When traveling between cities, we get to see a job in action that reminds us of the roots of this nomadic country: shepherds herding flocks of sheep, goats and camels. 🐑🐐🐪
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Thanks to the Paulo Coelho book, The Alchemist, shepherds have a somewhat mythical quality in my mind. Their job is as old as time and connected to the land in a significant way. Though I can imagine it’s not terribly dreamy to chase stinky goats through the 100+ degree desert, to be removed from the bustle of this ultra-connected world does sometimes sound nice.
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There is high demand for lamb and goat meat in Saudi. Served alongside rice, lamb is the staple of their main dishes, kabsa and mendi (could be made with chicken too) so shepherds play a vital role in food production for the country.
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Both women and men serve as shepherds in Saudi (though I’ve only seen men), and the physically taxing job is often given to foreign workers – like most difficult, outdoor work (street cleaners, park maintenance, gas attendants, etc).
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The particular shepherd in this photo was very kind. Sean stopped alongside the highway and ran over to him, asking him in Arabic if we could snap photos. He complied and even snagged one of the long-haired goats to proudly pose for a portrait. 😂
