Their diet basically consists of wheat bread and porridge made with boiled meat or chicken. Despite Islamic teachings, the reality that there are different classes of Arabs still persists. The type of clothing worn has become one of the determining factors. Yemeni tribesmen dress differently than other villagers and can be easily recognized. The women wear veils both in town and at home.
Boys show that they are becoming men by changing their headgear and wearing daggers.
Yemeni Arab society is patrilineal, which means that inheritances are passed down through the males. Since children are considered a family's greatest asset, females are valued for their ability to bear children. In spite of the fact that Muslims are allowed to have up to four wives, most marriages among the Yemeni Arab are monogamous. Young girls are considered ready for marriage by age nine. In recent years, many of the nomads of Yemen have settled into mountain villages where they now raise grains, vegetables, coffee, melons, dates, mangoes, and pomegranates.