II.

Culture and Customs

Some Bedouins have retained their nomadic and pastoral way of life. They subsist primarily on meat, milk, and dairy products provided by their herds. However, with the rise of oil production in the 1960s and 1970s, many Bedouins have taken jobs in the oil industry. Government programs throughout the Middle East have encouraged the Bedouins to become more settled and urban. Currently, only 5 to 10 percent of Bedouins engage in a fully nomadic lifestyle, but many more are seasonal nomads.

Virtually all Bedouins are Muslims. They manufacture their own woolen clothing. Members of many tribes shave their heads, but beards are worn by all men.

The typical Bedouin tent is made from strips of cloth woven from goat or camel hair and vegetable fibers, sewn together and dyed black. In the instances in which Bedouins become sedentary and erect permanent dwellings, they build rectangular houses several stories in height, with stone or adobe walls.