Saudi Arabia Tribes and Clans

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Saudi Arabia

Tribes and Clans

Resources

Online Resources

• Al-Maktabah al-Shamilah (The Comprehensive Library) - Genealogy Category (Arabic) - catalogue of Arabic books on genealogy with detailed descriptions; books not accessible directly on website
• Arab Genealogy Books Online at FamilySearch Library; open access collection of Arabic genealogy books that have been digitized and can be browsed by country/region. They contain valuable information about tribal histories and family lineages.
• Genealogical Science Library (Arabic - مكتبة علوم النسب) - digital catalogue of Arabic books on family and tribal genealogies; open source books are linked and accessible
  • Email: olomanasb@gmail.com
• The Concise History and Geography of the Land of Banu Shahr (in Arabic)by Faiz bin Salem Al-Zahim Al-Amiri Shahri. Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Faiz bin Salem Al-Zahim Al-Amiri Al-Shahri, 1997. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; History (including some genealogy) of the Bani Shahr tribe from Saudi Arabia.
  • 1997, الوجيز في تاريخ وجغرافية بلاد بني شهر
• 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 Refugee from the Lineage of the 'A'ith Tribe (in Arabic), by Abd al-Hakim bin 'Abd al-Rahman al-'Awad. United Arab Emirates: Thaqafa Publishing and Distribution, 2009. Online at: Archive.org.
  • اللائذ من نسب قبيلة عائذ، عبد الحكيم بن عبد الرحمن العواد. الإمارات العربية المتحدة: الثقافة للنشر والتوزيع، 2009
• 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
• Ansāb al-ashrāf v.1 by Balādhurī, Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyá. Baghdād:Yuṭlabu min Maktabat al-Muthanná, 1964?. Online at: New York University; Genealogy and history of Mudar tribes, including the tribe of the Prophet Mohammad
  • .أنساب الأشراف الجزء الأول .أحمد بن يحيى البلاذري بغداد:يطلب من مكتبة المثنى ,1964?
• Ansāb al-ashrāf v.2 by Balādhurī, Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyá. Baghdād:Yuṭlabu min Maktabat al-Muthanná, 1964?. Online at: New York University; Genealogy and history of Mudar tribes, including the tribe of the Prophet Mohammad
  • .أنساب الأشراف الجزء الثاني .أحمد بن يحيى البلاذري بغداد:يطلب من مكتبة المثنى ,1964?
• Old Families of Jeddah (in Arabic), by Abd al-Rizaq Suleiman Ahmad Abu Dawud. Online at: Archive.org.
  • عائلات جدة العتيقة، عبد الرزاق سليمان أحمد أبو داوود
• The Arab Tribes: Their Historical Origins and Roots (in Arabic), by Jamal Mashari al-Rafdi. Online at: Archive.org.
  • القبائل العربية: أصولها جذورها التاريخية، جمال بن مشاري الرفدي
• al- Badw wa-al-ʻashāʼir fī al-bilād al-ʻArabīyah by Ṭāhir, ʻAbd al-Jalīl. Cairo:Jāmiʻat al-Duwal al-ʻArabīyah, Maʻhad al-Dirāsāt al-ʻArabīyah al-ʻĀlīyah, 1955. Online at: New York University; Overview of Arab Bedouin and clans
  • .البدو والعشائر في البلاد العربية .عبد الجليل طاهر [القاهرة]:جامعة الدول العربية، معهد الدراسات العربية العالية، 1955

Print Publications

Arabic

• 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

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

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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

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

Family tree depicting the descendants of the Banu Adnan

Tribes of Saudi Arabia

Some notable tribes in Saudi Arabia's ancient history include the Quraysh, Banu Hashim, Banu Tamim, Banu Hanifa, Banu Thaqif, Banu Sulaym, Banu Hilal, Banu Harb, Banu Ghatafan, Banu Abs, Banu Murra, Banu Uqayl, Banu Yam, Banu Khalid, Shammar, and Anizah. These tribes have historically played significant roles in the social, political, and cultural development of the Arabian Peninsula. The Arab tribes were traditionally engaged in nomadic herding and agriculture, establishing complex networks of settlements and camps by around 1200 BCE. With the spread of Islam, many of these tribes migrated and settled in various regions, contributing to the Arabization of the Levant, North Africa, and beyond. Today, the legacy of these tribes continues to influence the cultural and social fabric of Saudi Arabia and the broader Arab world. Tribes have traditionally played a critical role in the structure of Arab society and continue to be extremely important in Saudi Arabia. In pre-modern Saudi Arabia, tribes were the main social unit and governed all aspects of life. Although the country's rapid and extensive modernization since its founding in 1932 has altered the traditional nomadic lifestyle of many Saudis, tribal identities remain an important element of society.

Some of the major tribes in Saudi Arabia are as follows: 'Anaza (عنزة), Harb (حرب), 'Utaybah (عتيبة), Al Murrah (آل مرة), Shammar (شمر), Mutayr (مطير), Qahtan (قحطان), Ruwala (الرولة), Dawasir (الدواسر), Manasir (المناصير), Munjaha (المنجحه), Yam (يام), Ghamid (غامد), Shahran (شهران), Al-Jahadilah (الجحادلة), Juhaynah (جهينة), Balt, Huwaytat (الحويطات), Bani Hajir (بني هاجر), Bani Khalid (بني خالد), Quraysh (قريش), Al Rashid (آل رشيد), 'Ajman (العجمان), and 'Awazim (العوازم). Given that the Arabian Peninsula is the ancestral homeland of Arabs and the area from which Arabic and Islam spread throughout much of the Middle East and North Africa, many of these tribes extend beyond the borders of Saudi Arabia.

Background Information on Tribes

Tradition holds that all Arab tribes trace their lineage to two primary ancestors: Qahtan (قحطان), progenitor of the "pure" Arabs originating from modern Yemen, and Adnan (عدنان), ancestor of the "Arabicized" Arabs and a descendent of Abraham's son Ishmael.

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. The descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, who hold the titles of sayyids and sharifs, traditionally enjoyed a higher social status and sometimes exercised theocratic rule as spiritual leaders. It is important to note that affiliation with a particular tribe does not necessarily entail direct kinship to that tribe, as individuals were sometimes adopted into a tribe. This was particularly true during the first centuries of Islam, when non-Arab converts to Islam were required to become clients, or "mawali" (Arabic مَوالٍ), of an Arab tribe. Therefore, association with a tribe does not automatically imply descent or kinship relationship within a given lineage.

Information Recorded in the Records

• Books - There are numerous books written on Saudi Arabia and, more broadly, Arab tribes. Both categories of books can be valuable to researchers, as many tribes found in Saudi Arabia are also found elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa.

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.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

Publications not available online.