The Bedouins of Egypt's Red Sea

Dahab, Egypt is on the coast of the Sinai Peninsula, home to 6 main Bedouin tribes. It's a radical idea but the idea of Bedouins can be roughly equated to the idea of the Europe – a general idea of a people who are divided into different states. On the coast of Dubai, the UAE and Saudi are today's thoroughly modern Bedouins – the British, French and Germany of Bedouin territory. In other parts of Bedouin coverage – North Syria, Egypt or Libya, the very edges of Bedouin lands – they are less developed but well aware of where they are heading: the Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia or Slovenia, all equally eying the success of Greece and Spain.

Lacking the oil money of other Bedouins, the tribes of Sinai are seeing change on a different timescale and for different reasons. Tourism – a minor relation to the o9il and energy industries – has caused the Sinai coastline to develop. Spain set and example in the 70s and 80s and in Sinai development was begun ten years ago. Land is the issue. If you can prove the land is yours you get the title. If, like many Bedouins, you can't prove it, then you've got a problem.

Sinai is in Egypt and much of the drive to develop comes from Cairo. Egypt has a huge population growth (more than a million people a year) and must find employment for its expanding people. Sinai is one answer – and unmentioned Spain the role model – because of its thousands of kilmotres of beautiful coastlines.

It is a young phenomena and in the infancy of what happened in Spain. The Bedouins are in no way like American Indians, neither are they in the same situation  as aborigines or Maoris. Try telling that to a Jordanian (50% Bedouin population), a Saudi (all Bedouin, population 20 million) or Libya (whose economy is worth $35bn each year). Bedouin lands are an extremely complex mix of goats, oil wealth, modernity and traditionalism now built into cities and suburbs in one area and camels and tents in another. Bedouins have long ceased to be the simple roving herdsmen of Theisiger's day 100 years ago. They are huge group with radically different lifestyles, many living radically different lives.