Salim bin Kalut (Salah bin Kalut)

Portrait of Wilfred Thesiger (left) standing with Salim bin Kalut (right), one of his travelling companions. Salim bin Kalut (also known as Salah bin Kalut) is a sheikh of the Bayt Imani lineage of Rashid Bedouin. This portrait was taken at Salalah, at the beginning of the party's journey to Al Mukalla.Salim bin Kalut (also known as Salah bin Kalut) first met Wilfred Thesiger's party at Salalah after Thesiger's first crossing of the Empty Quarter, where he joined the party for Thesiger's 1947 journey from Salalah to Al Mukalla. A sheikh of the Bayt Imani lineage of Rashid Bedouin, both Salim bin Kalut and two of his sons, Muhammad bin Kalut and Salim bin Kabina were members of Wilfred Thesiger's travelling party. A third son, Said bin Kabina, also joined Thesiger's 1947 Salalah to Al Mukalla expedition for a short time.

Wilfred Thesiger described Salim bin Kalut as 'a striking person. Short, thickset, and immensely powerful, his body was heavy with old age, so that he moved with difficulty, and rose to his feet only with a laboured effort and after many grunted invocations of the Almighty. His speech, movements, and gestures were very deliberate.... He seldom spoke, but I noticed that when he did no one argued." (1960: 168–9). Salim bin Kalut was an experienced and reliable guide, and had guided Bertram Thomas on his 1930–1 expedition across the Rub' al Khali.

Reference

Wilfred Thesiger, 1960. Arabian Sands, Longmans, Green and Co Ltd: London.

Photographs of Salim bin Kalut