'Asir Province - Ethnography

Ethnography

The population belongs almost entirely to ancient tribes native to the area such as Qahtan, Bareg, Bal-Garn, Elyan, Khatha'm, Rijal Alma, Rijal Al-Hajr, Amro, Shehr, Shahran, Bal-Asmar, and Bal-Ahmar, as well as a large confederation of tribes known as the 'Asir (or 'Asaryah), after whom the region was named. Their religion is chiefly Sunni Muslim of Shafii and Hanbali rites.

The inhabitants speak a conservative group of Arabic dialects. Most tribes in 'Asir are divided into three sub-parts based on their geographical location. The tribes of the central highlands are called sarat, the tribes of the western coastal plain are called tihama, and the tribes of the eastern desert region of 'Asir are referred to as badiyah. Thus many tribes are divided into sarat, tihama, and badiyah components.

The region's culture shares much in common with neighboring Yemen in its architectural style, which is adapted to cope with the occasional very heavy downpours by deflecting them from houses, but "he ways of the mountaineers tend towards those of Najd." 'Asir has been much less affected by the oil boom than has the rest of Saudi Arabia, and the modern urban development of cities like Riyadh is largely absent except to some extent in Abha, which serves as a resort town for many Saudis during the extremely hot summers. Tribal laws and customs are still exceedingly strong among the peoples of this region.