Turks in Saudi Arabia
Turks in Saudi Arabia also referred to as Turkish Arabians, Turkish Saudi Arabians, Saudi Arabian Turks, Arabian Turks or Saudi Turks (Turkish: Suudi Arabistan Türkleri, Arabic: الأتراك في السعودية) refers to ethnic Turkish people living in Saudi Arabia. The majority of Arabian Turks descend from Ottoman settlers who arrived in the region during the Ottoman rule of Arabia. Most Ottoman Turkish descendants in Saudi Arabia trace their roots to Anatolia; however, some ethnic Turks also came from the Balkans, Cyprus, the Levant, North Africa and other regions which had significant Turkish communities. In addition to Ottoman settlement policies, Turkish pilgrims to Mecca and Medina often settled down in the area permanently.
A group of Turkish pilgrims at Jabal Thawr to perform umrah | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
Turkish Arabian minority (i.e. Ottoman descendants only): 150,000 (1993 est.) Plus modern Turkish immigrants: 120,000-200,000 Total: est. 270,000-350,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Riyadh, Jeddah, Mecca | |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Turkish diaspora |
There has also been modern migration to Saudi Arabia from the Republic of Turkey as well as other modern nation-states which were once part of the Ottoman Empire.