterations in Qatar: What Can Be Changed, What It Costs, and How to Mark It

Written By Laundrykhalas Editorial Team

Published November 10, 2026

Shortening a plain abaya, kandura or thobe in Qatar costs QAR 40 on our list, and an abaya hem with an embroidered or lace border is from QAR 55. An abaya or a kandura looks simple, so it is easy to assume any change is a quick one. Some are: a hem taken up, sleeves shortened. Others depend on the fabric, the trim and how much cloth is folded inside the seams. This guide sets out which jobs are on our list, what each costs, which ones we look at before quoting, and how to mark the garment before pickup.

Our price list groups the kandura and the thobe together (the dishdasha is the same garment), so what is said here about a kandura applies to all three.

Quick answer: on our November 2026 list, sleeves, shoulders, side seams and the neckline are QAR 40 each, like a plain hem. The embroidered or lace hem is from QAR 55 because the border is preserved and re-applied. Stone or crystal reattachment is QAR 55 per section, and a full custom fitting is QAR 95. Silk, lace, beaded and leather garments are charged at the delicate rate. Basic jobs take 2 to 3 business days, and garments with beadwork or intricate linings 5 to 7.

Bar chart of abaya and kandura alteration prices in Qatar, standard and delicate rate: abaya plain hem QAR 40 or 65, embroidered hem 55 or 65, stones per section 55 or 65, abaya full custom fit 95 or 110, kandura length 40 or 65, kandura cuffs per pair 40 or 65, kandura full custom fit 95 or 110. — Abaya and kandura alteration prices from our November 2026 list, standard fabric and delicate rate.

What Can Be Altered on an Abaya?

These are the abaya jobs on our list, at the standard rate, with the delicate rate in brackets. The full list sits on our Qatar price list page.

Shortening, plain: QAR 40 (QAR 65). The hem is opened, the extra length taken off and the edge closed and pressed to match the original. This price is for a hem with no trim or embroidery.
Shortening with embroidery or lace: QAR 55 (QAR 65). The border is preserved and re-applied at the new length, so the pattern still runs along the bottom edge.
Sleeves: shortening QAR 40 per pair, and narrowing or restyling the sleeve line QAR 40 (QAR 65 each).
Shoulders, sides and neckline: a shoulder seam reset, side fitting to slim the silhouette, or a neckline reshaped, each QAR 40 (QAR 65).
Front closure and lining: a zip or press studs replaced QAR 40, a full abaya lining replaced QAR 40 (QAR 65 each).
Stones and crystals: QAR 55 (QAR 65) per section, re-attached by hand with the fixings around them secured.
Full custom fitting: QAR 95 (QAR 110), a complete re-fit to your measurements.

What Can Be Altered on a Kandura or Thobe?

Length: QAR 40 (QAR 65). The hem is raised and closed to match the original finish.
Sleeve length: QAR 40 (QAR 65) per pair.
Shoulder and chest: QAR 40 (QAR 65), with the shoulder seam re-set for an upper body re-fit.
Neck and collar: QAR 40 (QAR 65), to resize or reshape the collar.
Cuffs: QAR 40 (QAR 65) per pair. The worn cuff is taken off and a new one set on, with the sleeve length kept as it was.
Side seams: QAR 40 (QAR 65), for a slimmer body.
Pocket repair: QAR 40 (QAR 65) per pocket.
Full custom fitting: QAR 95 (QAR 110).

A jalabiya, daraa or galabieh follows the same scale: length, sleeves (length or width), side fitting, and neckline or trim at QAR 40 each, with embroidery repair at QAR 40 per section.

A full custom fitting at QAR 95 costs less than three separate QAR 40 jobs (QAR 120). If you want the length, shoulders and sides all changed, ask whether a full custom fitting covers it before booking three jobs.

Which Rate Applies to My Abaya or Kandura?

Our alterations service page states that silk, lace, beaded and leather garments are priced at the delicate rate, and that the standard rate covers everyday fabrics. A plain abaya in an everyday fabric is QAR 40 to shorten; the same job on a silk or beaded abaya is QAR 65. If you are unsure, send a photo of the care label and of any trim near the part being changed.

Can an Abaya or Kandura Be Let Out or Lengthened?

Taking in, shortening and narrowing all remove fabric, so they can be done on most garments. Letting out or lengthening needs fabric that is already there, folded inside the seam or the hem. Our list says the same about trouser hems: lengthening is done only where seam allowance exists.

Letting out and lengthening are not listed as abaya or kandura jobs, so we look at the garment first and quote. Before you book, turn the garment inside out and photograph the hem and the side seams. If the fold inside is narrow, there is little or nothing to let out, and it is better to know that before collection. When a hem is let down, the line of the old fold can also stay visible, which is more noticeable on dark or shiny fabric.

What Would We Quote First or Not Attempt?

Some jobs have no fixed price on our list, or are not on it at all. Ask before booking for any of these.

Letting out or lengthening, for the reasons above.
New beading or embroidery. Re-attaching stones (QAR 55 per section) and repairing embroidery on a jalabiya (QAR 40 per section) are listed. Adding new decoration across a garment is not.
A new abaya or kandura made from fabric. Our list alters and repairs garments you already own. For one cut from new cloth, a tailor who makes them to measure is the right choice.
A bisht. It is not on our alteration list, so send photos and ask before booking.
A change of style, such as a different collar shape that needs extra fabric, or turning a closed abaya into an open one. These are not listed jobs, so they are quoted only after we see the garment.

How Should I Measure or Mark the Garment Before Pickup?

With a pickup service, the measurement travels with the garment. Our alterations page accepts two ways to give it for simple hemming: pin the garment yourself, or send a reference item that already fits. For a bigger re-fit, ask whether a home fitting at QAR 75 per visit makes sense.

Marking the length

Put the abaya or kandura on with the shoes you usually wear with it. Stand straight and have someone fold the hem under to where you want it, then pin at the front, the back and one side. A long garment can hang lower at the back than at the front, so three pins give a truer line than one. Use safety pins, and do not cut anything yourself.

Marking sleeves and cuffs

With your arm relaxed at your side, pin each sleeve where you want it to end. Mark both sleeves, since arms are not always the same length. On a kandura, say whether you want the sleeve shortened or the cuff replaced. Both are QAR 40 per pair, but they are separate jobs, and the cuff replacement keeps the sleeve length as it is.

Marking the body and the collar

Side seams, shoulders and collars are hard to pin on yourself. The simplest way is to send a garment that already fits well and say which part to copy, for example "take the sides in to match the grey kandura in the bag". If you prefer numbers, lay the fitted garment flat, measure straight across the chest and from the shoulder seam to the hem, and write both in your message.

Timing, Cleaning and a Worked Example

Basic jobs such as hems take 2 to 3 business days. Complex garments with intricate linings or beadwork take 5 to 7 business days, so allow the full 7 business days for a stone-set or heavily beaded abaya. Express in 24 hours is half the item price extra: a QAR 40 kandura shortening becomes QAR 60. For a beaded piece, confirm on WhatsApp that express is possible before you rely on it.

Our alterations page says every alteration is steam-pressed before delivery, but a press is not a clean. If the garment needs cleaning as well, ask for clean and press when you book: on our list a kandura is QAR 15, a basic abaya QAR 18 and a delicate abaya QAR 35. Our guides to caring for an abaya at home and keeping a white thobe crisp cover the cleaning side. For everyday washing, see our laundry service in Doha.

Here is one family order, priced on our list. The garments are our own example, not data about any customer.

3 kanduras shortened: 3 x QAR 40 = QAR 120.
1 plain abaya shortened: QAR 40.
1 abaya with an embroidered border shortened: QAR 55.
Alterations total: QAR 215 at the standard rate.
Clean and press for the 3 kanduras: 3 x QAR 15 = QAR 45, making QAR 260 in all.

If something does not sit right when it comes back, tell us within 7 days and we re-collect it and make minor adjustments free of charge. Major rework is quoted separately.

Booking Abaya and Kandura Alterations in Qatar

Prices and turnarounds are the same wherever we collect. Start from our alterations service in Doha, or book through your own area: abaya and kandura alterations in Al Sadd and kandura hemming in West Bay are booked the same way as an abaya fitting pickup in Onaiza, a tailor collection in Al Waab or traditional wear alterations in Al Wukair. For an exact quote, send photos of the garment, the inside of the hem and the care label on WhatsApp, with the date you need it back.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to shorten an abaya in Qatar?

On our November 2026 list, a plain abaya hem is QAR 40, or QAR 65 at the delicate rate. An abaya with an embroidered or lace border is from QAR 55, because the border is preserved and re-applied at the new length.

How much does kandura or thobe alteration cost?

Length, sleeves, shoulders, collar, cuffs and side seams are QAR 40 each on our list, or QAR 65 at the delicate rate. A full custom fitting to your measurements is QAR 95, or QAR 110 at the delicate rate.

Can a kandura or abaya be made longer?

Only if there is enough fabric folded inside the hem. Lengthening is not a listed abaya or kandura job, so send a photo of the inside of the hem and we quote after seeing it.

How long do abaya and kandura alterations take?

Basic jobs such as hems take 2 to 3 business days. Garments with intricate linings or beadwork take 5 to 7 business days. Express in 24 hours is available at half the item price extra.