Before the age of Petroleum, the United Arab Emirates
thrived off of two things: the pearl diving industry and its relationship with
camels. Camels were essential in the Arab world for transportation and carrying
cargo. Camels were also dependent on their Arab owners for a stable food and
water supply. Today, the camels that are scattered throughout the UAE stand as
emblems of a much simpler past, and are antiques of an era that knew no SUV’s
or pickup trucks.
Last weekend, I got a little taste of what the UAE looked like
before the mechanical age. An hour and a half away from Abu Dhabi, in the
desert of Sweiha, stands a festival devoted to the remembrance of the camel’s value.
When we first arrived, we were introduced to an Emirati who explained some of
the different customs of his country. While he spoke, another gentleman handed
out porcelain cups of saffron coffee, traditionally drank throughout the Gulf
region. We were then escorted to a tent, and this is where I pause.
One would presume that a tent in the middle of the desert
would be comprised of some shabby cloth and sticks, clumsily pitched together
and filled with sand, flies and dirt. But no, not in the UAE, and especially
not when the King’s son is about to join us for lunch. The tent we entered was
magnificent and was perhaps three times as large as any wedding reception hall
I’ve ever entered. In the main room of the tent ornate couches and armchairs trimmed
with red and gold fabric were lined up and facing a dais of throne-like chairs,
where as you can assume, were reserved for the Sheikh’s son. After waiting
about an hour for his arrival, we were led to another room, about twice as
large as the previous where golden platters lined each table and dozens of
waiters walked back and forth serving and preparing what seemed like an endless
amount of food. Our group walked back to one of the further tables where we
found a large circular tray in the center filled with a traditional Emirati
dish that consisted of rice, raisins, goat meat, and a mix of spices. On the
side, waiters were distributing heaps of camel meat and lamb. Everything tasted
incredible!
After lunch, we drove out to a small arena to watch the
camel races. As we lined into the stadium, a traditional Emirati dance began in
which women lined up in a row and literally “whipped their hair back and forth,”
it was the most dizzying thing to watch! Behind them a band of Emirati men
played their drums and sang aloud with their thick Gulf Arabic accent. In the
background, the camel racers lined up and prepared themselves for a twelve lap
race around the track. It also didn’t take too long to realize that there were
no other women in the crowd aside from the ones in our group. It was explained
to us that this was usually an all-male event, and not regularly attended by
women.
After watching some of the camel races, we walked back out
into a miniature heritage village where tents (of the typical kind) were lined
up and filled with little souvenirs of camels and traditional Emirati dress. A man
with two camels was also circling around and offering camel rides to anyone
interested. Of course, the Egyptian within me sprung to life and jumped on the
first camel that lowered its back.
Today, when we think of the United Arab Emirates, one of the
first places that may come to mind is Dubai, and we think of all of its
innovations and grandiose buildings and towers and malls. Not too long ago,
however, those buildings and towers were simply tents and malls were an anomaly
of the west. This experience in Sweiha allowed me a slight chance to step back
into time and see the country through the lens of the past.
