Saudi Arabia Tribes and Clans

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Saudi Arabia

Tribes and Clans

The following published works include information useful for tracing Saudi tribal lineages. These works include lineages, tribal history, biographies of prominent individuals, poetry, or encyclopedic entries of tribes and their sub-divisions.

Resources

Online Resources

• The Al Mufiz Family: A Family of Distinction and Leadership in the Sudayr Region of the Najd (in Arabic), by Sa'id bin Shuwaysh al-'Awadi al-'Inzi. 2024. Online at: Archive.org.

• أسرة آل مُفيز بيت أمارة ورئاسة بإقليم سدير في منطقة النجد، سعيد بن شويش العوادي العنزي. 2024.

• The Political History of the Beni 'Abdullah in the Hijaz from 1300 to 1344 AH (in Arabic), by Majid bin Rizq Allah al-Shalahi. 2022. Online at: Archive.org; 1300-1344 AH (hijri) corresponds to 1882-1925 AD.
  • تاريخ بني عبد الله السياسي في الحجازمن سنة 1300 هـ - إلى سنة 1344 هـ، ماجد بن رزق الله الشلاحي. 2022.
• The Shammar Tribe in the Writings of Arabs and Orientalists (in Arabic), by Nayif bin Matliq al-Sunaydih al-Shammari. Beirut: The Arabic House of Encyclopedias, 2013. Online at: Archive.org.

• قبيلة شمّرفي كتابات العرب والمستشرقين، نايف بن مطلق الصنيدح الشمري. بيروت: الدار العربية للموسوعات, 2013

• Banu Huthayl (in Arabic), by Dr. 'Abdullah bin Su'af al-Lahyani. 'Amman: The Treasures of Scientific Knowledge House, 2012. Online at: Archive.org.
  • بنو هذيل، الدكتور عبد الله بن سعاف اللحياني. عمان: دار كنوز المعرفة العلمية للنشر والتوزيع، 2012.
• Dictionary of Ancient and Modern Arab Tribes (in Arabic). Omar Reda Kahala. Damascus, Syria: Al-Risala Publishers Foundation, 2011. Online at: Archive.org
  • معجم قبائل العرب القديمة والحديثة. عمر رضا كحالة. دمشق سوريا: مؤسسة الرسالة ناشرون, ٢٠١١
• The Genealogy of Ma'ad and Greater Yemen (in Arabic). Abu al-Mundhir Hisham bin Muhammad bin al-Sa'ib al-Kalbi. Beirut, Lebanon: Alam al-Kutub, 2010. Online at: Archive.org

  • نسب معد واليمن الكبير. أبو المنذر هشام بن محمد بن السائب الكلبي. بيروت، لبنان: عالم الكتب, ٢٠١٠

• Biography of Al-Hazal: Sheikhs of the Anza tribe, brothers of Batla (in Arabic). Sheikh Ahmed Al-Ameri Al-Nasri. Lebanon - Beirut: Al-Rafidain, 2009. Online at: Archive.org

  • سيرة آل هذال: شيوخ قبيلة عنزة، أخوان بتلا. الشيخ احمد العامري الناصري. لبنان - بيروت: الرفدين, ٢٠٠٩

• The Bani Khalid Tribe in History (in Arabic). Sheikh Ahmed Al-Amiri Al-Nasiri. Lebanon - Beirut: Al-Rafidain, 2009. Online at: Archive.org

  • قبيلة بني خالد في التاريخ. الشيخ احمد العامري الناصري. لبنان - بيروت: الرفدين, ٢٠٠٩

• The History of the 'Awaliq Tribes and Their Impact on Contemporary Media (in Arabic), by Dr. 'Alawi 'Umar bin Furayr al-'Awaliqi. Beirut: Dar Qutaybah, 2005. Online at: Archive.org.

• تاريخ قبائل العوالق وأثره في الإعلام المعاصر, الدكتور علوي عمر بن فرير العوالقي. بيروت: دار قتيبة، 2005

• The Collection of Genealogies. Abu al-Mundhir Hisham bin Muhammad bin al-Sa’ib al-Kalbi. Beirut, Lebanon: Alam al-Kutub, 2004. Online at: Archive.org

  • جمهرة النسب. أبو المنذر هشام بن محمد بن السائب الكلبي. بيروت، لبنان: عالم الكتب, ٢٠٠٤

• Genealogies in Saudi Arabia (in Arabic) by Ibn Hazm, Samir Qutb, Hassania Families Vol. 1-10. Online at: Archive.org

• .جمهرة أنساب العرب،, لابن حزم

• Genealogies in Saudi Arabia (in Arabic) by Ibn Hazm, Samir Qutb, Hassania Families Vol. 11-20 Online at: Archive.org

• .جمهرة أنساب العرب،, لابن حزم

Print Publications

Arabic

• The Collection of Arab Genealogies (in Arabic), by Abu Muhammad Ali bin Ahmed bin Saeed bin Hazm Al-Andalusi. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyyah, 2018.

• جمهرة أنساب العرب. أبو محمد علي بن أحمد بن سعيد بن حزم الأندلسي. بيروت، لبنان: دار الكتب العلمية, ٢٠١٨

• Gold Necklaces in Knowing the Genealogies of Arab Tribes (in Arabic), by Mustafa Hamidi bin Ahmed al-Kurdi al-Balawi al-Dimashqi. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar and Library of Al-Hilal, Bir al-Abd, 2000. At various libraries (WorldCat)

• قلائد الذهب في معرفة أنساب قبائل العرب. مصطفى حميدي بن أحمد الكردي البالوي الدمشقي. بيروت، لبنان: دار ومكتبة الهلال بئر العبد , ٢٠٠٠

• Genealogical Trees of Arab Tribes and Families: With Historical and Geographical Notes (in Arabic), by Ferdinand Wüstenfeld. Beirut: Dar Al-Warak, 1852. At various libraries (WorldCat)

• مشجرات أنساب قبائل والعوئل العربية: مع مراصظات تاريخية وجغرافية. فرديناند فوستنفلد. بيروت: دار الورَّك, ١٨٥٢

• The End of the Goal in Knowing the Genealogies of the Arabs (in Arabic). Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Abdullah al-Qalqashandi. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2012. Online preview at: Google Books

• نهاية الارب في معرفة انساب العرب. أبو العباس أحمد بن علي بن أحمد بن عبد الله القلقشندي. بيروت، لبنان: دار الكتب العلمية

• Dictionary of Genealogies of the Tribes of the Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic). Majid Nasser Al-Zubaidi. Beirut, Lebanon: Al-Furat, 2010. At various libraries (WorldCat)

• معجم انساب قبائل الجزيرة العربية. ماجد ناصر الزبيدي. بيروت لبنان: الفرات, ٢٠١٠

• Dictionary of Najdi Families in Al-Zubair (in Arabic). Prof. Dr. Abdul Basit Khalil Muhammad Al-Darwish. Lebanon - Beirut: Dar Al-Rafidain, 2021. At various libraries (WorldCat)

• معجم الأسر النجدية في الزبير. أ. د. عبد الباسط خليل محمد الدرويش. لبنان - بيروت: دار الرفدين, ٢٠٢١

• Dictionary of the land of Bani Kalb, the tribe of Sahul and its most important families in the Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic). Fahhad bin Saad bin Hamlan Al-Sahli. Beirut: Arab Encyclopedia House, 2003. At various libraries (WorldCat)

• معجم بلاد بني كلاب وقبيلة السهول وأهم أسرها في الجزيرة العربية. فهّاد بن سعد بن هملان السهلي. بيروت: الدار العربية للموسوعات, ٢٠٠٣

• The Banu Tamim Tribe: Its History, Genealogies, and Notables (in Arabic). Muhammad Abd al-Rida Dhahabi. Beirut: Arab Encyclopedia House, 2004. FS Catalog book 953 D2d v. 1; At various libraries (WorldCat)

• قبيلة بني تميم : تاريخها، أنسابها، أعلامها. محمد عبد الرضا ذهبي. بيروت: الدار العربية للموسوعات, ٢٠٠٤

• The Anza tribe, its history, men, and lineages in Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic). Sheikh Mahrouth Al-Hathal (Emir of Anza). Lebanon - Beirut: Dar Al-Rafidain, 2005. At various libraries (WorldCat)

• قبيلة عنزة تاريخها، رجلاتها، أنسابها في العراق والجزيرة. الشيخ محروث الهذال (أمير عنزة). لبنان - بيروت: دار الرفدين, ٢٠٠٥

German

• Ǧamharat an-nasab : das genealogische Werk des Hišam Ibn Muḥammad al-Kalbī (Band I und II) (Ǧamharat an-nasab : the genealogical work of Hišam Ibn Muḥammad al-Kalbī (Volume I and II)). By Werner Caskel. Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill, 1966. FS Catalog book INTL 953 D2c; At various libraries (WorldCat)
• Register zu den Genealogischen Tabellen der Arabischen Stämme und Familien: Mit Historischen und Geographischen Bemerkungen. (Register of the genealogical tables of the Arabian tribes and families : with historical and geographical notes) By Ferdinand Wüstenfeld. London: Reprint: Forgotten Books. 2009. At various libraries (WorldCat)

English

• A Handbook of the Al-Sa'ud Ruling Family of Saudi Arabia. By Brian Lees MVO, OBE. London: Royal Genealogies, 1980. FS Catalog book 953.8 D5L; WorldCat 6604936

Background

According to tradition, Arabs trace their lineage to two primary ancestors: Qahtan, progenitor of the "pure" Arabs, and Adnan, ancestor of the "Arabicized" Arabs. A biblical narrative suggests that both Qahtan and Adnan may have descended from Ishmael, Abraham's son. The rivalry between these two groups extended beyond Arabia with the Muslim conquests and persisted into the 20th century, notably in northern Yemen's conflict between Zaydi imams and other Arab factions.

Southern Arabia is home to a darker-skinned population and lower-status groups like the Akhdām and Ṣibyān. In the north, the Ṣulubah, considered non-Arab, occupy a similar social position. Oman has a history of migration, with the Zuṭṭ, descendants of 9th-century Indian immigrants, and the Baloch, a more recent arrival, forming distinct groups. Border regions feature diverse ethnicities such as the Mahra, Ḥarāsīs, Qarā, and Shiḥūḥ, who speak South Arabic languages.

Arabia has a long history of importing African slaves, a practice that persisted until the 1960s. Regions like Khaybar and parts of Tihāmah have significant black populations engaged in agriculture. Coastal areas have always attracted a diverse mix of people, including Africans, Asians, and others. The oil era brought an influx of skilled workers from countries like Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq, while Yemenis sought employment in the oil-producing states.

Throughout Arabian history, free, arms-bearing tribesmen, whether nomadic or settled, dominated society. Sultans, emirs, and sheikhs were often drawn from these tribes and sought their support. While the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, sayyids and sharifs, held a higher social status, they sometimes exercised theocratic rule as spiritual leaders.

A longstanding antagonism exists between settled peoples and nomadic Bedouin tribes. Even settled tribes often have nomadic branches. In Yemen, this conflict is evident between city dwellers and qabīlīs, tribes primarily settled in villages. Before World War I, Bedouin raids kept settled people in constant fear. They even attacked and plundered Hajj caravans unless paid off or forcibly restrained. Modern weapons and aircraft have significantly altered this dynamic, making it more difficult for tribesmen to hide in deserts or mountains. Tribes were historically at war or in armed truces with each other, requiring protection for entry into foreign territory. Ibn Saʿūd, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, established military and agricultural colonies called hijrah to encourage Bedouin sedentarization, a practice adopted by states like Jordan and Kuwait.

Contrary to popular belief, Arabian tribes are not egalitarian. Some tribes possess a greater degree of sharaf or nobility than others. Tribes like the Hutaym and Sharārāt are considered inferior by noble tribes. Social standing in Arabia is primarily determined by tribal affiliation, with fathers often rejecting suitors from inferior tribes for their daughters.

Nomadic tribes in Arabia primarily herd camels, sheep, and goats. They migrate between pastures but participate in tribal markets to trade animals, wool, and ghee. Mountain peoples rely more on donkeys and raise cattle for agricultural and irrigation purposes, in addition to sheep and goats.

Strategy

The published works above include information useful for tracing Saudi tribal lineages. These works include lineages, tribal history, biographies of prominent individuals, poetry, or encyclopedic entries of tribes and their sub-divisions.

Some of the resources listed above treat with specific tribes, while others look at groups of tribes. The scope of each resource affects the level of detail it contains on actual individuals and their families. While some books contain detailed genealogies with specific names from generation to generation, others treat with tribes generally, focusing more on their history and movement. The latter type of book can be especially useful for individuals who are unsure of where their ancestors lived, as these books can provide information on towns or regions where certain tribes can be found.

Publications not available online.