The Renaissance of Nabati

Great change has taken place in the lives of Bedouin populations throughout the Arabian Peninsula over the last century. A general displacement from their traditional migratory lifestyle has had an inevitable effect on cultural identity, economic independence, and once-nomadic trading lives. Traditionally, the Bedouin people have relied on herding for subsistence, following the migratory routes they have walked through for many generations, but new borders, political uncertainty, and government incentives designed to induce the Bedouin to form settlements instead have all left their mark over the last six or seven decades. For Bedouin women, the transition to ‘sedentary’ life in established settlements has meant that traditional tasks such as caring for animals, milking and herding them, erecting and caring for tents, and a host of other important tasks