The Bedouin of the Middle East contribute their share to their countries’ national economy. As pastoralists, they generally earn a higher income than as peasant cultivators. Why then do certain governments in the region seek to settle them and to decimate their herds, causing losses to the national economy and potentially reducing the Bedouin to unemployment, poverty, and despair? The aim of this article is to understand this frustrating problem and to suggest practical steps for improving the situation. To do so we must first explain why governments often do not appreciate the Bedouin’s economic contribution and do not recognize their rights to land. Then we shall explain how this causes high rates of unemployment among men and even higher ones among women.
