Page 65 - UAE Truncal States

Chapter Two

groups have lived in Abu Dhabi territory. By the 1950s about 50
families had acquired date gardens in the Buraimi oasis, but very few
owned gardens in the Llwa. The rest were nomadic and rather less
rigid in their migration pattern during the winter than other tribes of
the area, the most regular feature of their movements being that many
families would converge on the Buraimi oasis during the summer.
During the 1940s the lamlmah of the beduin 'Awamir was Salim
bin Hamad bin Rakkad. Because of the constant feuds he was forced
to fight with the neighbouring Omani tribe, the Duru', bin Rakkad
left the area with some of his followers for al Hasa in about 1943.
Although he came back in 1948 he returned to al Hasa several times
during the following years.
In the meantime, the bulk of the tribe contacted the Al Bu Falah
Ruler, and, as one of his first actions as the newly-appointed wali,
Shaikh Zayid bin Sultan sent for Salim bin Musallam bin Hamm and
helped him to assume the position of tamlmah of the beduin
'Awamir. Some members of the tribe, however, followed bin
Rakkad’s move and became subjects of the King of Saudi Arabia, but
the majority remained with Salim bin Hamm. The temporary
allegiance of some 'Awamir to Saudi Arabia played a part in the
arguments of both parlies in the “Buraimi Dispute”.51 A considerable
number of the beduin 'Awamir remained in Abu Dhabi state as may
be seen from the 1968 census figures, when a total of 1,721 was
counted. The actual figure was probably even higher, since only 716
women were enumerated due to the fact that many of the men were
counted as employees of the oil companies and were very vague
about the whereabouts and number of their family members, who
were most probably encamped somewhere in Khatam, Ramlah al
Hamra’ or Bainunah.

'Afar, Manahll and Rashid The 'Afar, who are a small and entirely
beduin tribe, are often considered to be a section of the 'Awamir, but
they consider themselves to be separate.52 They are an important
tribe in the Hadhramaut, but in earlier times a few came into Abu
Dhabi territory using the same routes and wells on the way as the
'Awamir. Groups of both tribes used to join together for beduin
raids. After the Al Wahlbah, an Omani tribe, had extended their dar
north-westwards into traditionally Duru' country during the 1950s,
the 'Afar tended to be more closely allied with the Al Wahlbah than
with the 'Awamir. Quite a number of the Manahll, another
40