12/18/2025
The Desert Watcher – 1902
In the year 1902, deep within the Rub' al Khali desert, a solitary Bedouin named Salim ibn Rashid stood at the edge of a dune, watching the horizon for signs of a caravan. His tribe had roamed these sands for generations, living by the stars and surviving on ancient wisdom passed from father to son. Salim wore a dark bisht over his white thawb, and his keffiyeh was wrapped tightly against the wind. That day, he had just returned from a three-day journey to scout water sources for the tribe’s camels. His eyes, hardened by sun and sand, held stories of survival, honor, and the fading traditions of nomadic life. As the sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the dunes, Salim whispered a prayer to the wind, knowing that change was coming—railways, borders, and cities were creeping closer. But for now, he remained a sentinel of the old world.