From Saudi Memory: The Story of the “Year of Bones” That Struck Northern Saudi Arabia — And What King Saud Did
In the sixth episode of “Saudi Memory”, we read the story of a mother who died of hunger so that her children might eat, along with other accounts from the tragedy of the “Year of Bones” (Sanat al‑‘Adhamiyyah), which swept across northern Saudi Arabia in the 1370s AH. Researcher of Saudi history Abdullah Al‑Omrani recounts what happened in 1374 AH, when northern Saudi Arabia was struck by severe drought, which intensified further in 1379 AH.
Al‑Omrani explains:
Northern Saudi Arabia—specifically the Northern Borders Region, Al‑Jouf, and Tabuk—was hit by a prolonged drought that lasted seven consecutive years. Pastures dried up, and Bedouin communities began moving from place to place in search of survival. Hunger, exhaustion, and thirst overwhelmed camels and sheep, which began collapsing and dying in large numbers.
He adds:
In 1379 AH, after the drought reached its peak, King Saud—may God have mercy on him—sent aid convoys to the Bedouin tribes of the north. A large number of trucks loaded with food and clothing were dispatched, and the northern Bedouins came to call this relief effort “Saud’s Charity.” The King also assigned former Minister of Agriculture Abdullah Al‑Dabbagh—may God have mercy on him— to lead a delegation of agricultural and livestock experts to assess the conditions of the northern Bedouins in 1380 AH.
Al‑Omrani continues:
Mr. Ali Al‑Izzat, Director of Agricultural Guidance at the time and a member of the delegation, recounts:
“Despair hung over the Bedouins. At night, it was difficult for us even to locate their tents, for they would not light fires—they had nothing with which to ignite them, nor the strength to search for firewood.”
He adds:
The Governor of Al‑Qurayyat at the time, Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al‑Sudairi, described how the Bedouins received the relief supplies:
“The aid distribution committee approached one of the encampments at sunset, with trucks carrying provisions behind us. As we arrived, heads peeked out from the tents, unable to stand and greet us. When they realized we carried aid from King Saud, they pleaded for immediate distribution. Given their condition, we could not wait until morning.
We began distributing the supplies at night. Soon, fires were lit in the tents, and within hours the entire Wadi Al‑Sirhan was glowing with light. Children gathered around the pots, eagerly waiting for the food to cook.”
Prince Al‑Sudairi continues, describing the Bedouins’ joy as they slept with full stomachs for the first time in years:
“By God, without this aid, they would have died of hunger. A man would abandon his camel to die of starvation.
The Ministry of Agriculture delegation met a Bedouin in Arar leading five emaciated camels, their skin clinging to their bones. He said they were all that remained of his herd of eighty. Pointing to a camel that had collapsed from exhaustion, he said:
‘I must leave her to die of hunger so I can reach the spring pastures with the rest before they perish.’”
A Rooster for 10 Riyals, a Camel for 4
Some Bedouins recount that a man once took a rooster to the Tayma market and sold it for 10 riyals, then bought two camels for 8 riyals, keeping 2 riyals for himself. People were forced to sell their starving livestock for almost nothing, as they had no feed to keep them alive.
Borrowing a Measure of Rice to Feed Guests
No livestock remained to graze the land, and the drought left the Bedouins with nothing. When the inter‑ministerial committee visited the north, they were shocked by the harsh reality. They met tribal elders once known for their wealth and large herds.
One elder from Al‑Nabk Abu Qasr said, his voice choking:
“People of Al‑Nabk, you all know me and what I once owned. I swear by God, two guests came to me two days ago, and I had nothing to feed them. A government employee from Al‑Nabk lent me a measure of rice, which I cooked to feed them.”
Another man from Dumat Al‑Jandal stood and said:
“You know me. I once had three herds of camels besides sheep. I settled in Dumat Al‑Jandal, and my family and I lived off its people’s generosity. I was forced to beg. Even the clothes I wear were given to me by this man,”
pointing to a resident of Dumat Al‑Jandal.
He continued:
“We burdened the people of Dumat until we impoverished them without enriching ourselves. Many times, I thought of fleeing from my children. I rose in the middle of the night intending to leave them, but my faith in God held me back, believing relief would come one day. Praise be to God you have arrived—tell this to Saud.”
A Mother Who Starved Herself to Feed Her Children
Among the tragedies of that year was the story of a woman found dead near Tayma. They discovered she had tied a belt tightly around her stomach until it pressed her abdomen against her back. She had been begging for food, giving everything she collected to her children and eating nothing herself. Day after day, she tightened the belt to suppress her hunger—until she finally died of starvation.
The Year of Bones
By God’s grace, and through King Saud’s aid to the northern Bedouins, countless lives were saved from starvation. The year 1379 AH came to be known as “Sanat al‑‘Adhamiyyah” (The Year of Bones) due to the vast number of animal skeletons scattered across the desert.
After the Minister of Agriculture completed his mission, the government launched the Northern Bedouin Rehabilitation Project in 1381 AH, aimed at encouraging Bedouins to transition into agricultural work.