Omani herders face lockdown trouble as they fatten camels for Eid

Tradition of night-time grazing has led to disagreements with police over Covid-19 curfew

Herders in Oman try to fatten up their camels as much as possible before selling them for Eid. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Salim Al Khalili's family have been camel herders for generations, but this Ramadan he is facing a new problem as he tries to fatten up his animals for Eid: Oman's coronavirus curfew.

Camel herders in Oman follow a tradition of setting their livestock free in oases to graze all night so that they fetch better prices from shoppers preparing Eid feasts.

"Police try to stop me from doing it. They say it is a violation of Covid-19 to let animals out during the lockdown time, though I am not out with them at that time," said Mr Al Khalili, 56.

He said he asked police to clarify what rule he breached by allowing his camels to graze at night. He did not receive a response and continues to let his animals out.

Said Al Hilali, 36, takes his eight camels out to graze in his lorry, dropping them off one hour before lockdown in an oasis of thorny trees and shrubs just next to a road in Al Hail, a green area in Muscat. He picks them up at 6am.

Mr Al Hilali said he was stopped twice by the police as he was returning home after the start of the 9pm to 4am curfew. He got a warning both times, but says he not give up a tradition practised by his forefathers.

“It is a tradition that we always feed our camels the whole night every day during the month of Ramadan, to fatten them and get them ready for customers for the Eid meals. I will not stop it because I see myself as a traditional service provider for an important religious occasion like Eid,” Mr Al Hilali said.

A spokesman for Oman's coronavirus infections control committee said that while there were no rules against the animals being let out at night, the herders would need a permit to be outside during lockdown hours.

“The lockdown law does not cover animals, domesticated or wild, only humans,” the spokesman said.

A police spokesman confirmed the rule to The National when asked about camel herders being stopped.

“The camel breeder did not have a permit to allow him to be out during the lockdown hours. Obviously he needs to apply for it from the office of the Covid committee,” he said.

Keen to fatten up their livestock during Ramadan, Omani herders graze their animals closer to urban areas, where there is more vegetation, instead of out in the desert. But to avoid the animals being startled by the noise of traffic, they do so at night.

An average camel weighs between 400 and 600 kilograms. A live camel can fetch between 500 rials ($1,250) and 700 rials, while their meat sells for between 6 rials and 8 rials a kilogram.

"Our customers want to buy only fat camels. They prod them to make sure of that. That's the reason why we herders have a tradition of feeding them up non-stop during the Ramadan month, to get good prices for them," said camel herder Ahmed Al Subhi, 42.

Live camels are sold in the habta – traditional markets set up in the souqs of every major town in Oman during the last week of Ramadan. They sell other foods as well, including fruits, vegetables, rice, dates, fish and sweets.

Oman on Thursday reported 1,508 cases of infection and 16 deaths, raining the total number of cases in the sultanate to 185,278 and the death toll to 1,942.

The number of cases being treated in hospitals rose by 107 to 822, of whom 266 were in intensive care.

Omani health officials do not update figures at the weekends.