The Rawi revival: How young Saudi storytellers are bringing 2,000 years of desert tales back to life

On a hot September afternoon in Saudi Arabia's AlUla, I stand on the rugged, windswept slopes of Jabal Ikmah, gazing up at clusters of ancient rock art.

Carved over 2,000 years ago, these petroglyphs depict long-forgotten rituals, extinct animals, and lost musical instruments — all of which offer a glimpse into the lives and cultures of the ancient Dadanite and Lihyanite peoples of the Arabian Peninsula.

"I have seen these petroglyphs since I was a small kid," says Wedad Yaseen, my tour guide for the day. "My sisters and I used to play among the ruins here as kids, completely unaware of the ancient people that had once trodden this path. I love bringing their stories to life again," she adds.

Wedad is part of Saudi Arabia's new generation of Rawi storytellers — young women and men reviving one of the region's oldest oral traditions, which was, until recently, on the brink of extinction.

In Arabic, the word "Rawi" refers to a storyteller, narrator or reciter of verse — a figure once central to Arab culture.

For centuries, before the advent of writing, the Alrowah (plural for Rawi) were keepers of history and poetry. They memorised epics, legends and genealogies and passed them from generation to generation, ensuring that knowledge and memories lived on.

In the Bedouin society, storytelling always held an important place. The Alrowah functioned as a living archive, serving as the teacher, the recorder of tribal victories, and the entertainer.

"The aim [of the Alrowah] was never applause," says Fatimah AbuSrair, communications professional based in Riyadh.

"Rather, it was to foster understanding, create a sense of belonging and ensure continuity in the transmission of knowledge."

Stories that come alive

Fatimah is the founder of Bedouin Synergy, a communications consultancy that helps businesses reach Saudi customers through authentic storytelling — a modern nod to the ancient tradition.

In the olden days, every poet had a Rawi who would carry his verses to the tribes by reciting and performing them at markets, majlis gatherings and festivals under the open skies.

Later, as cities grew and oral culture gave way to written chronicles, the Alrowah faded from daily life, their voices replaced by books and, more recently, screens.

However, recent changes have led to a revival of the region's storytelling tradition.

As Saudi Arabia opens its doors to foreign tourists and far-flung destinations like AlUla, Jubbah and Rijal Almaa become accessible, young Rawi tour guides are stepping forward not only to showcase the country's storied history but also to revive a vanishing practice.

At the heart of this movement lies AlUla — a sprawling valley of sandstone cliffs, ancient inscriptions and monumental Nabataean tombs carved into rock — which has now become the epicentre of Saudi Arabia's Rawi revival, despite being a destination discouraged from travelling to in Islam. 

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has launched a community-driven initiative called the Rawi Programme, designed to train locals to become cultural narrators and heritage interpreters.

In an earlier interview with FT Longitude, Dr Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, Vice President of Culture at the RCU, said, "Through the [Rawi] programme, we are not just trying to create jobs for the local community but also ensuring that these people become protectors [and keepers] of AlUla's history."

As part of the collaboration efforts between the RCU and UNESCO, the Alrowah also regularly receives training in modern storytelling methods and has access to various knowledge-sharing platforms, including the flagship UNESCO Story Circles Methodology, which is inspired by indigenous recounting traditions from around the world.

This not only prepares the Alrowah for the current tourism landscape but also encourages cultural awareness and a more inclusive view of heritage interpretation.

The positive impact of the Rawi Programme is evident in the way AlUla's guides lead us through its valleys and rock-carved monuments.

When Wedad speaks, she doesn't just describe the carvings; she brings to life the people who made them — spice and incense merchants halting for the night, shepherds guiding flocks of sheep and men praying to their gods for a good harvest.

"When we look at these petroglyphs, we realise that these people worked hard, celebrated victories and repented for their sins – just like we do now," she says with a smile.

"They were not so different from us, after all."

Fatimah AbuSrair

Fatimah AbuSrair talks about Saudi clothing [Soumya Gayatri]

Fatimah AbuSrair is a Rawi guide [Soumya Gayatri]

History meets modernity 

Beyond AlUla, the ancient practice is making a comeback in other parts of Saudi Arabia as well.

For instance, the annual Rawi Diriyah Competition invites thousands of students to narrate episodes of Saudi history through performance or recitation.

In 2024, over 13,000 students participated in the competition, of which 12 winners were felicitated at At-Turaif District, the restored mudbrick quarter of Diriyah that once served as the birthplace of the Saudi state.

As times are changing, the time-honoured tradition of Rawi storytelling is also undergoing a fundamental shift.

"Storytellers aren't what they once were. They are evolving too," says Fatimah, who enjoys recounting historical anecdotes on her guided tours through Old Riyadh every other Friday.

"Life is faster, and attention spans are shorter, so long evenings have now turned into packs of short digital moments," she says, pointing to the rise of new Rawis on TikTok and Instagram.

Across Saudi Arabia, young storytellers are now turning to podcasts, short films and social media to present historical tales and value-laden anecdotes.

Ancient epics are being retold in engaging reels while folktales are being adapted into animated shorts to reach younger audiences.

While the platforms are modern, the reasoning remains ancient: to keep the story alive and pass it down through generations.

The revival of the Rawi tradition in Saudi Arabia aligns perfectly with Vision 2030, the country's ambitious programme to reimagine its cultural identity, which calls for protecting intangible heritage such as oral traditions, crafts and rituals that risk being forgotten.

This resurgence also mirrors broader revival trends across the Arab world.

From the growing popularity of Morocco's storytelling festivals to the rise of the UAE's unofficial "hakawati" raconteurs, oral tradition is resurfacing as a means to revive an age-old practice that once was the only way elders passed on wisdom and values, while strengthening social bonds and fostering a shared cultural identity.

"My childhood was full of stories," Fatimah recalls with a smile.

"My father, my mother and my grandmother – everyone had a tale to tell. Evenings could stretch on, filled with a single memory about rain, travel or a lesson learnt. Those conversations help me in my job today because they taught me rhythm, patience and the art of ending a story with a lingering thought."

Today, on her walking tours, Fatimah weaves stories that connect people to places and memories to meanings — linking castles to families, trade routes to recipes, poetry to leadership and history to everyday courage.

"I tell stories that you can taste, hear and hold," she says.

"The first sip of Saudi coffee and why the cardamom is always ground fresh. The scent of bukhoor, drifting through a home, preparing to welcome guests. A carved Najdi door telling you who lived behind it. The tale behind a Sadu pattern and the hands that wove it," Fatimah adds. 

"If not for the stories, these would be mere facts bereft of memories, feelings and the strange comfort that comes with age-old wisdom," she concludes softly.

Soumya Gayatri is a freelance travel writer based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, who covers food, culture, and history. Her work has appeared in BBC Travel, Architectural Digest Middle East, Condé Nast Traveller India, Travel + Leisure Asia, Architectural Digest India, Deccan Herald, and The Pioneer, among others

Follow her on Instagram: @storiesbysoumya