"May this avenging Dagger of Al-lah give me the strength to smite mine enemies!"

We all twist around when we hear a blood curdling scream. Leaping down off the rocks is Walid. He's got the knife in one hand. The blade is out and it winks silver in the sunlight as he holds it in front of him like a dagger.

"Boy am I pleased to see you," I yell at him and he flashes me his monkey grin and yells something.  

Adam and Walid are unlikely friends. They come from different lives and they can't even speak the same language but a common danger and the need for survival in one of the world's harshest regions, the Empty Quarter of Arabia, means they have to learn to cooperate or they will die.  

WHY I WROTE CAMEL RIDER

The idea for writing Camel Rider started as a dream one summer when I was living in Dubai. My dream was about an Australian boy who was lost in the desert after he ran away to rescue his dog. I dreamed he met someone who saved him and who also taught him a lot about Middle Eastern culture. The problem was I didn’t remember who it was the boy met.
A few days later, I read a newspaper article about a camel jockey who was dumped in the desert. As I read it, I looked out the window into the compound where we lived and saw all the kids playing in the pool. It was hard to believe that less than ten kilometres miles away there were these terrible camps with children being kept as slaves to ride camels in races. It was as if there were two different worlds living side by side. I began to wonder what would happen if these two worlds met each other. I wondered even how they could meet and it was at that moment when I realized then the camel boy needed to be the second character in my story. Finally, I had a way to write about the plight of camel riders.   

Arabic Greetings

First person: Salaam Alakum –     Peace be upon you

Second person: Alaykum Salaam -  On you be peace also

First person: Marhaba. Kayf Haalek. – Hello. How are you?

Second person: Zayn. Kayf Haalek. Fine. How are you?

First person: Al hamdu lillah! –  I’m great.

Second person: Anna Farhan –  I’m glad

First person: Atamannaa lak khulli kheer -  I wish you all the best

Second person: Shukran – thank you

First person: Arfwan. Maasalama –  you’re welcome. Goodbye.

Second person: Maasalama  - goodbye

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