Tents are pitched in an east-west line in order to avoid the direct rays of the sun. To raise the tent, the women spread the roof out on the ground and stretch it by tightening the lines attached to the stakes before they hoist the poles. The sides are pegged to the ground. In the men's area, guests are received around the hearth where the host prepares coffee on the fire. This is the center of the Bedouin's social life.
Coffee represents the generous hospitality of the host.
Fresh roasted beans are crushed with a brass mortar and pestle. The men pass the evening trading news and discussing their animals. Separated from them by a curtain, the women gather in the family area and kitchen along with their small children to bake bread and prepare the main meal. A dinner of rice and chunks of mutton or lamb are then served to the gathered guests. Even in a tent in the middle of the desert, Arabian hospitality includes the burning of incense and the offering of coffee to guests.