| Total population | |
|---|---|
| about 1,880,000; or about 5% 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 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]
Arabia and Africa have been in contact starting with the obsidian exchange networks of the 7th millennium BC. These networks were strengthened by the rise of Egyptian dynasties of the 4th millennium BC. Anthropologists have indicated the likely existence of settlements in Arabia, from the people of the Horn of Africa, as early as the 3rd and 2nd millenniums BC.[6]
In 2021, their population was 1,880,000, or around 5% of Saudi Arabia’s 35,950,000 population.[3] [7]
Unlike in the Americas of the 19th century, slaves in the Middle East were allowed to own land, and their children were generally not born into slavery. Also, conversion to Islam precluded further servitude and gave freedom. Skin color played a distinctive role even amongst slaves.[8] Many activists amongst Afro-Saudis complain that they are not given media representation and are unable to find opportunities to improve their social condition.[9]
