The Bedouins of Oman in “Arabian Sands” by the Orientalist Wilfred Thesiger

This study seeks to present a comprehensive picture of the Bedouins of Oman as portrayed in the book “Arabian Sands” by the British orientalist and explorer Wilfred Thesiger(1910-2003).He spent nine years exploring Africa and some parts of the Arab World before spending another five years (1945-1950) in southern Oman with the Bedouins, and the desert. Thesiger credits his rich experience in exploring one of the harshest deserts in the world and getting close to the life of the marginalized community, specifically his relationship with the Bedouins of Oman, particularly “Ibn Kabina” and “Ibn Gubisha”,who paved the way for him to cross the Empty Quarter desert twice in an unprecedented manner, and bridged the Bedouin community to experience and accept the stranger among them. He also credits this experience for bringing him closer to the spiritual mysteries of that world, revealing different aspects of life contrasting with the materialistic world dominant in Europe-as he puts it.
Thesiger presents his experience in scattered articles published before compiling them into his book “Arabian Sands”.Anyone acquainted with this book will find a portrayal of the Bedouins of Oman that reveals Thesiger’s profound admiration for their nobility, patience, courage, generosity, and integrity, and their preference for simplicity over luxury. However, alongside this bright image dominating Thesiger’s experience among the Bedouins of Oman and the desert, other images emerge reflecting his frustration with the curiosity of the Bedouins and some of their children's mockery of him for failing to participate in communal prayers, among other things.