Bahraini Sunni Arabs
# Bahraini Sunni Arabs

Bahraini Sunni Arabs are the Sunni Muslim inhabitants of Bahrain who are of Arab descent. They speak Bahraini Gulf Arabic, a dialect of Gulf Arabic, as opposed to Bahrani Arabic spoken by the native Shia Muslim Baharna. They are descended from invading Sunni Muslim Bedouin Arab tribes who arrived in 1783 following the Bani Utbah invasion of Bahrain.

## Origin

Bahraini Sunni Arabs originate from the Bani Utbah invasion of Bahrain in 1783. The Bani Utbah tribe arrived from Najd and succeeded in capturing the island after defeating the Zand Persian garrison stationed there. Among them, was the House of Khalifa, who continue to rule Bahrain until today. The Bani Utbah were originally from the southern Hejaz, they first migrated to near Qatar and then north near Basra in Iraq in the 17th century. Bani Utbah was a Bedouin Arab tribe that adhered to Maliki Sunni Islam, whereas the majority of Bahrain's people who they conquered were Persian-speaking Twelver Shi'ites. The Sunni Arabs settled in the central parts of the main Bahrain island, where they built a fort named Riffa.

## Language

The Bani Utbah maintained their Bedouin speech partially as a means of social distinction. Bahraini Sunni Arabs speak Bahraini Gulf Arabic, a variety of Gulf Arabic. The Arabic dialect represented on TV is almost always Bahraini Gulf Arabic, that of the Sunni population. Therefore, power, prestige and financial control are associated with the Sunni Arabs. This is having a major effect on the direction of language change in Bahrain.

## Politics

Bahraini Sunni Arabs dominate the Bahraini police force and military, although there are also Sunni foreigners from countries such as Iraq, Yemen and Jordan.

