1. Dubai isn’t only about skyscrapers and spending more
than you can imagine on more than you’ll ever need.
Ed Cooper explores the surrounding Bedouin territory
IllustrationbyBenTallon
Experiences
DUBAI
56 57

2. Bedouins descended
from nomads whose
territory stretched
across the deserts
of North Africa
and the Middle East.
The Arabic word
translates to ‘those
in the desert’.
PhotographsbyGetty/BuenaVistaImages;LucyMillson-Watkins
Oman. Aching for a more authentic Bedouin
experience, I step out of our urban 4X4
and climb into something a little more
appropriate: a rough-and-ready-but-retired
Army Land Rover.
Wide-grinned and armed to the teeth
with a juvenile sense of adventure, we arrive
at Rub’ al Khali, also known as ‘the Empty
Quarter’, for a desert safari. Swallowed
by the spectacular symmetry
of the sand dunes, we race the
setting sun (and a few goats)
back to camp. Nestled
– almost romantically –
beside a clump of palm
trees and atop a dune
in the heart of the
conservation park,
the camp carries
aromas of lamb ouzi
and Arabic coffee. The
lamb is delectable, having
been cooked underground
for 24 hours, roasted
with onions, cinnamon
and almonds, partnered with rice; the
ultimate post-safari smorgasbord.
As the desert night draws in and
the camels grumble, the Bedouin camp
illuminates under the night sky, the
starlight bouncing off the sand to showcase
a lifestyle doubtlessly a world apart from
that of Dubai. Interestingly, the Bedouin
camp remains in touch with many elements
of modern lifestyle. They’ve replaced oil
lamps with chains of atmospheric electric
lanterns and harness the power of the
unrelenting Arabian sun with solar panels
dotted around the camp – and it creates
a haven for all swashbuckling wannabe-
action-adventurers.
The following day begins with a desert
sunrise and a mug or three of Arabic coffee
with a local Bedouin. “We’re enjoying
this life now,” he begins. Ami Hamad
Saeed Alkutbi (or simply, Ami Hamad) is
originally from The Empty Quarter and
the last Bedouin to leave what is now a
conservation area. “Communications make
things easier – in the past we used to
suffer for food and water, but now we
share it with the city, and a lot of
other things work the same way.”
Showing off his calm
disposition, Ami Hamad
is well-versed in the
changing face of
Dubai. “They may
continue to build,
but they’ll never
have the whole
desert – there will
always be space
for the young
I
t’s a searing Wednesday afternoon in
Al Fahidi, Dubai’s ‘old-town’ (relatively
old, that is), and a group of local men
are sitting down to enjoy the last of
the December sun before they return
to work the next day. Their afternoon
is soundtracked by the sounds of a habban
(an Arabic bagpipe), sheepskin drums and –
oddly – iPhone ringtones.
At a glance, their abode – built entirely
from local palm trees and perfectly
juxtaposed with a Rolex skyscraper on the
opposing riverbank – sparks my curiosity.
A Samsung HDTV sits next to pictures of
Cherie Blair, and two children in traditional
garb are engrossed in Candy Crush, barely
acknowledging the shuffling group
of tourists who gasp, gaze and
guffaw around them. One item
in the room, however,
stands out.
A photo of ‘old’
Dubai hangs on
the wall, jaunty
and faded. A few
sand houses and a dirt
track are backed up against the
bright blue sky, with no signs of skyscrapers
or shopping malls. Hung alone, the photo
reads, boldly: ‘THE LIFE THAT WAS’.
Steeped in an intrepid history, the photo
is a humble reminder of Dubai’s past; the
transformation of its people from desert
Bedouin to city-dwelling entrepreneurs. To
really go beneath the surface of Dubai, set
your sights on the sand.
Like a heat-seeking missile, that’s where
I’m headed. More specifically, I’m leaving
Dubai for Rub’ al Khali. An enlightening
50-minute drive provides an astonishing
overview of the area’s metamorphosis: a
massive overhaul ready for the World Expo
in 2020, with the skyline-dominating hotels,
shopping malls (unbuilt or otherwise) and
entertainment megacomplex Dubailand
soon fading between undulating sand dunes.
We turn off towards the desert, with
‘THE LIFE THAT WAS’ remaining etched in
my brain. I’m on the third day of my stint
in Dubai and have found myself gravitating
towards situations in which I am not
gasping at skyscrapers and shopping malls
but – instead – on a personal mission to
experience the side of Dubai that may have
faded in the wake of the all things new.
Falconry? Sign me up. Camel polo?
Definitely. Dune buggying? Pass me my
driving gloves. The desert – in true Arabian
temperament – promised these adventures
(and more), even
if we were still on
the fringes of Dubai
(now 75km away)
and merely flirting
with the desert,
which stretches out
endlessly towards
THE HIGH LIFE
AT 30,000 FEET
Warm nuts! Hot towels! Wi-Fi!
Fly from London to Dubai with
Emirates, with prices starting at
£361pp. Choose from economy,
business or first class to start
your adventure in Dubai in style.
Escapism flew in Emirates’
double-decker A380.
Emirates.com
EMIRATI
ESCAPADES
No visit to Dubai – be it for
adventure, luxury or anything in
between – would be complete
without a guided trip you through
the desert city. Offering sightseeing
tours, desert safaris and outdoor
activities, Arabian Adventures
perfectly mix heartfelt cultural
tradition and heart-racing thrills,
alongside countless insights into
the marvels of the seven Emirates.
Tours from £26pp.
Arabian-adventures.com
FROM TOP: Camel-riding is a popular
pastime in the vast desert that surrounds
Dubai; sample an array of exotic spices,
including ginger and cinnamon, from a local
market; a traditional abra water taxiTHE LAMB HAS
BEEN COOKED
UNDERGROUND
FOR 24 HOURS,
ROASTED
WITH ONIONS,
CINNAMON
AND ALMONDS
Experiences
DUBAI
58 59

3. people to have an adventure.”
With Dubai’s increasing wealth,
the prospects for the next
generation of Bedouins
are endless, as they find
themselves travelling
around the world to
London, Spain and Germany
as well as nearer neighbours
Syria and Iraq.
“Never travel without a
Bedouin”, he elaborates. “They
mark the desert with their mind, the trees
and the dunes are all like a GPS.” The
testament of passing on the Bedouin culture
to the next generation is paramount. “They
will not forget their past because they still
tell stories.” He begins to chuckle, “You’ll
see them in Dubai, driving Lamborghinis
and Ferraris, but at the weekends you’ll find
them in the desert, looking after – and racing
– their camels!”
I wasn’t here for the Lamborghinis
and Ferraris, but instead to harness my
new-found alertness (owing to the Arabic
coffee) to roar around the desert in a brain-
melting 1500cc dune buggy. Smaller than
your average hatchback, it serves a bigger
purpose: a perfect blend of Dubai’s two
faces. With the supercars in the city centre
and the expanse of desert further out, this
golf-buggy-on-steroids accommodates
fast-paced luxury and stripped down,
sand-flecked necessities perfectly.
Stepping out of the dune buggy and
receiving a post-lap analysis from my
instructor Bilal, my time in the desert had
come to a close and Dubai’s city skyline
was beckoning. Putting down his habban
and picking up his smartphone, one of the
locals in Al Bastakiya asks a tourist for a
photo together. He smiles, takes the photo,
uploads it to Facebook and sits back down
to continue playing Bedouin music.
Echoing Ami Hamad, it seems –
inevitably – you should “never
travel without a Bedouin”; whether
sipping Arabic coffee in the
shadowed souks of Dubai or racing
the sunset between Rub’ al Khali’s
sand dunes.
Moreover, ‘the life that was’ is
far from a faded memory but,
instead, is an apt reminder of the
sense of history that permeates day-to-day
life in Dubai – from social gatherings in Al
Fahidi to the supercars crawling past hyper-
modern skyscrapers. Though you can’t
always see it, the influence of the Bedouin is
everywhere you go – just be sure to take one
with you (and add him on Facebook, too). e
Ed was a guest of Emirates and the Dubai
Tourism Board. Desert Safari in Dubai is
available through Platinum Heritage, with prices
starting at £155pp. Platinum-Heritage.com
JA OASIS
BEACH TOWER
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a quick pace from the beach, the
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luxury serviced and self-catering
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views.The lavish two, three and
four-room luxury apartments
come with views of Jumeirah
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impressive skyline, perfect for
both business and pleasure.
JAresortshotels.com
TICKLED PINK: The Bastakiya Mosque can
be found in the Al Fahidi District, previously
known as Al Bastakiya. The historic district
was established by wealthy local traders in
the 19th century, and has been fully restored
SAILING INTO
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PROMOTION
Photographby©Westend61GmbH/Alamy
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Experiences
DUBAI