Umm RUqAIba: The King Abdul Aziz Festival for Camel Beauty at Umm Ruqaiba has become a market for Bedouin women to promote their indigenous products. The women are making the most of the market by selling their products and earning an income. The market is a huge event because it attracts Bedouins from various parts of the Kingdom to display the beauty of their camels, many of which are sold for millions during the annual camel beauty contest. The market attracts thousands of tourists and visitors from inside and outside the Kingdom who take a special interest in buying Bedouin heritage costumes and items. The exhibition's organizers have devoted a large area for Bedouin women, who come from all corners of the Kingdom, to sell their folk products and traditional food. Apart from this, the market attracts wool weavers. Groups of rural weavers and spinners of all ages meet at the market to display their skills. One of the weavers told Okaz/Saudi Gazette the market offers her a golden opportunity to sell her products, including heavy winter dresses. Umm Nawaf said Umm Ruqaiba is a Bedouin market that resembles traditional markets held in other parts of the Kingdom. She said visitors never leave empty-handed. They always buy souvenirs which remind them of the desert and the Bedouin culture. “I come every year to the market to sell my dairy products such as ghee which I make from my goats' milk. It has a different taste and flavor. Many visitors never fail to buy this ghee.” Abu Ahmad said he visits the market every year to buy handcrafted products which he uses to decorate his home. These products remind him of the past, he said.
