The Bedoul story is not just about displacement; it’s about belonging. Petra’s red cliffs may belong to the world, but they also belong to the families who once called its caves home. Their “violations” or “tourist traps” are signs of exclusion — of a community that was never truly included in its own tourism system.
As Salameh (2022) wrote, Petra’s problem “is not the people but the policies.” Real community-based tourism could change that, turning local knowledge into leadership instead of conflict.
The future of Petra should not only preserve stones; it should protect the living culture that gives those stones meaning.
