Bedouin - Bedouin Tribes and Populations

Bedouin Tribes and Populations

There are a number of Bedouin tribes, but the total population is often difficult to determine, especially as many Bedouin have ceased to lead nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyles. Below is a partial list of Bedouin tribes and their historic place of origin.

• Ababda, tribe in Eastern Egypt, Northeastern Sudan and Eastern Libya.
• al-Abbadi, one of tribes in Jordan.
• al-Ajman, from Eastern Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states.
• `Anizzah, some tribes of this confederation are Bedouin, they live in Northern Saudi Arabia, Western Iraq, the Persian Gulf states, and the Syrian steppe.
• al-Awazem, mostly located in Kuwait, with a small section in Northeastern Saudi Arabia.
• 'Azazme, Negev and Egypt.
• al-Balawi, a powerful tribe that lives in Northern Saudi Arabia, Southern Jordan and Israel, Egyptian Sinai, Western Iraq.
• al-Baggara, from Syria and Iraq.
• Bani Hajer (al-Hajri or al-Hajeri), a large and powerful tribe in Saudi Arabia and Eastern Persian Gulf states.
• Beni Hamida, east of Dead Sea, Jordan.
• Banu Hothail, one of the largest Adnanite Arab tribes.
• Bani Kinanah, a large tribe spanning Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco and other countries.
• Quraysh, a large clan of Bani Kinanah tribe, prophet Muhammad belongs to this tribe.
• Bani Khalid, a large tribe spanning Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Jordan.
• Bani Okal or Bani Uqayl, they reside mainly in the area between Riyadh and Al Qaseem in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Gaza strip, and Iraq.
• Bani Rasheed Rashaida in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Jordan, Lebanon, Persian Gulf States and North Africa.
• Bani Truf in Ahwaz, which is located in the Southwest Iran near Iraqi border.
• Bani Tameem in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan, and Palestinian Territories.
• Bani Arak or al-Araki or al-Bo Araki, as known in Bahrain and Kuwait, is a rather small tribe that originates from Yemen but is now a minority in the country; currently the tribe is found in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Sudan and Egypt. The tribe is of Qahatani origin and a sub-tribe of the ancient well-known tribe Juhayna.
• Banu Yam centered in Najran Province, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, they descend from the famous ancient tribe of al-Ta'ai, famously known for their generosity.
• alatwy a tribe (also known as Beni Ateyah), live in north-western part of Saudi Arabia, Tabuk province and Western Iraq.
• Beni Ḥassān, one of the largest tribes in Jordan.
• Beni Sakhr in Sudan (Shokriya), Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Syria and Jordan.
• al Buainain live in the Western Persian Gulf states, especially in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.
• al Bu Romaih reside in Qatar.
• al-Da'ajah, Bedouin of Balqawi Amman confederation in Jordan.
• Dulaim, a very large and powerful tribe in Al Anbar, Western Iraq.
• al-Duwasir, south of Riyadh, and Kuwait.
• Ghamid, large tribe from Al-Bahah Province, Saudi Arabia, mostly settled, but with a small Bedouin section known as Badiyat Ghamid.
• al-Hadid, large Bedouin tribe found in Iraq, Syria and Jordan. Now mostly are settled in cities such as Haditha in Iraq, Homs & Hama in Syria, and Amman in Jordan.
• al-Hajajj, one of the tribes in Jordan.
• al-Hajaya, one of the largest tribes in Jordan (al-Qatarneh, and al-Hasa).
• Harb, a large tribe, centered around Medina, but also extending northwards towards Tabuk and eastwards towards Al-Qassim.
• Hareeb 100 Miles south of Marib in Yemen.
• al-Howaitat, one of the largest tribes in Jordan (al-Hesa).
• al-Khassawneh, one of the largest tribes in Northern Irbid Jordan and well known for the long history dominating the North.
• Ja'alin tribe found in north Sudan; they are Hashemite Arab tribe tracing their origin to ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib.
• al Jalahma, a family that belongs to the Utub tribe, they reside in the Persian Gulf states.
• Juhayna (tribe), a large tribe; many of its warriors were recruited as mercenaries during World War I by Prince Faisal, surrounds the area of Mecca, and extends to Southern Medina and can also be found in Sudan as the biggest Qahtani tribe.
• al-Magableh One of the largest tribes in Jordan and well known for the long history dominating the north.
• Khawalid in Jordan, Israel, Egypt and Syria.
• al-Majali South Jordan Majalis have long dominated Karak Bedouin society, Strongest tribe in Karak, one of the largest political power in Jordan
• Makki tribes from Banu Abdul Qays; they live in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Sudan and Oman.
• Manasir, a large tribe found in the Persian Gulf region and Eastern Sudan.
• al-Mawasi, a group living on the central Gaza Strip coast.
• al-Massaed, tribe found in Jordan.
• al-Matheel, also spelled Mathil, a prominent Yemeni tribe based in the Damt region of Yemen, most have spread to the capital Sana'a.
• al-Murrah, tribe residing in Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Upper Egypt.
• Murad, a tribe living 150 miles south-east of the capital of Yemen.
• Mutair, estimated at about 1,200,000 members; live in the Nejd plateau; many families from the Mutair tribe live in the Persian Gulf states (especially Kuwait) and in Iraq.
• Muzziena tribe in Dahab and South Sinai (Egypt).
• al Nuaim a large tribe in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Jordan (Noaymat), Palestine, Sudan (Noaymayen), United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain.
• al-Rashaydah, a large tribe, originally centered around Medina, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait but also extending in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Eritrea, and Mali.
• Riyalat, it now resides in Sult, Jordan.
• Rwala, a large clan from the Aniza tribe, live in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, but extend through Jordan into Syria and Lebanon, in the 1970s, according to Lancaster, there were 250,000–500,000 Rwala.
• al-Salaita, an ancient tribe in Jordan.
• Shahran (al-Ariydhah), a very large tribe residing in the area between Bisha, Khamis Mushait and Abha. Al-Arydhah 'wide' is a famous name for Shahran because it has a very large area, in Saudi Arabia.
• Shaigiya, a tribe found in the north of Sudan; they share the same origin with the Ja'alin, a Rubatab tribe.
• Shammar, one of the biggest Arab tribes with 3 million members in Iraq, mainly in central and western Iraq and 1.5 million members in Saudi Arabia, and a presence in eastern Syria, Jordan and Lebanon as well.
• Subay', central Nejd, and Kuwait.
• Swellat, a large Bedouin tribe found in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria.
• Tarabin - one of the largest tribes in Egypt (Sinai) and Israel (Negev). They include many families like al-Sanea'.
• Tuba-Zangariyye, Israel near Syria.
• Ubeidah, 150 miles west of the capital of Yemen.
• Ummur, tribe of around 1,200 persons near Palmyra, Syria.
• Utaybah large tribe in western and central Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
• Yahia, a group from Morocco of about 96,000 people.
• Zaab, a small tribe, live with the al-Ajman, in eastern Saudi Arabia.
• Zahranites or the zahrani community in al Baha, Saudi Arabia, is (Arabic: زهران‎) a Bedouin tribe. Along with other Arabian tribes, it is regarded to be of the very few original inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula. The Zahrani are regarded to be one of the five largest tribes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, along with Ghamid, Shahran, and Qahtan.
• Al-Zinati, the Bedouin of Northern Jordan Valley.