The Petra communities with the closest connection to the Petra Archaeological Park are the Bdul, Liyathna and Ammarin. Two other communities, Al Rafai’ah, and Al Saeediyeen also inhabit the Petra Region.

The Bdul
The Bdul are a semi nomadic tribe of 2000 persons who once lived inside the present day Petra Archaeological Park. Since their existence, they have cultivated cereals and vegetables and herded goats. Traditionally they have lived in tents during the warmer months of the year and inhabited Nabataean tombs during the winter.

The Bdul are composed of five primary clans: the Al-Faqarah, Al-Jamadah, Muwasah, Samahin, and Al Jdilat. Each of the clans has a sheikh or tribal elder. The clans are led by the mukhtar or head man.

In the 1960s, the Bdul of Petra were asked to relocate out of the Park. Aside from the ecological damage caused by their flocks, there was a desire to minimize the interaction between tribesmen and tourists. During 1985-1987, the Bdul moved to the newly created village of Umm Sayhoun.

After the move, the Bdul did not completely stop their traditional ways of life. People still moved with their flocks during the summer and spring months. While Umm Sayhoun allowed for better access to health care and education, the Bdul had limited agricultural and grazing land for their livestock. On a social level, few active organizations exist in Umm Sayhoun, while unemployment, limited jobs, and a high illiteracy rate are present. The Bdul of Petra have transitioned largely from land-based lifestyle to working in all facets of the local tourism industry. Indeed, tourism appears the primary means of earning a living for future generations.

The Liyathna
The Liyathna, a sedentary tribe of more than 20,000 persons, lives in the town of Wadi Musa, which neighbours the Petra Archaeological Park. They used to live inside the caves of Petra from the beginning of the last century until the 1960s, particularly in winter. Traditionally, they have cultivated fruit trees, olives, grapes, vegetables and cereals. They possessed goats, sheep and horses.

The Liyathna claim ancestry from Layth ibn Aswad of the Quda’a. Some also claim descent from the Nabataeans. The Liyathna of Wadi Musa are divided into four subtribes: Al-‘Alaya, Bani ‘Ata, Al-‘Ubaydia, and Al-Shrur.

Inhabitants of Wadi Musa are known for their devotion towards Islam. Few women worked outside of the home in the past, and this practice continues to an extent today.

Education is important to the inhabitants of Wadi Musa. In the 1980s, more than 60 percent of the town’s students passed the Tawjihi (the national high school exam). This rate was one of the highest in Jordan. Its young people had comparatively strong English skills and have worked in the excavation sites throughout Jordan.

When tourism came to Petra, the Liyathna were well positioned to reap its benefits. The town they largely inhabited, Wadi Musa, is strategically located next to Petra, and thus facilitated their work with archaeologists. To date, the Liyathna have also benefited from the number of registered horses that they own and operate within the site as well as from their command of the local hotel industry.

The Ammarin
The Ammarins have lived in Beidha, near Petra for a long time. The Ammarin tribe consists of six branches: Eyal Awwad, al-Shousheh, Eyal Hameed, al-Gmour, al-Hasaseen, and al-Bakhaiteh.
 
The Ammarin claim descent from two brothers of Bani Atiyeh; both brothers were traders. This semi-nomadic tribe were living inside the Park and were moved by the government in the 1980s outside the Park; they settled in Iskan Al Ammarin. They work in tourism and are familiar with the area.

Al Saeediyeen
Al Saeediyeen, a community that lives in the Petra Region, inhabits present day Dlagah and Wadi Araba.

Community-based organizations in Petra

Al Rawahel Owners Association (Horse Owners Society)
This association operates a transport service for tourists on a pre-defined track under the auspices of a society that has yet to register officially. The society comprises horse owners holding registration numbers for approximately 353 horses.

Beidha Tourism and Archaeological Cooperative Society (Ammarin)
This 125 male and female member society represents the Bedouin Ammarin tribe that lives near the Petra Archeological Park. It owns and operates a successful Bedouin campsite in a captivating natural setting known as Al Baidah, or Little Petra. The cooperative offers trekking and caravan excursions in the area. The Ammarin village houses approximately 1000 inhabitants who derive their income mainly from herding and tourism. The cooperative is working with the Ministry of Planning to develop its capacity to produce handicrafts. It will also working to provide tourists with better access to traditional crafts and information about trails and activities available in the area.

Beit Al-Anbat Society, Wadi Musa
The Beit Al-Anbat Society, based in Wadi Musa, celebrates a national membership base. Registered with the Ministry of Culture since 1997, it is active in the field of knowledge development and issues pertaining to Nabataean history. Beit Al-Anbat comprises academics, tourism professionals, guides, journalists and individuals interested in Nabataean history and culture. Beit Al-Anbat Society recently received a grant from the Ministry of Culture to create embroidered apparel based on Nabataean designs and patterns. The society is working to strengthen its design, marketing and production capacity of its products in order to broaden its reach beyond Wadi Musa to the rest of Jordan. The society aims to begin a handicraft project that will create employment and income generation opportunities initially for up to 10 women.

Nabataean Ladies Cooperative Of Wadi Musa
This 40-member women’s cooperative was established in 1999 and focuses on the production and sale of silver artifacts to wholesalers and tourists through their modest retail outlet on the main tourism street. Twenty women are employed in this workshop. In a project, co-funded by the Jordanian Ministry of Planning/Qudorat program, the Nabataean Ladies Cooperative aims to improve its capacity to design, produce and market high quality products. The cooperative's products reflect the rich cultural heritage of the area.

Petra Special Needs Society, Wadi Musa
This Society attempts to provide social and academic support to children 16 and under with special needs. The Society also arranges vocational training for children and has recently introduced a handicrafts section for the production of traditional weaving, textiles, embroidery and other products. It is currently working to strengthen and diversify its designs, production technique, and marketing. It also aims to improve income generating opportunities from tourism for its members.

Taybeh Women Cooperative, Taybeh
The 50-member Taybeh Women Cooperative was established in 2005 to enhance the quality of life for women and their families in the Wadi Musa/Taybeh area through the production of handmade pottery products modeled after ancient Nabataean designs. The cooperative owns a retail outlet that is strategically located on the main road. While six women currently work in the workshop, the cooperative seeks to increase employment opportunities for the local community. A project co-funded by the Ministry of Planning/ Qudorat Program aims to expand the total number of employed persons to 16. The cooperative expects to improve its sales and marketing capacity while also enhancing its product design, production, and packaging procedures. It aims to deliver tourism experiences and products to be marketed and sold to souvenir outlets, both at a local and national level.

Petra Local Tour Guides Cooperative Society
Approximately 50 local tour guides from Wadi Musa and neighboring areas are in the process of registering a cooperative to improve income generating opportunities for its members through the acquisition and enhancement of guiding skills, specifically in the areas of interpretation and languages. The new entity will also help market their services local and nationally. In addition, the society seeks to represent their members’ interests to official tour guiding associations, tour operators, and other tourism services providers in Petra.

Umm Sayhoun Women Tourism Cooperative (Al-Khazneh)
The Umm Sayhoun Women Tourism Cooperative (Al-Khazneh) was founded in November 2007. It aims to bring together Bdul women of all ages and educational backgrounds who live in the village. The organization endeavors to create alternative livelihood projects, such as handicraft production, for its 40 members.

Umm Sayhoun Mens Tourism Cooperative (Al-Khazneh)
The Umm Sayhoun Mens Tourism Cooperative (Al-Khazneh) seeks to locate alternative sources of income for its community and anages various tourism activities for this purpose.

Wadi Musa Society
The Wadi Musa Society was established in September 1964 and is registered with the Ministry of Social Development. It aims to provide voluntary services for the local community, alleviate poverty, and create new and sustainable job opportunities for locals. A Ministry of Planning funded project provided the society with land and infrastructure to create a Bedouin style amusement park to serve local and regional tourists.

Other associations are:

• Al Anbat Ladies Association
• Al Bint Castle Tourism Association
• Al Deba’a Ladies Association
• General Eastern Antiques Tourism Association
• Military Retirees Association
• Palestine Association
• Petra Gate Tourism Association
• Petra Hotel Association
• Voice Of Peace Cooperative Association