Virtually all the people living in and around Wadi Rum today are of Bedouin origin and, until recently, led nomadic lives, relying on their goat herds. They are resourceful, hospitable people who are largely responsible for developing Wadi Rum as a tourist destination.

Recognising the unique natural and cultural history of Wadi Rum and the vital importance of tourism to the local economy, the government of Jordan declared Wadi Rum a protected area in 1998. With support from the World Bank they commissioned the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, a national NGO, to prepare a conservation plan and build a team of local people to manage the area. This team is now under the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and is pioneering ways to restore and safeguard Rum’s sensitive desert habitats from ever-increasing human pressure.

Even though most local Bedouin have become villagers, they still maintain goat herds for milk, meat and ‘jameed’, a type of yoghurt. Few, however, are able to continue a truly nomadic existence today and the traditional Bedouin lifestyle is fast disappearing.

When I visited Wadi Rum in 2005, we drove to the nearest checkpoint and got in touch with a local bedouin. After negotiating about the price, he brought us to his camp which was fairly deeply located in the desert.

Arriving at the bedouin camp we met with Johannes (Germany) and Phill (U.K.). They were both working as a volunteer at a deaf and blind school for children in As Salt, an ancient agricultural town and administrative centre in west-central Jordan.

This camp was located in an area where he and his brother were living with their goats sheep, a few camels, dogs and donkeys. Welcoming us as their guests, we drank tea while he played us some local music. Before sunset he prepared a big tray of food which he cooked traditionally underground. After diner, we drank more tea and listened to his music while laying on a matras and see the milky way slowly become visible.