Omar is the heartbeat of the desert, a driver and guide for Sahara Serenity Tours whose life began amid the golden dunes of Merzouga’s Erg Chebbi. Born in a small Berber encampment under a sky ablaze with stars, Omar grew up racing barefoot across the sands, learning to track the desert’s moods—when the wind signals a storm or when a dune’s curve hides an oasis. Raised in a nomadic family, he absorbed the Sahara’s rhythms: how to guide camels through blinding sandstorms, brew mint tea that tastes like home, and read the constellations like a Bedouin map.
Unlike many, Omar didn’t chase city lights early on. Instead, he stayed in the desert, apprenticing with caravan traders and mastering the art of survival in Morocco’s harshest landscapes. In his late teens, a chance encounter with travelers in Merzouga sparked his passion for sharing the Sahara’s magic. He taught himself English, bit of French, and Spanish alongside his native Arabic and Berber (Tamazight), and by 2017, he joined Sahara Serenity Tours as a driver-guide, quickly becoming a guest favorite for his quiet humor and desert wisdom.
With over 80 tours under his belt, Omar’s intuition for the perfect route and pacing is unmatched. Off-duty, he’s a mentor to Merzouga’s youth, teaching them desert navigation, and a supporter of local sustainability, partnering with cooperatives to protect Erg Chebbi’s ecosystem and promote Berber women’s crafts. His motto? “The desert is a teacher; every step is a lesson.”
Fun fact: Omar claims he can find water in the Sahara by listening to the sand—dare him to prove it!
