Harvesting dates from a palmerie in Umm Dabah oasis, some 26 km west of El Oued. This is one of the few palmeries that still functions in the traditional way, as it has not been affected by waste water pollution that has damaged other oases in the Souf region of El Oued. Seen here are Fadhaisa Hamed (in yellow jacket) and Abeidi Rachid (cutting date clusters and wearing jeans). This kind of excavated palmerie is known as a "Ghout" (pronounced "Rhout") and the palms were planted at the bottom so that their roots could reach the shallow ground water. The dates being harvested here are "Deglet Noor" variety, and are sold both domestically and exported to Europe, Mali, and Niger.
