They are a nomadic people who live in the deserts of the Middle East and North Africa. Bedouins make up about 10% of the inhabitants of the Middle East and are named after Arabic words. al bedu (“inhabitants of the open lands”) or al beit (“tent people”). The most likely is that this culture emerged in antiquity, in the north of present-day Saudi Arabia.
From the 7th century on, however, when the Arabs conquered North Africa, the Bedouins also dispersed in that continent. In Arabia, where the main groups have always lived, the difficult conditions of life in the desert generated conflicts over the use of water wells and pastures, leading bands of Bedouins to occasional attacks on caravans and other forms of theft against neighbors and outsiders. After World War I (1914-1918), the lifestyle of these people began to decline. Submitted to the control of the governments of the countries where they lived, they began to face difficulties in roaming at will like nomads.
Bedouin numbers have dwindled and today their lifestyle is increasingly sedentary. However, the fervent adherence to Islam and the tribal character of the societies remain. Each group brings together several families under the maximum leadership of a hereditary head, known as a “sheikh”. The various tribes also have different statuses. Some are considered “noble”, because they would have important ancestors.
Others, “without ancestors”, serve those of higher status, with their members acting as artisans, blacksmiths, artists or doing other types of work.
DRIED LIVES
The hierarchy among the Bedouins is curious and can be perceived by the animal that each group uses as a basis of life. The most prestigious groups are the camel-riding nomads, organized into large tribes in the deserts. Goat and sheep breeders are second in the hierarchy.
HOME FOR TRAVEL
The Bedouins live in tents stretched over wooden stilts, in a camp that is easy to set up and take down. The tents are around 2.5 meters high and less than 6 meters long. When the camp is set up, a thick mat is laid out on the ground, where camel saddles, ropes, pots and water troughs are kept.
GOAT MARKED FOR DEATH
Most Bedouins live from raising animals, mainly goats, which serve as food during migrations. Although they despise agricultural activity, many groups became sedentary from the 1950s onwards due to political and economic pressures – Saudi Arabia and Syria, for example, nationalized land used by the Bedouin.