Arab Canadians (french: Arabo-Canadiens) come from all of the countries of the

Arab world The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...

. According to the 2021 Census, there were 694,015 Canadians, or 1.87%, who claimed Arab ancestry. According to the 2011 Census there were 380,620 Canadians who claimed full or partial ancestry from an Arabic-speaking country. The large majority of the

Canadians Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

of Arab origin population live in either

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

. Not all Canadians from the Arab world are necessarily of Arab blood, there are also communities of

Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, '' hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diasp ...

, Assyrians/Syriacs, Copts,

Kurds ug:كۇردلار Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ira ...

Turcomans Turkoman ( Middle Turkic: تُركْمانْ, ota, تركمن, Türkmen and ''Türkmân''; az, Türkman and ', tr, Türkmen, tk, Türkmen, Persian: ترکمن sing. ''Turkamān'', pl. ''Tarākimah''), also called Turcoman and Turkman, is a ter ...

, Berbers, and those who espouse a

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...

n or Aramean heritage (see Phoenicianism and Arameanism).

Demographics

The distribution of the Arab population of Canada according to the 2001 Census, 2011 Census, and 2016 Census was as follows:

By Arabic-speaking country

Notable individuals

Business

Feras Antoon Feras Antoon ( ar, فراس انطون, Fūras Antūn; born 29 June 1975) is a Syrian-Canadian pornographer, and the co-owner and CEO of MindGeek, the world's largest pornography company, which runs sites including YouPorn and Pornhub. He creat ...

- co-founder and CEO of

MindGeek MindGeek (formerly Manwin) is a Luxembourg-based, privately held company with Canada as its center of operations that primarily focuses on pornography. It is owned by Feras Antoon, Bernd Bergmair (Bernard Bergemar), David Marmorstein, and — m ...

(of Syrian descent) *

Kevin O'Leary Terence Thomas Kevin O'Leary (born 9 July 1954), also known as Mr. Wonderful, is a Canadian businessman, entrepreneur, and television personality. From 2004 to 2014, he appeared on various Canadian television shows. These include the business n ...

- entrepreneur and reality television personality (''

Dragons' Den ''Dragons' Den'' is a reality television program format in which entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of venture capitalists in the hope of securing investment finance from them. The program originated in 2001 in Japan, where it is k ...

'', '' Shark Tank'') (of Lebanese and Irish descent) *Ablan Leon - founder of

Leon's Leon's Furniture Ltd. () (Meubles Léon Limité in Quebec) is a Canadian furniture retailer which first opened its store in 1909 in Welland, Ontario. The controlling interest in the company is owned by the Leon family, while some shares are tra ...

furniture company in 1901 in

Welland, Ontario Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada. As of 2021, it had a population of 55,750. The city is in the centre of Niagara and located within a half-hour driving distance to Niagara Falls, Ontario, N ...

Politicians

* Doreen Assaad - current Egyptian-Canadian Woman Mayor in

Brossard Brossard (, , ) is a municipality in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada and is part of the Greater Montreal area. According to the 2021 census, Brossard's population was 91,525. It shares powers with the urban agglomeration of Longueuil ...

Omar Alghabra Omar Alghabra ( ar, عمر الغبرا, ʿUmar al-Ḡabrā; born October 24, 1969) is a Saudi-born Syrian-Canadian politician who has served as Canada's Minister of Transport since January 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, he has represent ...

- current Liberal MP in the federal riding of Mississauga Centre in

, Canada (of Syrian descent, born in Saudi Arabia) * Pierre de Bané - former

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

MP (1968–1984), Cabinet Minister and former Senator (of Palestinian descent) * Michael Basha - former member of the Senate of Canada (of Lebanese descent) *

Tarik Brahmi Tarik Brahmi (born May 19, 1968) is a Canadian engineer and politician. He was the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Jean from 2011, when he defeated incumbent Claude Bachand of the Bloc Québécois, until 2015, and sat with New Demo ...

- former NDP member of House of Commons for Saint-Jean (of Algerian descent) * Fonse Faour - former

NDP NDP may stand for: Computing * Neighbor Discovery Protocol, an Internet protocol * Nortel Discovery Protocol, a layer two Internet protocol, also called SONMP * Nondeterministic programming, a type of computer language Government * National ...

MP and leader of Newfoundland NDP (of Lebanese descent) *

Eddie Francis Edgar "Eddie" Francis (born May 1974) is the former mayor of Windsor, Ontario. He was 29 years old when he was elected mayor in 2003, the youngest mayor in Windsor's history and one of the youngest mayors ever elected in Canada. He is also Windsor ...

- Mayor of

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the southe ...

(of Lebanese descent) *

Joe Ghiz Joseph Atallah Ghiz (January 27, 1945 – November 9, 1996) was the 27th premier of Prince Edward Island from 1986 to 1993, an educator of law and a justice of the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island. He was the father of Robert Ghiz, the ...

- former Premier of

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

(of Lebanese descent) *

Robert Ghiz Robert Watson Joseph Ghiz (born January 21, 1974) is a Canadian politician who served as the 31st premier of Prince Edward Island from 2007 to 2015. He is the son of the 27th premier, Joe Ghiz. On November 13, 2014 Ghiz announced he would be re ...

- Premier of Prince Edward Island (of Lebanese descent) *

Sadia Groguhé Sadia Groguhé (; born November 9, 1962) is a French-Canadian politician of Algerian descent. A municipal councillor in the French city of Istres from 1995 to 2000, Groguhé and her husband immigrated to Canada in 2005. In the 2011 federal ...

- former NDP member of House of Commons for Saint-Lambert (of Algerian descent) *

Mac Harb Mac Harb (born November 10, 1953) is a Canadian former politician, who served successively in local Ottawa positions, as a Member of the House of Commons, and as a Senator for Ontario.J. Patrick Boyer. ''Our Scandalous Senate'' Volume 1 of Poin ...

- Senator, former Liberal MP (1988–2004) and former Ottawa City Councilor (of Lebanese descent) * Sana Hassainia - former NDP member of House of Commons for

Verchères—Les Patriotes Verchères—Les Patriotes (formerly Verchères) was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1979 until the 2012 electoral redistribution. Geography The riding runs along th ...

riding (of Tunisian descent) *

Lorraine Michael Lorraine Michael (born March 27, 1943) is a social-democratic Canadian politician from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. From May 2006 until March 2015, Michael was the leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party (NDP). She i ...

- former Nun, leader of

New Democratic Party of Newfoundland and Labrador The Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party (NL NDP) is a social democratic political party in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in 1961 as the successor to the ...

(of Lebanese descent) *

Maria Mourani Maria Mourani (born May 19, 1969) is a Canadian politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the federal riding of Ahuntsic in Canada. She was formerly a member of the Bloc Québécois before leaving the party over its support for the ...

- former Bloc Québécois (2006–2013) and independent MP (2013–2015) in federal riding of

Ahuntsic Ahuntsic (; French pronunciation ) is a district in the northern part of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Originally an independent village, Ahuntsic was first annexed by Montreal in 1910, then merged into the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville in 2002. ...

, Canada (of Lebanese descent) * Khalil Ramal -

MPP MPP or M.P.P. may refer to: * Marginal physical product * Master of Public Policy, an academic degree * Member of Provincial Parliament (Ontario), Canada * Member of Provincial Parliament (Western Cape), South Africa * ''Merriweather Post Pavilio ...

(of Lebanese descent) *

Djaouida Sellah Djaouida Sellah () is a Canadian politician. Sellah represented the riding of Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert in the House of Commons from 2011 to 2015. Following her tenure in parliament, she served as president of the New Democratic Party of Quebe ...

- former NDP member of House of Commons for

Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert (formerly known as Saint-Hubert) was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 2015. Its population in 2001 was 99,755. Geography This South ...

(of Algerian descent) *

Paul Zed Paul Zed (born December 31, 1956) is a Canadians, Canadian lawyer, professor, and politician. Early life and education Paul Zed was born in Toronto and received his early education from local Saint John, New Brunswick schools, graduating from S ...

- lawyer, professor, former Member of Parliament

Political activists

Maher Arar Maher Arar ( ar, ماهر عرار) (born 1970) is a telecommunications engineer with dual Syrian and Canadian citizenship who has resided in Canada since 1987. Arar was detained during a layover at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Septem ...

- human rights activist; deportation and tortured victim in Syrian jail (of Syrian descent) * Monia Mazigh - human rights activist and New Democratic Party candidate (of Tunisian descent) *

Samah Sabawi Samah Sabawi ( ar, سماح السبعاوي; 1967) is a Palestinian playwright, scholar, commentator and poet. Her plays include ''Cries from the Land'' (2003), ''Three Wishes'' (2008), ''Tales of a City by the Sea'' (2014) and ''Them'' (2019). ...

- Palestinian rights activist and playwright * Rahaf Mohammed - Refugee and activist from Saudi Arabia

Filmmakers and writers

* Rawi Hage (Author: De Niro's Game, Beirut Hellfire Society, Cockroach; Lebanese) * Anisa Mehdi - Emmy Award-winning film director, journalist and director of '' Inside Mecca'' (of Iraqi descent) *

Wajdi Mouawad Wajdi Mouawad, OC, (born 1968) is a Lebanese-Canadian writer, actor, and director. He is known in Canadian and French theatre for politically engaged works such as the acclaimed play ''Incendies'' (2003). His works often revolve around family t ...

(Writer: Incendies, Lebanese) * Donald Shebib - documentary filmmaker (of Lebanese descent)

Singers

Ali Gatie Ali Gatie (born May 31, 1997) is an Iraqi–Canadian singer and songwriter managed by SAL&CO. In 2019, his song " It's You" achieved worldwide success, charting on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and reaching the top 30 in Australia, Canada, Irela ...

- singer (of Iraqi descent) *

Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including " Diana", " Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...

- singer (of Syrian descent) *

Belly Belly may refer to: Anatomy * The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach ** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking ** Belly dance * The fleshy, cen ...

- rap/hip hop artist (of Palestinian descent) * Andy Kim - pop singer/songwriter (of Lebanese descent) *

K.Maro Cyril Kamar ( ar, سيريل قمر; born January 31, 1980, in Beirut), known by his stage name K.Maro (; sometimes stylized as K-Maro or K'Maro) is a Canadian pop singer-songwriter, producer and businessman of Lebanese origin. He sings in Frenc ...

- rapper (of Lebanese descent) *

Kristina Maria Kristina Maria Chalhoub (born 14 May 1989 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian pop singer-songwriter. Early life Kristina Maria Chalhoub was raised in Ottawa, Ontario. She joined her school's choir as a second-grader, and wrote her first song i ...

- singer/songwriter (of Lebanese descent) *

Massari Sari Abboud ( ar, ساري عبّود; born December 10, 1980), better known by his stage name Massari ( ), is a Lebanese Canadian R&B pop recording artist. His music combines Middle Eastern culture with western culture. He started his musical ca ...

- pop and hip-hop singer (of Lebanese descent) * Narcy - rapper (of Iraqi descent) * Nasri - reggae and pop singer (of Palestinian descent) *

Vaï Adil Takhssait, better known by his stage names Vaï, also Mélo or Mélopsy, is a Canadian rap and hip hop musician of Moroccan origin. Adil Takhssait was born 24 April 1979 in Paris, France, in a Moroccan family and immigrated to Canada in 1 ...

- rapper, hip hop singer (of Moroccan descent) *

Karl Wolf Carl Abou Samah ( ar, كارل أبو سمح; born April 18, 1979), better known by his stage name Karl Wolf, is a Lebanese-Canadian musician based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He has been a singer, songwriter, and producer since 2001, releasing ...

- singer (of Lebanese descent) *

Zaho Zahera Darabid ( ar, زهيرة درابيد ; born May 10, 1980), known by her stage name Zaho (), is an Algerian-Canadian R&B singer. Biography Zahera Darabid was born on May 10, 1980, in Bab Ezzouar, a suburb of the Algerian capital Algi ...

- singer (of Algerian descent)

Athletes

Ramzi Abid Ramzi Abid (born March 24, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player of Tunisian descent, who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Atlanta Thrashers and the Nashville Predat ...

- professional hockey player (of Tunisian descent) *

David Azzi David Azzi (born January 25, 1981 in Lebanon) is a former professional wide receiver and slotback in the Canadian Football League (CFL). College career In 1999 Azzi was named 1st Team All-Canadian, 1st Team All-Academic and earned a full schol ...

- professional player in Canadian Football League (of Lebanese descent) * John Hanna - professional hockey player (of Lebanese descent) *

Ed Hatoum Edward Hatoum (Arabic: إدوارد حاطوم) (born December 7, 1947) is a Lebanese-born Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League between 1968 and 1971, and the World Hockey Association between 1 ...

- professional hockey player (of Lebanese descent) *

Fabian Joseph Fabian Gerard Joseph (born December 5, 1965) is a Canadian retired ice hockey centre. He is most prominent for his role with the Canadian national ice hockey team in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is a winner of two Winter Olympic Sil ...

- former professional hockey player ( Canada men's national ice hockey team) (of Lebanese descent) *

Nazem Kadri Nazem Kadri (born October 6, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs seventh overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He played his juni ...

- professional hockey player (of Lebanese descent) *

John Makdessi John Makdessi (born May 3, 1985) is a Canadian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Makdessi was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on May 3, 1985, ...

- professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter (of Lebanese descent) *

Alain Nasreddine Alain Jean-Paul Mohammed Nasreddine (born July 10, 1975) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the assistant coach for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played as a defenceman in the NHL. Pla ...

- professional hockey player (of Lebanese descent) *

Jean Sayegh Jean Sayegh (born June 28, 1981, in Lebanon) is a male water polo player from Canada. He was a member of the Canada men's national water polo team, that claimed the bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sayegh was ...

- water polo player (of Lebanese descent) * Rami Sebei - professional wrestler, under the ring names Sami Zayn and El Generico * Yassine Bounou - professional soccer player ( Morocco national football team) (of Moroccan descent)

Others

Reema Abdo Reema Abdo (born May 19, 1963) is a Canadian former backstroke swimmer and Olympic bronze medallist. Abdo was born in Aden, in the Federation of South Arabia, and became a naturalized Canadian citizen. Swimming career Abdo began her swimming ...

- former backstroke swimmer (of Yemeni descent) *

René Angélil René Angélil (; January 16, 1942 – January 14, 2016) was a Canadian musical producer, talent manager and singer. He was the manager and husband of singer Celine Dion. Early life Angélil was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to a father of ...

- manager and husband of

Céline Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

, (of Syrian descent) *

Nahlah Ayed Nahlah Ayed (Arabic: نهله عَايِد) is a Canadian journalist, who is currently the host of the academic documentary program ''Ideas'' on CBC Radio One and a reporter with CBC News. She was previously a foreign correspondent with the netw ...

- journalist (of Palestinian descent) *

Rachid Badouri Rachid Badouri (born October 16, 1976, in Laval, Quebec) is a Canadian comedian. Biography Badouri was born to immigrants of Moroccan Berber origin. He studied at College Montmorency in Laval, Quebec Laval (; ) is a city in Quebec, Cana ...

- comedian (of Moroccan descent) * Hoda ElMaraghy - first woman to serve as dean of engineering at a Canadian university. Appointed as Canada Research Chair (CRC) in manufacturing systems in 2002. (of Egyptian descent) *

Mohamed Fahmy Mohamed Fadel Fahmy ( ar, محمد فاضل فهمي ; born April 27, 1974) is an Egyptian-born Canadian journalist, war correspondent and author. He has worked extensively in the Middle East, North Africa, for CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera Engl ...

- journalist and reporter * Ghassan Halazon - entrepreneur (of Jordanian-Palestinian descent) *

Jade Hassouné Jade Hassouné (born 18 February 1991) is a Lebanese-Canadian actor, dancer and singer. He is known for his roles as Meliorn in the US television series ''Shadowhunters'' and as Prince Ahmed Al Saeed in the Canadian series ''Heartland''. Under t ...

- known for his role as Meliorn in the US television series "Shadowhunters" and for that of Prince Ahmed Al Saeed in the Canadian series '"Heartland" (of Lebanese descent) *

Jesse Hutch Jesse Hutch (born February 12, 1981) is a Canadian-born American film and television actor. He spends his time travelling between the USA and Canada. He worked on the television show ''American Dreams'' as Jimmy Riley, romantic interest of main c ...

- actor, model, director and musician (of Syrian descent) * Mena Massoud - an actor best known for starring as Aladdin in the 2019 live-action adaptation (of Egyptian descent) * Keanu Reeves - Hollywood actor (born in Lebanon) *

Habeeb Salloum Habeeb Salloum, M.S.M. (9 March 1924 – 4 December 2019) was a prominent Arab-Canadian author and freelance writer. Salloum centered his writings on Canada, travel, and the culinary arts, Arab and world history, with a specific focus on coo ...

- author, cookbook author, writer, travel writer (of Syrian descent) *

Inanna Sarkis Inanna Sarkis is a Canadian actress of Bulgarian and Assyrian descent. Early life and career Sarkis was born in Hamilton, Ontario, the daughter of a Syrian father who was a dentist and a Bulgarian mother who used to be a surgeon in Bulgaria. ...

- internet personality, actress and director (of Syrian descent) *

Mamdouh Shoukri Mamdouh Shoukri, was the seventh President and Vice-Chancellor of York University, serving two terms from 2007 to 2017.Toronto Star"Muslim president for York University" Feb 08, 2007Y File, York University's Daily Bulletin"McMaster's Mamdouh Shouk ...

- former president of

York University York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...

(of Egyptian descent) * Hatim Zaghloul - engineer, named as one of ten great Canadians by MacLean's magazine (of Egyptian descent) *

Ty Wood Tyson Wood (born September 17, 1995) is a Canadian actor. He has had several roles including his role as Tim Cherry in the biographical television drama '' Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story'' and in the role of Billy Campbell in the h ...

- an actor and model. Grand nephew of Miss Universe 1971

Georgina Rizk Georgina Rizk ( ar, جورجينا رزق, Jūrjīnā Rizq, born 23 July 1953) is a Lebanese model, socialite, and beauty queen. She represented Lebanon at the Miss Universe pageant and won, making her the first Lebanese and Middle Eastern/West ...

(of Palestinian-Lebanese Ukrainian descent.)

References

External links

Canadian Arab Institute
(CAI)
Canadian Arab Federation official websiteNational Council on Canada-Arab Relations official websiteCanada Arab ForumThe Arab Students' Association in Canada
{{People of Canada Ethnic groups in Canada

Demographics

By Arabic-speaking country

Notable individuals

Business

Politicians

Political activists

Filmmakers and writers

Singers

Athletes

Others

See also

References

External links