Qataris
Qataris are the nationals of the State of Qatar, located on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East.
History
, the Greek historian and traveler from the fifth century B.C., noted that the people of Qatar were Canaanites and skilled seafarers.In the mid-first century A.D., Pliny the Elder referred to the inhabitants of the Qatar peninsula as the Catharrei and described them as nomads who wandered continuously to find water and suitable grazing lands.
Throughout the years, Qatar saw successive influxes of Arab tribes from the interior, particularly during the 17th and 18th centuries. From 1664 to 1666, a severe drought in Najd forced many to migrate to the Qatari peninsula. During this period, the Al-Maadeed tribe, as well as several tribes of the Bani Utbah confederation arrived in Qatar. Branches from both sides controlled different portions of the peninsula at differing points.
In 1848, Mohammed bin Thani migrated from Fuwayrit to Al Bidda. Prior to this migration, each tribe and settlement had its independent leader, and there was no documented instance of their unification in battle. The concept of a unified land or nation was not present. However, with Mohammed bin Thani's arrival, Qatar began to gain significant economic and political weight. Beginning with him, the House of Thani would rule Qatar starting in 1851, following the Battle of Mesaimeer. Following the Qatari–Bahraini War in 1867–1868, Qatar was recognized as an independent political entity in September 1868 with the signing of a treaty between Mohammad bin Thani and the British representative Lewis Pelly.
Due to the country's highly arid environment, traditional professions were largely centered around maritime activities, primarily fishing and pearl hunting. Pearling was seen as a more lucrative venture because of the high costs associated with fishing and the potential for windfalls from successful pearling trips. However, as a result of the financial system favoring ship owners, sailors and divers would see very little profit for themselves, leaving most in poor financial straits. Furthermore, both were seasonal professions, leaving those in the industry with few methods of earning income outside of select months.
Reports written by British diplomats in 1930 and 1931 document how some locals had been forced to pawn off pieces of furniture to make ends meet after the pearling industry had collapsed due to the introduction of cheap cultured pearls. After oil was discovered in nearby Bahrain in 1932, many Qataris opted to migrate there for economic opportunities. Similarly, many migrated to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait after oil was discovered in those respective countries due to the relatively small size of Qatar's early oil industry.
In October 1973, the Arab oil embargo precipitated a sharp rise in global crude prices, which quadrupled over the course of the six-month restriction, creating what became known as the first oil shock. A second oil crisis followed in 1979, again driving up prices and leading to fuel shortages in consumer markets. The surge in revenue brought significant economic changes to Qatar, and allowed the state to institute national welfare policies for its citizens.
Ethnic groups
Bedouins
The Bedouins, comprising approximately 10% of Qatar's native population, are traditionally nomadic tribes who roamed the vast deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, unconcerned with political boundaries and recognizing only the authority of their tribal sheikhs. They did not settle permanently in one location. Several Bedouin tribes, such as Al Murrah and Al Ajman, migrated to Qatar from regions in modern Saudi Arabia like Najd and Al Hasa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, while others like Na'im and Al Manasir made the journey from the Trucial States. They typically entered Qatar during the winter to graze their camels. Notably, the Bani Hajer and Al Kaaban are the only Bedouin tribes considered indigenous to Qatar, though they also have branches in regions like Al Hasa and Bahrain.During the mid-20th century economic boom, many found work in the oil industry, police, army, and security services. The government settled Bedouin families in the 1960s, discouraging the nomadic lifestyle. Today, many live in urban areas but return to the desert to stay connected to their roots. Despite their small population, Bedouin tradition has a disproportionately outsized role in Qatari culture. Many Bedouins see themselves as noble and "pure" Arabs, often looking down on the settled population as influenced by urban and Persian elements. Intermarriage between these groups is rare.
Hadar
The Hadar community comprises those who inhabit the coastal villages across Qatar, having traditionally engaged primarily in maritime activities. This group includes tribes such as Bu Kuwara, Al Muhannadi, Al Mannai, Al Bin Ali, Al Sulaiti, Al Sada, Al Khulaifat, Al Sudan, Al Bu Samait, Al Buainain, Al Kubaisi, and Al Humaidat. These tribes often monopolized specific coastal areas or neighborhoods, which are still known by their tribal names today, such as the As Salatah and Al Khulaifat districts of old Doha. The Hadar's economic life heavily depended on the sea, influencing their cultural and social structures.Huwala
refers to Sunni Arab families who historically lived on the southern Persian coast before returning to the Arabian Peninsula. This group includes families such as Al Marzooqi, Al Hammadi, Al Jaber, Al Nasuri, and Al Mahmoud. They retained their Arab identity despite their time in Persia. Upon their return, they settled in areas like Qatar and Bahrain, where they were collectively known as Huwala. The term Qbaeil is used for a different group of Arabs who similarly migrated to Persia, but who returned to Qatar at an earlier date. J.G. Lorimer noted that around 2,000 Huwala lived in Doha and Al Wakrah by the early 20th century.Baharna
The Baharna community comprises tribes such as Al Sayegh, Al Haddad, Al Majid, and Al Safar. This group has historically been involved in various trades and crafts, and typically derive their names from inherited professions. For instance, the Al Sayegh family, translating to "goldsmith", is notable for its history of involvement in the country's goldsmithing industry. The Baharna, predominantly Shia Muslims, have faced discrimination within Qatari society due to their religious beliefs, despite their Arab roots.Transitional tribes
Transitional tribes include those that originally led nomadic lifestyles but later adopted a dual existence, living seasonally between the Qatari desert and coastal villages. These tribes, including Al-Maadeed, Al Dawasir, and Al Subaie, mostly transitioned to a settled lifestyle for economic reasons. The ruling Al Thani family belongs to this category, having migrated from Najd to Qatar in the late 17th century and settled in various coastal towns, eventually becoming prominent through trade and pearling activities.Afro-Arabs
Qatar's Afro-Arab population descends from slaves brought from East Africa for the pearling industry. In the early 1900s, approximately 6,000 Afro-Arabs were recorded as living in Qatar, of which more than 4,000 were slaves. After Qatar abolished slavery in 1956, many former slaves continued to carry the family names of their former masters and operate within that family's social network. The 1961 citizenship law ensured citizenship for former slaves whose families had been brought into the country prior to the 1930s.While some Arabs may view this group as "less" Qatari, most consider them full citizens. Despite occasional discrimination, this group is well integrated into Qatari society, and intermarriage is increasing. Unlike in the Atlantic slave trade, African descendants in the Gulf did not typically possess a diasporic consciousness or desire to return to their ancestral continent. Instead, they integrated into local social structures. Consequently, the history of enslavement is often suppressed, though traces persist in music forms like the liwa and tanboura. Exhibits at the Bin Jelmood House at Msheireb Museums document this history through photographs, installations, and oral interviews with Qataris of enslaved ancestry, such as musician and actress Fatma Shaddad.
Ajam
The Ajam, ethnic Shia Persians, were historically active in boat building, and still speak Farsi.Demographics
Qatar's government has supported population growth among native Qataris through extensive subsidies and social welfare programs, including housing loans, reduced dowries, and family allowances that grow with the number of children per couple. These measures are designed to promote marriages and larger families and have led to a significant increase in population. Historically, the Qatari government has been secretive about the total size of its native population, considering it a "national secret".Throughout the 20th century, Qatar's population saw dramatic changes. In 1904, the British Foreign Office estimated the population at approximately 27,000. Economic hardships in the early 20th century, exacerbated by the decline in pearl fishing and the Great Depression, reduced the population to around 16,000 by the mid-1940s. The discovery of oil in the late 1940s reversed this trend, leading to a population increase. By 1970, the first official census recorded 45,039 indigenous Qataris, although the true number was likely closer to 47,700 due to undercounting. Estimates by 1975 suggested the population had risen to 60,300, with the naturalization of foreign-born wives of Qatari men believed to contribute to a large percentage of this increase. Despite small-scale naturalization in specific instances, Qatar's naturalization policies, like most other Persian Gulf countries at the time, were relatively strict from the 1970s onward.
By the 1980s, more accurate and comprehensive demographic data became available. The 1986 census recorded 101,859 Qatari nationals, reflecting a high natural increase rate and increasing naturalization rates. The 1997 census showed an indigenous population of 151,771, with a notable rise in the number of births. By 2010, the population of Qataris aged 10 and above was 174,279, with a total indigenous population estimated at 240,042. An estimate in 2022 put the population of native Qataris at around 300,000. In recent years, the fertility rate among Qatari women has declined, mostly due to higher educational attainment and delayed marriages.