Many people living in the desert are nomads. Nomads are people who move from place to place. Arab nomads, called Bedouins, traveled through the desert raising sheep, goats, and camels. They would stop when they found oases that provided food and drink for their animals and would move on when the animals had eaten most of the vegetation. They used the camel for transportation because camels could survive days without water and could carry heavy loads. The Bedouins wore loose-fitting gowns and cotton headdresses to protect against dust, heat, and flies. They got almost everything they needed from their herd. They drank milk, made yogurt and cheese, and sometimes ate meat. The animals provided wool and leather for clothes, blankets, and tents. They traded to get items they needed such as grain and weapons.

For hundreds of years, nomads would travel from oases to oases in search of food and water for their herds of animals. Some nomads became sedentary, settling in one place permanently when they realized they could grow crops around the oases. They would dig irrigation ditches to get water to their crops of dates, peaches, and grains. The date palm tree was used for many things such as houses, roofs, rope, and irrigation pipes. Towns began to develop around the oases and became small trading centers. Farmers bartered or traded their crops for goods brought into town by the nomads. Historically many nomadic Bedouin groups also raided trade caravans and villages at the margins of settled areas or extracted payments from settled areas in return for protection.

The Coastal Plains were also good for farming because of the amount of rainfall they receive. Ancient people grew crops such as grains, fruits, and vegetables. They built dams, wells, and irrigation ditches to help water the crops. Perfumes and medicines were made from myrrh and frankincense that was made from the sap of trees. Merchants and trade developed. Goods were sent by caravan to towns along the oases. Ships carried goods to Africa and India.

People also lived in the mountains of Arabia for thousands of years. They farmed on the steep sides of the mountains by carving “steps” or terraces of flat land into the mountain. This gave them a larger area of land to farm on. Farmers built dams and irrigation systems. They grew many different crops such as melons, pomegranates, and sap trees. They used manure and ashes from cooking fires as fertilizer