Washington: The handcuffing of a traditionally dressed citizen of the United Arab Emirates, mistaken for a terrorist in Ohio last week, has spurred the UAE's government to take the unusual steps of summoning a US diplomat for a meeting and advising its citizens not to wear "formal clothing" while travelling abroad.

Harassment against Muslims in the US has increased since presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called in December for a ban on Muslim immigration. Deadly attacks in San Bernardino, California, and Orlando, Florida, and killings from Paris and Brussels to Bangladesh and Turkey tied to sympathisers of Islamic State have added to tensions.

The Ohio incident occurred on June 29, when the sister of a woman working as a hotel clerk in the Cleveland suburb of Avon called police to report that a man at the hotel in "full head dress" had pledged allegiance to Islamic State, according to WEWS, a local ABC affiliate.

Police arrived and handcuffed businessman Ahmed al-Menhali, 41, who had been visiting the area for medical treatment and was wearing a traditional headdress with headband (hatta wa agal) and full-length white robe (kandura), WEWS reported.