Al Sadu is the best-known: wool spun by hand on a drop spindle, dyed with plants such as henna and saffron, and woven on a floor loom into geometric bands of black, white, brown, beige and red. It made the bait al-shaar tent and the ataad, the bright saddles and straps of the camel. The weaving was social, too. Women worked in groups, trading news and reciting poetry, and UNESCO added Sadu to its urgent safeguarding list in 2011.

Two more crafts sit alongside it: Talli, fine braids of silver and gold thread sewn onto the collars and cuffs of women's garments, also recognised by UNESCO, and khoos, palm fronds dried and plaited into baskets, mats and food covers. Khoos is the easiest to try yourself in a single workshop, and you can watch all three at the House of Artisans.

Buy from the makers where you can: the House of Artisans shop sells work by the craftswomen you'll see weaving. In the souks, ask who made a piece and where. Hand-woven Sadu has slight irregularities machine copies don't, and a khoos basket should smell faintly of palm. If a price seems too good for handwork, it probably isn't handwork.