Sometimes tents are mere shelters, specially during migrations. If the group wants to move on quickly, or if the herders want short-term shelter, a smaller piece is easier to put up than a whole tent. Styles Tents are adapted to the climates in which they are used. In the warmer parts of southern Arabia, the fronts of tents are open. They can be closed with extensions of dividing curtains or other spare pieces of tent fabric if the weather is cold, windy or rainy, or if there is a sandstorm.
Tent design varies by tribe and by region.
In northern Arabia, tents of the Shammar tribe are closed on all sides during cold weather, with openings at the corners. At the end of the tent used for entertaining, a sort of alcove is created. The exterior is tensioned with ropes and pulleys that are more elaborate than the usual tensioning ropes used to anchor a tent.