Cows without cowboys…

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People in the Arabian Peninsula were largely pastoral in their culture. Livestock was one of their mainstays. Cattle, sheep, goats, and camels were a part of their tribal lives. Interestingly, there are over 100 words for camels in the Arabic language, just as Eskimos have more than two dozen words for snow. The animals they kept gave them milk, meat, leather, manure to cultivate their crops, and a pet to take care of or play with. Camels were their only cars until not too long ago. Milk is still an important item on Saudi tables, and they know a lot of dishes with dairy. It is also worth noting that in desert dwellers’ long history with milk, their genetics have favored them to have comparatively few cases of lactose intolerance. There are still very rich people who take more pride in the number of sheep or camels over the luxury cars or assets in real estate they own.



This herd of cattle belongs to the Bos Indicus breed, characterized by humped shoulders and pendulous dewlap. It is hard finding them on commercial dairy farms but not a hard job to locate them roaming around in the countryside. Saudi Arabia is home to a few mega dairy farms like Al Marai, Nadec, Al Safi etc. to cater to the dairy needs of the people who were traditionally shepherds before petroleum became a major source of income. These megafarms have hundreds of thousands of Bos Taurus milking cows, crossbred over many years for optimum milk production.

            This shot was taken at the back of a shopping center right in the middle of a busy city in Saudi Arabia where we would never expect to see them grazing. A flock of sheep with a shepherd is a common sight here, but not a herd of cattle like this. They roam around during the day, finding shelter under a tree or the deserted ruins of a building, or by a wall-side, taking rest and regurgitating while the sunshine is getting hotter; by sunset they go home on their own, following their herd instinct.

          As I was born and brought up in a subsistence farming family, I easily relate to them. My mom raised cows for a long time, and my dad had a trip of goats ever since I can remember, till he passed away. You could say goats and cattle are in my blood and DNA, even though I am now a cowboy without a cow to call my own. Luckily, I can enjoy the presence of herds almost on my doorstep.

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