Dr Sam DeCanio, a senior lecturer in political economy, has been awarded the Thesiger-Oman International Fellowship by the Royal Geographical Society with IBG.

Dr DeCanio and Filwa Aldughaither, a student with the Department of Political Economy, will be conducting interviews with Bedouin people in Saudi Arabia’s ‘Empty Quarter’ as part of efforts to create an archive of information about nomadic culture.

The project will seek to document Bedouin culture both to further academic study and create a significant public resource. The project relies upon Saudi citizens to interview Bedouin about their daily lives, customs, tribal structures, and their relationship with modern technology.

The project will also record Bedouin reciting their favourite poems and asking them about their meaning, offering insight into a rich oral heritage.

The Thesiger-Oman International Fellowship supports geographical research in the physical or human dimensions of arid and semi-arid environments.

You can find out more about the fellowship here.