Rwala Bedouin

Middle Eastpastoralists
Map
expand_more Description

The Rwala are nomadic pastoralists who live mainly in southeastern Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia. They speak Arabic and refer to themselves as "baduw," that is, people of the "desert." All Rwala are believed to be descended from a common but unknown Arab ancestor and “share blood,” whether or not they all raise livestock in desert pastures. Their access to grazing land has been altered by the creation of nation-states in the 20th century and the establishment national boundaries across their customary migration routes. Since 1970 the Rwala have made more money from commerce and wage labor than from pastoralism.

Identifier
Region
  • Middle East
Subregion
  • Middle East
Subsistence Type
  • pastoralists
Samples
Countries
  • Iraq
  • Jordan
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Syria
External Links