Abaya

The abaya "cloak" (Arabic: عباية‎ ʿabāyah or عباءة ʿabā'ah, plural عبايات ʿabāyāt) is long overgarment essentially a robe-like dress, worn by some women in parts of the Islamic world.
It is considered an Arabic cultural dress integrated into the hijab, or Islamic dress, for many countries of the Arabian peninsula such as Saudi Arabia or United Arab Emirates, where it is the national dress.
Traditional abayat are black and may be either a large square of fabric draped from the shoulders or head or a long caftan. The abaya covers the whole body except the face, feet, and hands. It can be worn with the niqāb, a face veil covering all but the eyes. Some women choose to wear long black gloves, so their hands are covered as well.

http://www.wikipedia.com/
dated 7 nov 2010