How the Bedouins got their salt?

The Bedouins obtained their salt from the shores of the Arabian Gulf. The salt trade, which played an important role in Arabian commercial life for centuries, originated with the seafaring communities of the Gulf.

On foot, donkeys, or camels, small caravans from the interior moved slowly east in the autumn, seeking the precious commodity. The first stage was the coast at Umm Said. From here, the trade route went inland across the great sand desert known as the Rub al-Khali (Empty Quarter) following a series of wells until it met the Wadi Batin at the foot of the Hajar Range of the present United Arab Emirates. The journey was made possible by the wells sunk at intervals along the way. After crossing the northern desert, the way passed through the Hajar Range and across the coastal plain to the sea at Ras al-Khaimah. Here the Bedouin salt traders would camp for several weeks, buying salt and laying in supplies for their return journey home. It was not unusual for the salt traders to remain away for six months or more. The Bedouin tribes used their camels and donkeys to bring back loads weighing 200 lbs of salt back home.

The salt route was known as the darb at-tamil (the way of salt) or darb al-malah (the way of the salt). It went from Al-Kharj through Al-Ahsa to Oman. Another caravan route to the salt-rich areas of southern Arabia left from the oasis of Buraida, passed to the east of Tabuk, and joined with the Tabuk-Medina caravan route near the wells of al-Khuraybat. From here, the route split with one continuing to Medina, and another leading northeast to the wells at al-Qurayyah, near the salt fields of Dhankhal.

History of Salt Mining in Dhankhal, Saudi Arabia

The village of Dhankhal is located about 100 miles northeast of Medina. Salt was extracted here by both the Nabataeans and the Romans in ancient times. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Dhankhal became part of the area under the control of the Muslim Caliphate, and the salt mines became particularly valuable resources.

After the end of Ottoman rule in 1918, Dhankhal continued to be the location of extensive salt mines. Saudi Arabia's first commercial salt mine was established here in 1953. There were seven salt mines in operation in the 1970s. Production peaked in 1984 at 1,225,000 tons. Currently, there is one salt mine in operation in Dhankhal.