A date with desert: Qataris relive their past

Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Web posted at: 12/26/2007 5:5:47
Source ::: The Peninsula/ by Satish Kanady

The winter tent erected at Umm Al Amad

near Shamal. (Salim matramkot)

Doha • It’s time for romancing the desert. As mercury drops, many Qataris are flocking to the deserts where they are pitching the Khaymas -- traditional white tents.

Khaymas have sprouted in the interiors of Shamaal, Messaieed, Shahaniya, Umm Salal, Zubara and Duhail in large numbers this time. Qataris gather there for dinner, relish traditional cuisine, enjoy Arab music and witness the desert’s magical moments in a pleasant weather.

The tents vary in size and shapes. They have separate areas for men and guests, for women and children. The internal woven walls or carpets could be erected at nights to provide privacy. Sometimes there will be camp fires.While some use the traditional lanterns, some have generators for better lighting.

For some Qataris, the life in Khayma is a return to their yester years. “In one sense, it is a re-enactment of our ancient way of life sans its hardships. History has it that our forefathers didn't have permanent dwellings and survived on hunting. Winter is the best season to experience this life,” said Fatma Al Noeimi.

The government has given permission to the nationals to erect tents during seven months beginning October. The Supreme Council for Environment and Natural Reserves (SCENR) has also given its permission to them to hunt certain wild animals during the period.

Like in most Arab countries, the winter is a great time to catch the desert spectacles in Qatar. As rain falls, a huge variety of micro-organisms sprout on the vast arid zone, especially in the northern deserts of the country.

A number of residents too join their Qatari friends these days in the desert to experience the magic moments of sunset and the night sky.

The Khayma culture is catching up these days. As the city becomes increasingly overcrowded, most of the nationals do not want to take their family to The Corniche during holidays. A large number of Qatari families have spent their Eid holidays at Khaymas this time, said a young Qatari, Hassan Al Mohannadi.

Al Mohannadi, who has just returned after enjoying his desert life at Messaieed, told The Peninsula that the northern deserts were the most favourite place for Qataris because of its the proximity to sand dunes, natural water reserves and sea.

“All nationals are allowed to pitch tents during seven months. However, they are not allowed to put up permanent structures. People have to keep the premises clean. A special team from SCENR will monitor the activities,” Al Mohannadi added.

The nomad life in deserts helps the nationals reconnect with the social milieu of their ancient Bedouin fathers when life was totally different. For short trips, Bedouins erected temporary windbreakers. Then, it was mainly the women who pitched the tents and unpacked them to move on, Al Mohannadi said.

“It is really a magical experience to see the sun going down over the vast sand dunes. The sun burns up before leaving only a dark pink curtain over the landscape", said a resident who enjoyed a sunset along with his Qatari friends in Shamaal last week.