Given the rapid socioeconomic change in the Gulf, it is difficult in Qatar to find individuals who still have knowledge of past time-telling and folk astronomy. Much of what informants say is something they have learned from reading an almanac or else is very superficial. But there is a whole new resource that I had not realized: individual websites of older men who have preserved traditional knowledge. A Google search in Arabic has resulted in many of these sites. Most are from Saudi Arabia (especially Najd) and Kuwait.

Here is an example: http://www.mekshat.com/vb/showthread.php?534192-%C7%E1%CA%DE%E6%ED%E3-%C7%E1%DD%E1%DF%ED%A1%DD%D5%E6%E1-%C7%E1%D3%E4%C9%A1%E3%E6%C7%DE%ED%CA-%C7%E1%C3%E4%E6%C7%C1-%E6%C7%E1%E4%CC%E6%E3%A1%E3%E6%C7%DA%ED%CF-%C7%E1%D2%D1%C7%DA%C9%A1%E5%CC%D1%C9-%C7%E1%D8%ED%E6%D1

The problem with some sites, like the one above, is that there is no specific author and I have noted that some information is copied over and over. So one needs special tools to make sense of what is available on the web. In some cases follow-up by e-mail is possible.

This website documents the results of a Qatar Foundation National Priority Research Program Grant (NPRP8-992-5-133) entitled “Intangible Heritage of Seasonal Navigation and Time Telling in the Arab Gulf ,” conducted in 2016-2017. The Lead Principal Investigator (LPI) is Dr. Daniel Martin Varisco (Qatar University), assisted by Dr. Roxani Margariti (Emory University), Dr. Andre Gingrich (University of Vienna), Dr. Ali al-Shawi (Qatar University), with Dr. Saad Sowayan and Dr. Harriet Nash as consultants.

Main Website: http://tabsir.net/?page_id=2903