Al-Balushi (Arabic: البلوشي; alternatively Baloushi, Balooshi, Bloushi, Blooshi or Beloshi)[2] is a tribal surname common in the Arab states of the Gulf countries (predominantly Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Eastern Saudi Arabia and Southern Iraq). The surname is an Arabized form of the term Balochi or Baluchi[a], typically denoting Baloch ancestry from Balochistan.[3]
البلوشي | |
|---|---|
 Emirati political advisor Ahmed Bin Mahmoud Al Blooshi in Al Ain in 1960. | |
| Total population | |
| 1,196,000 (2018)[1] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Baloch diaspora |
Many people carrying this surname trace their ancestral origins to Balochistan — a region in modern-day southwestern Pakistan, southern Afghanistan and southeastern Iran.[4] Their ancestors primarily came from the Makran coast in the 18th century. The majority of them speak Arabic, while some retain their native Balochi language.[3] They are mainly Sunni Muslims.
Al-Balushis in Oman
edit
Oman is home to one of the largest Al-Balushi populations outside Pakistan and Iran. It is estimated that Al-Balushis make up 35% of its population.[5]
The presence of Al-Balushis in Oman dates back centuries, rooted in the connection between Makran (present-day Pakistan) and Oman. These regions shared economic and political ties, particularly through Gwadar Port, which historically served as a crucial link between Arabia, South Asia, and colonial European powers.[6]
Gwadar was under Omani rule for nearly two centuries, initially governed by Sultan bin Ahmad and later remaining part of the Omani Sultanate, until 1958. That year, Sultan Said bin Taimur sold the territory to Pakistan for $3 million, officially transferring control of Gwadar.[7]
People
editNotable people with this surname include:
Saudis
edit- Reem Al-Beloshi — Saudi footballer
- Rayan Al-Bloushi — Saudi footballer
Qataris
edit- Talal Al-Bloushi — Qatari footballer
- Mubarak Al Beloushi — Qatari footballer
- Fahad Khalfan Al Bloushi — Qatari footballer
- Mohammed Gholam Al Baloushi - Qatari footballer
- Abdullah Balideh Al Baloushi — Qatari football referee
- Waleed Hamzah Al Bloushi — Qatari footballer
Bahrainis
edit- Fatima bint Mohammed Al Balooshi — Bahraini politician
- Salah Abdul Rasool Al Blooshi — Bahraini Guantanamo detainee
Omanis
edit- Hazza Al-Balushi — Omani Quran reciter
- Azan Al-Balushi — Omani footballer
- Hamed Al-Balushi — Omani footballer
- Jamal Nabi Al-Balushi — Omani footballer
- Mohammed Al-Balushi — Omani footballer
- Muheeb Al-Balushi — Omani footballer
- Wadha Al-Balushi — Omani sports shooter
- Ali Anwar Al-Balushi — Omani sprinter
- Yousuf Al Balushi — Omani cricketer
- Hamed Al-Balushi — Omani footballer
Kuwaitis
edit- Abdullah Al-Buloushi — Kuwaiti footballer
- Mai Al Balushi — Kuwaiti actress
- Maram Al Balushi — Kuwaiti singer and actress
- Ammar al-Balushi — Kuwaiti-Pakistani Guantanamo detainee
- Mubarak Al Beloushi — Kuwaiti footballer
- Ahmad Al Beloushi — Kuwaiti footballer
- Ali Al-Balushi — Kuwaiti boxer
Emiratis
edit- Ahmed Bin Mahmoud Al Blooshi — Emirati political advisor
- Adeeb Al-Balushi — Emirati Inventor
- Mohammed Abbas Al Blooshi — Emirati footballer
- Issa Ali Al-Bloushi — Emirati footballer
- Mohammed Jumaa Al-Blooshi — Emirati footballer
- Khalid Abdulla Al-Blooshi — Emirati footballer
- Mohammed Abdullah Al-Balushi — Emirati footballer
- Khalid Al-Baloushi — Emirati footballer
- Walid Abbas Al-Balushi — Emirati footballer
- Hamad Al-Balooshi — Emirati footballer
- Mansoor Al-Baloushi — Emirati footballer
- Ali Salmeen Al-Blooshi — Emirati footballer
- Ayesha Al-Balooshi — Emirati weightlifter
- Ali Mohamed Al-Balooshi — Emirati middle-distance runner
- Jassem Yaqoub Al Blooshi — Emirati footballer
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ↑ Al-Najjar, Baqer Salman (2018). الحداثة الممتنعة في الخليج العربي: تحولات المجتمع والدولة [The Unrelenting Modernity in the Arabian Gulf: Transformations of Society and State] (in Arabic). Dar al Saqi. p. 275. ISBN 9786144255650.
- ↑ 'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol. II. Geographical and Statistical. J G Lorimer. 1908' [258] (285/2084).
- 1 2 Hawker, Ron (2015). "A Beginner's Guide to Tribes in the UAE". Digital Heritage in the UAE. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
Some tribes trace roots to other ethnic groups. Among the most important of these are the Baluch (or in Arabic, the Al Balooshi). Their ancestors came from the Baluchistan district split between Iran and Pakistan in the late 19th century.
- ↑ الياسين, عبدالعزيز بن مساعد (3 February 2007). كشاف الألقاب [Surnames index] (in Arabic). عبدالعزيز بن مساعد الياسين بواسطة مكتبة دار العروبة للنشر والتوزيع. pp. 38–9.
- ↑ Ahmad, Naveed (10 February 2016). "Harnessing the GCC's Baloch pedigree". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ↑ Nicolini, Beatrice (2021). Letter of Marque: The Gwadar Enclave of Ibadi Sultans of Oman and Its Interconnections with Asia. Olms-Weidmann. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ↑ Aamir, Adnan (11 December 2022). "Non-fiction: Deconstructing Gwadar". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 29 October 2024.