Bedouins in Oman

Classically viewed, a Bedouin is a desert dweller who wanders as a nomad through the desert. Historically, nomads generally moved from grazing land to grazing land to ensure the survival of their herds and their respective tribe. The people in the coastal regions of Oman settled down long ago. In the fishing villages and smaller trading ports, people have lived as 'Hadr' for centuries—a term used to describe settled coastal dwellers. The Bedu (the term for desert tribes in Oman), on the other hand, have mostly settled down in recent decades.

How many Bedouins are there in Oman?

The country is vast, measured by the number of inhabitants, and offers almost as much space as the Federal Republic of Germany. The desert regions of the country are hardly populated. Here you only meet the desert tribes who have always inhabited these regions of the country. However, the economic boom in the country, which has progressed rapidly in recent years, has led to significant rural exodus. Today, about 5% of the population still live as 'nomads' in the deserts of Oman.

How do the Bedouins live in Oman?

The Bedouins in Oman are no longer the classic nomads. The people in the desert regions today live in stone houses and no longer in tents. They rarely travel through the land on their camels—rather, they enjoy the freedom that cars and other motorized vehicles provide. This allows them to quickly move from one grazing ground to another and relocate their herds as needed without having to move their homes as well.

In addition, a number of desert dwellers work in the tourism industry. Some are seasonally coastal dwellers for part of the year and are found in their villages in the desert outside the main season. Nevertheless, the Bedouins in Oman have retained a good part of their spirit and attitude. While they also use cars and the wonders of modern communication and information technology, they still lead a life closely connected to their history, tradition, and nature like few other population groups in the world.