ABSTRACT
Glimpses of that Arabia can be seen in some of the villages and even in corners of the cities and among isolated groups of nomads such as the Al Murrah. Political and economic criteria are cited as reasons for encouraging seden-tarization, but cultural prejudices also play an important role in the belief that nomadism is incompatible with the modern world. The Al Murrah loves their camels, talks about them incessantly, and lives off them throughout their lives, but they prefer to travel long distances quickly by truck. They all praise the Al Saud and oil for making their life in the desert a bit more comfortable and secure than it was in the other Arabia. One of the most ambitious, technically best planned, and most sophisticated agricultural settlement projects has been developed within the tribal territory of the Al Murrah near Ain Haradh in the Wadi Sabha.
