Abdulrahman Al-Rawaf and the Sheikh of Anizah: an Al-Oqilat man's resolve in the heart of the desert. Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Rawaf (Duhaim) was driving four camel herds, accompanied by his son Abdullah and several herders. Halfway along the route, beyond Al-Hayyaniyah, the herders tried to extort him, demanding higher wages or threatening to abandon the work. Al-Rawaf recognized their malicious intent and possible betrayal, dismissed them immediately, and refused to submit. He ordered his son and one companion to mount…

Al-Rawaf and Ibn Thunayan: relieving distress and the chivalry of Al-Oqilat. Debt weighed heavily upon Ibn Thunayan in Huwailan, Buraidah. He sold his donkey and walked to the home of the Al-Oqilat man Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Rawaf, asking to accompany him to Iraq so that he could work and repay his debt. Al-Rawaf welcomed him, placed him under his protection, and mounted him on the finest camel in a caravan of two hundred camel groups. When they reached Baghdad, Al-Rawaf found a noble way to collect the money Ibn…

The Story of the Money Belt: the trustworthiness of Al-Oqilat that astonished Syrian merchants. An Al-Oqilat man regularly dealt with a merchant in Damascus, taking from him a kamar—a leather money belt—filled with gold pounds, trading with the funds, and returning with the profit. On one occasion he took the belt and did not return. The merchant missed him and believed that some misfortune had befallen him. The Syrian merchant traveled personally to Najd, knocked on the Al-Oqilat man's door, and found him hiding…

The Historic 1414 AH Camel Journey: reviving the routes of Al-Oqilat. Category: Documentation and Interviews. In recognition of the importance of living heritage, members of the Camel Field in Buraidah undertook an exceptional journey in 1414 AH. For three days they traveled on camelback, recreating the caravans of old Al-Oqilat. Route: the journey began south of Ain Al-Utaishan, east of Buraidah, and passed through Qa Metib, Aba Al-Warani, Al-Sarif, and Al-Bandariyah, continuing toward…

Documenting Oral History and Its Men. In a continuing effort to document the oral history of Al-Oqilat, Abdul Latif bin Saleh Al-Wuhaibi conducted field visits and interviews with Al-Oqilat men and notables who had lived alongside those who carried their stories, or who had preserved parts of their lives and achievements in trade, travel, horses, and camels. Meeting Sheikh Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Hujailan Al-Oqaili: the respected notable Sheikh Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Hujailan was born in…

Enduring Episodes from the Lives of Al-Oqilat: stories of courage and aid. Category: Biographies and Stories of Notable Figures. Abdulrahman Al-Hidayah and Protecting a Family in Need. Al-Hidayah and his men stopped as guests at a home belonging to the Shammar tribe. They found only the woman of the house, who wept because her husband was absent and she had no food with which to honor her guests. Al-Hidayah immediately unloaded a sack of rice and a container of ghee and said, ‘Do not cry; use these to host us.’ She cooked…

The Chivalry of Sulaiman Al-Rumaih: an Al-Oqilat man's loyalty to his traveling companions and care for the sick. Category: Biographies and Stories of Notable Figures. Around 1336 AH, the Al-Oqilat merchant Sulaiman Al-Rumaih was traveling to Makkah to trade horses. Midway along the desert route between Makkah and Madinah, his horse handlers—about fifteen men—contracted typhoid and became completely unable to ride. Al-Rumaih refused to leave…

Mohammed Al-Bassam and the Emir of Hail: generosity beyond political ambition. Biographies and Stories of Notable Figures. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Bassam, a leading Al-Oqilat merchant and emir in the Arabian Peninsula, was born in 1250 AH and died in 1350 AH. His extraordinary generosity made him famous among rulers and emirs throughout the region. During the reign of Emir Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Rashid, Sheikh Al-Bassam was passing through the city of…

The Courage of Mohammed Al-Shuwairikh: sacrifice and escape from a British Mandate prison. Biographies and Stories of Notable Figures. In 1943, during the British Mandate in Palestine, British officers found a pistol on a herder accompanying Sheikh Mohammed Al-Shuwairikh during an Al-Oqilat journey. In an act of honesty and nobility, Al-Shuwairikh refused to let the herder bear responsibility. He told the British, ‘The weapon is mine; release the herder.’ They released the herder and took…