Afro-Arabs, African Arabs, or Black Arabs are

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

who have predominantly or total

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

n ancestry. These include primarily minority groups in the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

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 ...

Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

Western Sahara Western Sahara is a territorial dispute, disputed territory in Maghreb, North-western Africa. It has a surface area of . Approximately 30% of the territory () is controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the remaining 70% is ...

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

, and

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

. The term may also refer to various Arab groups in certain African regions.

Overview

From the 7th century onward Muslim communities were established along the coast of Eritrea and

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

, subsequently spreading inland. The

Arab slave trade The Arab slave trade refers to various periods in which a slave trade has been carried out under the auspices of Arab peoples or Arab countries. The Arab slave trades are often associated or connected to the history of slavery in the Muslim world ...

s, which began in pre-Islamic times but reached their height between 650 AD and 1900 AD, transported millions of African people from the Nile Valley, the Horn of Africa, and the eastern African coast across the

Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

to Arabia as part of the

Red Sea slave trade The Red Sea slave trade, sometimes known as the Islamic slave trade, Arab slave trade, or Oriental slave trade, was a slave trade across the Red Sea trafficking Africans from Sub-Saharan Africa in the African continent to slavery in the A ...

. Millions more were taken from

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

and

Central Africa Central Africa (French language, French: ''Afrique centrale''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''África central''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''África Central'') is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries accordin ...

across the

Sahara The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...

as part of the

trans-Saharan slave trade The trans-Saharan slave trade, also known as the Arab slave trade, was a Slavery, slave trade in which slaves Trans-Saharan trade, were mainly transported across the Sahara. Most were moved from sub-Saharan Africa to North Africa to be sold to ...

. By around the first millennium AD,

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

traders established trading towns on what is now called the

Swahili Coast The Swahili coast () is a coastal area of East Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean and inhabited by the Swahili people. It includes Sofala (located in Mozambique); Mombasa, Gede, Kenya, Gede, Pate Island, Lamu, and Malindi (in Kenya); and Dar es ...

. The

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

conquered these trading centers after the discovery of the

Cape Road A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment of any length that hangs loosely and connects either at the neck or shoulders. They usually cover the back, shoulders, and arms. They come in a variety of styles and have been used thr ...

. From the 1700s to the early 1800s, Muslim forces of the

Omani empire The Omani Empire () was a maritime empire, vying with Portugal and Britain for trade and influence in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. After rising as a regional power in the 18th century, the empire at its peak in the 19th century saw its i ...

re-seized these market towns, mainly on the islands of

Pemba Pemba may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places * Pemba Island, in Tanzania * Pemba, Mozambique, the capital of Cabo Delgado Province * Pemba District, a district of Zambia * Pemba, Zambia Pemba is a small town (population about 4,000) located in Pemba ...

and

Zanzibar Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...

. In these territories, Arabs from Yemen and

settled alongside the local "African" populations, thereby spreading Islam and establishing Afro-Arab communities. The Niger-Congo

Swahili language Swahili, also known as as it is referred to endonym and exonym, in the Swahili language, is a Bantu languages, Bantu language originally spoken by the Swahili people, who are found primarily in Tanzania, Kenya, and Mozambique (along the East Af ...

and culture largely evolved through these contacts between Arabs and the native

Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language * Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for National ...

population. In the

Arab states of the Persian Gulf The Arab states of the Persian Gulf, also known as the Gulf Arab states (), refers to a group of Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf. There are seven member states of the Arab League in the region: Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi ...

, descendants of people from the

perform traditional Liwa and

Fann at-Tanbura Fann aṭ-Ṭanbūra () is a traditional music and dance genre in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, especially Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Musically, the '' tanbūra'' instrument plays a central role, along with several drums and the '' manjur''— ...

music and dance, and the mizmar is also played by Afro-Arabs in the Tihamah and

Hejaz Hejaz is a Historical region, historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes the majority of the western region of Saudi Arabia, covering the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif and Al Bahah, Al-B ...

. In addition, Stambali of

and

Gnawa music Gnawa music (Ar. ) is a body of Morocco, Moroccan Religious music, religious songs and rhythms. Emerging in the 16th and 17th centuries, Gnawa music developed through the cultural fusion of West Africans brought to Morocco, notably the Hausa p ...

are both ritual music and dances that in part trace their origins to

n musical styles.

Notable Afro-Arabs

Rula Jebreal Rula Jebreal (; ; born 24 April 1973) is a Palestinian foreign policy analyst, journalist, novelist and screenwriter with dual Israeli and Italian citizenship. She was a commentator for MSNBC. Early life and education Jebreal was born in H ...

, foreign policy analyst, journalist, novelist and screenwriter of Nigerian and Palestinian descent *

Fatima Bernawi Fatima Mohammed Bernawi (1939 – 3 November 2022) (also transliterated Barnawi; ) was an Afro-Palestinian militant who was involved with Fatah in the mid-1960s, a significant period in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. She was known for the ...

, the first Palestinian female militant, of Afro Palestinian descent born to a Nigerian father and Palestinain mother *

Bilal ibn Rabah Bilal ibn Rabah (; ), also known as Bilāl al-Ḥabashī or simply Bilal, was a sahabah, close companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born in Mecca, he was of Abyssinian people, Abyssinian (modern-day Ethiopia) descent and was formerly ensl ...

, early

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

and

companion Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

Umm Ayman Baraka bint Thaʿlaba (), commonly known by her Kunya (Arabic), kunya Umm Ayman (), was an early Muslim and one of the disciples (Sahaba) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. She was an Kingdom of Aksum, Abyssinian slave of Muhammad's parents, Abdull ...

, early Muslim and companion of Muhammad *

Ayman ibn Ubayd Ayman ibn ʿUbayd (), or Ayman ibn Umm Ayman (), was an early Muslim and companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was the son of Barakah, who helped raise Muhammad, by her first husband Ubayd ibn Zayd of the Banu Khazraj tribe. Through his ...

, early Muslim and companion of Muhammad *

Usama ibn Zayd Usaamah ibn Zayd ibn Haritha al-Kalbi () was an early Muslim and companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was the son of Zayd ibn Haritha, Muhammad's adopted son, and Umm Ayman, a servant of Muhammad. Muhammad appointed Usama ibn Zayd as ...

, early Muslim and companion of Muhammad *

Sumayyah bint Khabbat Sumeyah (; ), was the first member of the ''Umma'' (community) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad to become a martyr (). Shortly after she was martyred, her husband Yasir ibn Amir was also killed for his conversion to Islam, making him the firs ...

, early Muslim and companion of Muhammad *

Wahshi ibn Harb Waḥshī ibn Ḥarb (), also known as Abu Dusmah was a former slave of Jubayr ibn Mut'im before becoming a freedman and a ''Sahabi'' (companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad). He is best known for killing a leading Muslim fighter, Hamza ibn ...

, early Muslim and companion of Muhammad * Rasad, concubine of al-Zahir li-I'zaz Din Allah *

al-Mustansir Billah Abū Tamīm Maʿad al-Mustanṣir biʾllāh (‎; 2 July 1029 – 29 December 1094) was the eighth Fatimid Caliph from 1036 until 1094. He was one of the longest reigning Muslim rulers. His reign was the twilight of the Fatimid state. The st ...

Fatimid The Fatimid Caliphate (; ), also known as the Fatimid Empire, was a caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries CE under the rule of the Fatimid dynasty, Fatimids, an Isma'ili Shi'a dynasty. Spanning a large area of North Africa ...

caliph *

Turki bin Said Sultan Turki bin Said bin Sultan Al Busaidi (; 1832 – 4 June 1888), was Sultan of Muscat and Oman from 30 January 1871 to 4 June 1888. He acceded following his victory over his cousin, Iman Azzan bin Qais at the Battle of Dhank. On Turki's d ...

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

Faisal bin Turki, Sultan of Muscat and Oman Sultan Faisal bin Turki bin Said Al Busaidi () (8 June 1864 – 4 October 1913) was the List of rulers of Oman, Sultan of Muscat and Oman from 4 June 1888 to 4 October 1913. Early Life Faisal was born in Mumbai, Bombay in 1864 as the second so ...

, Sultan of Oman *

Taimur bin Feisal Sultan Taimur bin Faisal bin Turki Al Said (; 1886 – 28 January 1965) was the Sultan of Muscat and Oman from 5 October 1913 to 10 February 1932. Early life Taimur was born in 1886 to Sultan Faisal bin Turki Al Said and his first wife, Sayyi ...

, Sultan of Oman *

Barghash bin Said of Zanzibar Sayyid Barghash bin Said al-Busaidi (1836 – 26 March 1888) (), an Afro-Omani Sultan and the son of Said bin Sultan, was the second Sultan of Zanzibar. He ruled Sultanate of Zanzibar, Zanzibar from 7 October 1870 to 26 March 1888. Life and rei ...

, Sultan of

Ali bin Said of Zanzibar Sayyid Ali bin Said al-Busaidi, GCSI, (c. 1854 – March 5, 1893) () was the fourth Sultan of Zanzibar. He ruled Zanzibar from February 13, 1890, to March 5, 1893. In June 1890 he was forced to accept a British protectorate over his dominio ...

, Sultan of Zanzibar *

Ali bin Hamud of Zanzibar Sayyid Ali bin Hamud al-Busaidi (7 June 1884 – 20 December 1918; ), also known as Ali II, was the eighth Sultan of Zanzibar from 1902 to 1911. Biography Hamud was proclaimed Sultan of Zanzibar on 20 July 1902, following the death of his fathe ...

, Sultan of Zanzibar *

Jamshid bin Abdullah of Zanzibar Jamshid bin Abdullah Al Busaidi, (; 16 September 1929 – 30 December 2024) was a Zanzibari royal who was the last reigning Sultan of Zanzibar. He was deposed in the Zanzibar Revolution, after the United Kingdom gave up its British protector ...

, last Sultan of Zanzibar *

Colette Dalal Tchantcho Colette Dalal Tchantcho is an actress and theatre maker based in the United Kingdom. She is known for her roles in the Sky Atlantic series ''Domina (TV series), Domina'' (2021) and the Starz series ''Dangerous Liaisons (TV series), Dangerous Liai ...

, Kuwaiti-Cameroonian actor *

Imaan Hammam Imaan Hammam (born 5 October 1996) is a Dutch fashion model. As of 2024, she has appeared on the cover of ''Vogue'' 22 times, four times on the American edition. She currently ranks on models.com's "Industry Icons" and was ranked on its "Top Sex ...

, Dutch fashion model of Morroccan and Egyptian descent *

Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Yazid Zidane (; ; ''Zineddin Lyazid Zidan''; ; born 23 June 1972), popularly known as Zizou, is a French professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as an attacking midfi ...

, French player *

Tippu Tip Tippu Tip, or Tippu Tib (– June 14, 1905), real name Ḥamad ibn Muḥammad ibn Jumʿah ibn Rajab ibn Muḥammad ibn Saʿīd al Murjabī (), was an Afro-Omani ivory and slave owner and trader, explorer, governor and plantation owner. He ...

, Afro-Omani trader and explorer *

Sefu bin Hamid Sefu bin Hamid or Sayf bin Hamed (1850 – 20 October 1893) was an Arabs, Arab Zanzibari slave trader and administrative official. The son of Tippu Tip, he was killed while fighting in the Congo–Arab war. Governor of the Stanley Falls Distri ...

, Zanzibari slave trader *

Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah () (13 May 1930 – 13 May 2008) was the Emir of Kuwait from 15 January 2006, succeeding Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, until abdicating nine days later on 24 January. Prior to that he had ...

, Emir of Kuwait *

Randa Abd Al-Aziz Randa Abd Al-Aziz (Arabic: رندا عبد العزيز; born c. 1996) is an Iraq, Iraqi journalist and news anchor. She is the first African-Iraqis, Afro-Iraqi to feature on the country's state media channels, and since September 2021 has co-host ...

, Iraqi journalist and news anchor *

Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi Mohammed Hussein Ali Al Amoudi (; born 21 July 1946) is an Ethiopian-born Saudi billionaire businessman. Born in Ethiopia to a Yemeni father from Hadhramaut and a mother from Wollo Province, he migrated to Saudi Arabia with his brother Mauric ...

, Saudi businessman *

Etab Tarouf Abdulkhair Adam Talal (, 30 December 1947 – 19 August 2007), stage name Etab (), was a Saudi Arabian singer. She was active from the 1960s to the 1990s. Life Etab was born on 30 December 1947 in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Sh ...

, Saudi singer *

Majed Abdullah Majed Ahmed Abdullah (; born 11 January 1959) is a Saudi Arabian former professional association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker for Al Nassr FC, Al-Nassr and the Saudi Arabia national football team, ...

, Saudi footballer *

Salem Al-Dawsari Salem Mohammed Shafi Al-Dawsari (; born 19 August 1991) is a Saudi Arabian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, which he captains, and the Saudi Arabia national team. Early and personal life Al-Da ...

, Saudi footballer *

Mohamed Al-Deayea Mohamed Abdullaziz Al-Deayea Al-Shammari (; born 2 August 1972), also known as Mohammed Deayea al-Shammari, is a Saudi Arabian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He participated in four FIFA World Cups for the Saudi Ara ...

, Saudi footballer *

Ali Al-Habsi Ali Abdullah Harib Al-Habsi (; born 30 December 1981) is an Omani retired professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played for the Oman national team for nearly two decades, from 2001 to 2019. Club career Early career Al-Habsi was ...

, Omani footballer *

Khalid Eisa Khalid Eisa Mohammed Bilal Saeed Al Mesmari (; born 15 September 1989) is an Emirati professional association football goalkeeper who plays for Emirati club Al Ain and the United Arab Emirates national team. He competed at the 2012 Summer Olymp ...

, Emirati footballer * Chahine van Bohemen, Dutch-Moroccan footballer *

Almoez Ali Almoez Ali Zainalabedeen Mohamed Abdulla (; born 19 August 1996) is a professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker for Qatar Stars League club Al-Duhail SC, Al-Duhail, whom he Capta ...

, Qatari footballer * Fahad Al-Abdulrahman, Qatari footballer * Sanna Abubkheet, First female athlete from Gaza to compete at the Olympics * Majed Abu Maraheel, First Palestinian to compete at the Olympic Games *

Ghadir Ghrouf Ghadir Ghrouf (; born September 12, 1990, in Jericho) is a track and field sprint athlete who competes internationally for Palestine.

, Track and Field sprint athlete who represented Palestine at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing * Mohammed Abukhousa, Palestinian sprinter who competed at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships and at the 2016 Olympics

Citations

Bibliography

* *

External links

Arab Slave Trade
Afo-Arab relations and the Arab Slave Trade
"Black Africans in (Arab) West Asia"
- a cite
ColorQ.org
essay * Prof. Helmi Sharawy

, paper extracted from the book ''The Dialogue between the Arab culture and other cultures,

Arab League The Arab League (, ' ), officially the League of Arab States (, '), is a regional organization in the Arab world. The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945, initially with seven members: Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt, Kingdom of Iraq, ...

, Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO), Tunis, 1999.
Resolution on Afro-arab Co-operation
of The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, 23, February 23–28, 1987.
African Union/league of Arab States Inter-secretariat Consultative Meeting On Afro-arab Cooperation
Addis Ababa: 10–12 May 2005. * Maho M. Sebiane, « Le statut socio-économique de la pratique musicale aux Émirats arabes unis : la tradition du leiwah à Dubai », Chroniques yéménites, 14, 200

.
Afro-Arabian origins of the Early Yemenites and their Conquest and Settlement of Spain
{{Immigration from Africa Arab ethnic groups Afro-Asians Multiracial affairs Arab world-related lists Ethnic groups in the Middle East African diaspora in the Middle East

Overview

Notable Afro-Arabs

See also

Citations

Bibliography

External links