For centuries the tribe or clan served as the principal building block in Abu Dhabi’s society, and still is today. Centuries of semi-nomadic existence followed by the conversion of its people to Islam, and the subsequent economic prosperity did not diminish the role accorded to the tribe or clan in the area of politics or commerce. Hence, hereditary rule is inseparable from the social and political fabric of the emirate and the entire state, such that the ruling family and the government are virtually indistinguishable from each other.

The Bedouins are an essential part of Abu Dhabi’s rich heritage. To date, the nomadic Bedouins comprise a shrinking minority of the population in Abu Dhabi. As may have been explained by hundreds of books, the Bedouins are a nomadic people who move from oasis to oasis and are known for maintaining a pastoral lifestyle by raising camels, sheep or goats. Women Bedouins also engage in handicraft making.