Turks in Saudi Arabia also referred to as Turkish Saudi Arabians, Saudi Arabian Turks or Saudi Turks (, ) refers to ethnic

Turkish people Turks (), or Turkish people, are the largest Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group, comprising the majority of the population of Turkey and Northern Cyprus. They generally speak the various Turkish dialects. In addition, centuries-old Turkish co ...

living in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

. The majority of Arabian Turks descend from Ottoman settlers who arrived in the region during the Ottoman rule of Arabia. Most Ottoman Turkish descendants in Saudi Arabia trace their roots to

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

; however, some ethnic Turks also came from the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

, the

Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

and other regions which had significant Turkish communities. In addition to Ottoman settlement policies, Turkish pilgrims to

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

and

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

often settled down in the area permanently. There has also been modern migration to Saudi Arabia from the

Republic of Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

as well as other modern nation-states which were once part of the Ottoman Empire.

History

Ottoman Turkish migration

Turks have had a presence in the western Arabian peninsula for hundreds of years, culminating in the Ottoman conquest of the Hejaz in 1517. After the

Great Arab Revolt The Arab Revolt ( ), also known as the Great Arab Revolt ( ), was an armed uprising by the Hashemite-led Arabs of the Hejaz against the Ottoman Empire amidst the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. On the basis of the McMahon–Hussein Corr ...

and the decline of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, a Turkish minority remained in the newly founded Saudi Kingdom.

Modern Turkish migration

Starting in the 1970s, economic relations between

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

and

grew. In 1977, there was 6,500 Turks in

, 5,000 of which were officially reported workers.

Business

As per argaam, Turkish nationals workers were around 25,000 people, which represents around 0.20% of total population. There are some 8,100 Turkish-operated hairdresser shops, 4,200 restaurants, and 2,900 furniture stores in Saudi Arabia.

Politics

During the

2017 Turkish constitutional referendum A constitutional referendum was held in Turkey on 16 April 2017 on whether to approve 18 proposed amendments to the Turkish constitution that were brought forward by the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movemen ...

, more than 8,000 Turkish expats from Saudi Arabia cast votes whether Turkey should abolish its

parliamentary system A parliamentary system, or parliamentary democracy, is a form of government where the head of government (chief executive) derives their Election, democratic legitimacy from their ability to command the support ("confidence") of a majority of t ...

and become a

presidential republic A presidential, strong-president, or single-executive system (sometimes also congressional system) is a form of government in which a head of government (usually titled " president") heads an executive branch that derives its authority and l ...

. 58.34% of the Turkish expatriates in Saudi Arabia opted for "No", while 41.66% voted for "Yes". The yes vote was concentrated in Jeddah and the Western Region, while in Riyadh no was the dominant choice. The no vote was significantly higher compared to votes of several European Turkish expat communities.

Notable people

Kamal Adham Kamal Adham (; 1929 – 29 October 1999) was a Saudi businessman and the director general of Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah from 1965 to 1979. He served as a royal counsellor to both King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz, King Faisal and King Khalid. Early li ...

, businessman * Iffat Al-Thunayan, princess and the most prominent wife of King Faisal **children: ** Princess Sara, activist for women and children welfare **

Prince Mohammed George Nooks, Prince Mohamed, Prince Mohammed, or George Knooks (born c. 1958) is a Jamaican reggae singer who initially found fame as a deejay. Biography Nooks started his musical career in the youth choir at his church, and moved on to perfo ...

, businessman **Princess Latifa ** Prince Saud, served as Saudi Arabia's foreign minister from 1975 to 2015 ** Prince Abdul Rahman, military officer and businessman ** Prince Bandar, military officer ** Prince Turki, chairman of King Faisal Foundation's Center for Research and Islamic Studies ** Princess Lolowah, prominent activist for women's education ** Princess Haifa ***grandchildren: *** Amr bin Mohammed Al Saud, businessman *** Reem Al Faisal, photographer *** Faisal bin Turki Al Faisal Al Saud ***

Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (, ) (born 4 June 1983), also known as Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, is a former Saudi racing driver and businessman as well as a member of the House of Saud. Prince Abdulaziz is the Minist ...

, racing driver and businessman ***

Reema bint Bandar Al Saud Reema bint Bandar Al Saud (; born 15 February 1975) is the current List of ambassadors of Saudi Arabia to the United States, Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States, a position her father had also previously held. Appointed by Salman of Sa ...

, Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States *** Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United Kingdom *** Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, president of the Saudi Arabian Federation for Electronic and Intellectual Sports (SAFEIS) and the Arab eSports Federation * Fatima Al-Banawi, is a Saudi Arabian filmmaker and actress * Omar Basaad, music producer * Muhammad Khashoggi, medical doctor **children: **

Adnan Khashoggi Adnan Khashoggi (; 25 July 1935 – 6 June 2017) was a Saudi businessman and arms dealer known for his business dealings, extensive geopolitical influence, and opulent lifestyle, which earned him the moniker "''The Jay Gatsby, Great Gatsby ...

, businessman **

Samira Khashoggi Samira Khashoggi (, 1935 – March 1986) was a Saudi Arabian progressive author, as well as the founder of ''Al Sharkiah'' magazine. She was the sister of the Saudi businessman Adnan Khashoggi. She was the first wife of Egyptian businessman Moham ...

, author and the owner and editor-in chief of Alsharkiah magazine ** Soheir Khashoggi, novelist ***grandchildren ***

Dodi Fayed Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Mena'em Fayed (; 15 April 195531 August 1997), commonly known as Dodi Fayed, was an Egyptian film producer and the eldest child of the businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed. He was romantically involved with Diana, Princess of W ...

, film producer ***

Emad Khashoggi Emad Khashoggi (; born 25 March 1968) is a Saudi businessman and the head of COGEMAD. He initiated the Château Louis XIV development project in Louveciennes, France. Biography Emad Khashoggi was born in Lebanon's capital Beirut. His father, ...

, businessman and the head of COGEMAD ***

Jamal Khashoggi Jamal Ahmad Hamza Khashoggi (13 October 1958 – 2 October 2018) was a Saudi journalist, Saudi dissidents, dissident, author, columnist for ''Middle East Eye'' and ''The Washington Post'', and a general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab New ...

, general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab News Channel *** Nabila Khashoggi, businesswoman, actress, and philanthropist

References

Bibliography

*. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. * {{Portal bar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia

Ethnic groups in Saudi Arabia