As the sun rises over the desert in the Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter), myriad colours wash over the sand. The desert has been given this name because of its barren and inhospitable nature, and is heralded as the largest uninterrupted desert in the world, bordering Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

TRAVEL

In pictures: the nomadic way of life in Oman’s deserts

With temperatures reaching 51C in the summer, conditions in the deserts of Oman are tough. Amazingly though, life out here has learnt not only to survive, but to thrive.

Story and photographs byPeter Goding

December 15, 2020

4 min read

As the sun rises over the desert in the Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter), myriad colours wash over the sand. The desert has been given this name because of its barren and inhospitable nature, and is heralded as the largest uninterrupted desert in the world, bordering Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The Arabian camel, known as the Omani camel within the Sultanate of Oman, is a single-humped dromedary that’s used for both milk and meat, as well as riding and racing. While many Omani Bedouins have settled in towns on the fringes of the desert, traditionally theirs is a nomadic lifestyle.

Alongside their herdsmen, camels roam the harsh, rocky terrain in search of their next watering hole. A camel’s hump is formed of fat and can be broken down into water and energy to help it survive the brutal desert conditions.

Pointing to the town of Al Hashman in the Dhofar Governate, this lonely and solitary signpost is the last emblem of civilisation before travellers are confronted by vast swathes of sand. An in-depth knowledge of the desert is needed to traverse these giant dunes.

While guides like Musallam Ahmed traverse the undulating dunes with ease, driving in the desert takes practice. Tyres are semi-deflated before setting off to expand their footprint and increase the vehicles contact with the ground.

The thick, heavy fabric adorning the Al Hashman Bedouin tents provides much needed shelter from the elements and ensures a comfortable night’s sleep in the Rub' al Khali. Temperatures plummet at night, and fires are a regular fixture in every camp. Traditionally, Bedouins will sit in a circle sharing food and stories; tales of ancient cities and civilisations now lost beneath the sand.

Desert guide Musallam Ahmed shields himself as sand grains are thrown into the air by desert winds. Behind him, the sun sinks towards the horizon, casting long shadows over the sand.

The towering sand dunes encircling Bedouin campsites in the Rub' al Khali provide elevated platforms from which to watch the sun rise and set. They’re also places where viewers can’t help but be reminded how small they are on this planet and how vast, beautiful and untameable our natural environment can be. Temperatures out on these dunes can reach 51C in the summer months, dropping to 22C in winter, but if you look closely you’ll see that life, from lizards to dug beetles, survives even here.

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