The agricultural work is primarily done by the men. Most land is held as private property by individuals and can be bought and sold. Water rights are very important. The Siwa do not keep camels, although they are used in the caravan trade. Native domestic animals include cattle, goats, donkeys, dogs, and a few sheep.
Milk is an important element in their diet, as is the butter made from the milk.
They are Muslims, and according to Islamic law inheritances are traced through the males. Wealth distinctions are very important to the Siwa. Servants make up the lower class of society. Marriage with first cousins is common. A tradition among the Siwa is that a bride, dressed in her finest clothes and with her hair plaited in forty braids, is led to the village pool on the eve of her wedding.