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At the beginning of the 18th century, nomadic Bedouins still made up a large percentage
of the total Arab population. However, since then, their numbers have sharply declined,
starting with the introduction of new Ottoman land laws in the mid 18th century that
abolished the communal ownership of land, which is a basic ingredient of nomadic
life. In modern times, contemporary governments with their need for taxation, conscription,
and political control of their populations, have systematically restricted the movements
and power of Bedouins since the early 1900s. And finally, the oil boom and rapid
modernization with its economic implications have all accelerated their decline.
In the 1960s, nomadic Bedouins represented 10 percent of the total Arab population.
By the late twentieth century, they represented only an average of 1 percent. [5] For
better or worse, their nomadic way of life will soon be a matter of historical interest
rather than survival.
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Although chicken is the most widely consumed domestic meat in Saudi Arabia today,
camel meat could be the meat of the future especially in health-conscious Western
countries. This is because camel meat has no cholesterol and hardly any fat, since
the fat is concentrated in the camel's hump, which can weigh up to 80 lbs. (36 kg)
and can be easily discarded. [6] [7] If a camel's fat was distributed over it's body like a humans, it would
insulate the body and make it harder to cool down. [8]
The genus Camelus is divided into two species, Camelus Bactrianus (Bactrian, two-hump
camel), and Camelus Dromedarius (dromedary, one-hump camels). [9]
The Camelidae family includes:
 Genus Camelus:
Camelus dromedarius
(dromedary, one-hump camel)
Camelus bactrianus
(Bactrian camel, two-hump camel)
Genus Lama:
Lama glama
(llama)
Lama guanicoe
(guanaco)
Lama pacos
(alpaca)
Genus Vicugna:
Vicugna vicugna
(vicugna) [10]
A pair of walking camels.
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You can easily remember their names if you will imagine a capital letter "D"
lying on its side on the back of a dromedary camel forming a single hump, or imagine
the capital letter "B" on its side on the back of a Bactrian camel forming
the double hump. About 90% of the camels in the world today are dromedaries. [11]
While the term dromedary is used throughout the world to describe the species in
general, the word originally comes from the Greek "dromos" which means
road, and is technically referring to the racing or riding dromedaries. True riding
dromedaries can travel 80 to 120 mi. (128.75 to 193.12 km) per day carrying a rider.
Their cousin dromedaries (called baggage camels) have a heavier build and are capable
of carrying as much as 992 lbs. (450 kg), but usually only carries about 441 lbs.
(200 kg) loads. A baggage camel can travel up to 40 mi. (64.37 km) per day, a caravan
will usually average only about 12 mi. (19.3 km) per day, depending on how fresh
the animals are at the start, and how long the trip is expected to be. They travel
at about 2 mph (3.25 kmph) fully loaded, and 2 1/2 mph (4 kmph) unloaded. [12]
[13] Camels prefer to walk, particularly when it's hot; but when speed is required,
they either gallup or pace. The pace is a medium-speed movement which uses both legs
on one side at a time, this produces a swaying or rocking motion and can make riders
"seasick." This swaying motion is actually where the camel gets its moniker
of "ship of the desert." [14]
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