Sadu Transformation by Gevi Noviyanti

Public Project

Sadu Transformation

Copyright Gevi Noviyanti 2024

Updated Apr 2024

Location Qatar

Topics Bedouin, Community, Culture, Culture stories, Documentary, History, Journalism, Lifestyle, Middle East, Minority, Nature, Personal Projects, Photography, Photojournalism, Portraiture, Sustainability, Travel, Women, Womens Rights

Caring for Sadu is like caring for a memory. Bedouin women hold onto the past through the oral and generational teachings of patterns, motifs, and weaving techniques, known only to women. Sadu, or Al-Sadu, is a traditional weaving craft practiced by Bedouin women. In the past, it was primarily used to make tents for shelter in the desert. Sadu provided protection against the scorching sun and winter winds. Women took care of all the weaving work to create the tents (homes), while men were outside hunting. Today, Sadu is no longer a primary need for the Bedouin tribe. Unlike in the past, women who used to stay at home with no jobs now have permanent homes, and Sadu has become a medium of expression for Bedouin women.

The younger generation, however, is facing a crisis in the regeneration of Sadu weavers. The youth are no longer interested in continuing the work of their mothers, grandmothers, or even great-grandmothers. Young women in Qatar today prefer pursuing higher education and definite career paths rather than engaging in Sadu weaving. Besides the challenging weaving techniques, creating a piece of Sadu takes a considerable amount of time, ranging from one to three years. This is because all the raw materials used are sustainable products. The dyes come from plants, and the threads are woven from the wool of sheep or camels raised by the family.

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Gevi Noviyanti

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