Desert horsemen keep the peace

 

As the sun sets over the sandy hills of the mighty Al Awafi desert, a group of horsemen start making their way silently through the dunes in search of troublemakers and outlaws who may have taken refuge in the desert. Each emirate has a horse patrol division to monitor areas outside cities that are hard to reach by car. Not armed just carrying cellphones and walkie-talkies so they can communicate with each other, the horsemen never mix in with people; they stand close to farms and fenced-up campus areas listening for any signs of trouble. Most of the horsemen are from India. They go out in groups of six or eight, then pair off and patrol in different directions into the wide desert. They try to cover as much ground as possible. They patrol regularly throughout the year; each pair of horsemen works a four-hour shift.