Bedouin History

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The term Bedouin originates from the Arabic word badiyah, meaning 'desert dweller' and the word Bedouin literally means 'people of the desert'. The Bedouin is an ethnic group from the Middle East, divided into tribes.

In Egypt, the majority of the Bedouins live in the Sinai. There are seven tribes in the South Sinai: Muezzeina. Alagat, Tarabin, Jabaleya, Awlaad Sa'iid, Sawalha and Gararsha. Each tribe has their clearly defined territory and there are slight differences to their traditions and customs. Sharm el Sheikh and Dahab are set Muezzeina territory, the biggest tribe in the South Sinai.

Bedouins were originally nomadic people who based their living on goat- and sheep herding, agriculture and fishing. They would meet the challenges of living a sustainable life with limited natural resources on a daily basis.

The most important issue in the Sinai has always been water, carefully monitored and preserved by the Bedouin groups who used them. The changing climate and growth of tourism have made resources even scarcer.

Today most Bedouins have adopted to their new environment and live semi-nomadic lives with wage work related to the tourism as a secondary income.