Today, Bedouins from the Bdoul tribe still live inside Petra, in caves just slightly off the tourist drag. They have livestock, but most of their living is made from selling cool drinks and trinkets to tourists. They also offer camel and donkey rides to help get you around the city faster.

Yes, in a limited capacity, Bedouin people still live inside the archaeological site of Petra, though the situation has evolved significantly since the 1980s. Historically, the Bdoul tribe lived within the ancient Nabataean caves for centuries. When Petra was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985, the Jordanian government moved the majority of the families to a purpose-built village nearby called Umm Sayhoun to protect the ruins. However, some families never left, and others return daily to the "caves of their ancestors" to tend to livestock or run small tourism businesses. In 2026, you will still see Bedouin tents tucked into the rocky crevices and children playing near the Royal Tombs. While they are no longer permitted to build permanent new structures inside the park, their presence is a vital part of the site's "living history." These "Last Bedouins of Petra" act as unofficial guardians, guides, and merchants, often inviting travelers into their caves for tea to share stories of a nomadic lifestyle that has existed in the shadow of the Treasury for generations.