| Total population | |
|---|---|
| about 4,000,000; or about 10% of Saudi Arabia’s total population | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Mecca | |
| Languages | |
| Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Islam (mostly Sunni) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Afro-Arabs, Afro-Jordanians, Afro-Palestinians, Afro-Syrians, Afro-Iraqis, Afro-Omanis |
Afro-Saudis, also known as African Saudis and Black Saudis, are Saudi citizens of partial or full black African heritage. They are spread all around the country, but they are mostly found in the major cities of Saudi Arabia.[1] Afro-Saudis speak Arabic and adhere to Islam.[2] While some black Saudis descend from slaves brought through the Arab slave trade,[3] the majority descend from Muslim pilgrims, primarily from West Africa, who settled in the cities of Mecca and Jeddah.[4]
The term "takarnah", meaning people of takrur, is sometimes used to refer to Hejazis of West African descent,[5] though their origins are diverse. This is evident in family names such as Hawsawi, Fallatah, and Bernawi.[4]
- ^ "What it means to be a black Saudi". Arab News. March 1, 2018.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia - Religion". Encyclopedia Britannica.
- ^ "Black Saudi Author Focuses on Neglected History of African Migration and Slavery". July 24, 2020.
- ^ a b Obaid, Ruba (1 March 2018). "Saudi Arabia's African roots traced to annual Hajj pilgrimage and British colonization". Arab News. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "الأفارقة.. مائدة منوّعة وخصوصية جذابة". صحيفة الاقتصادية (in Arabic). 4 September 2009. Retrieved 27 March 2024.