I was discussing this with a friend of mine today and thought it would be a good idea to post it here.

The question for every Saudi here is, do you consider yourself a Khaliji? The word Khaliji initially came from the word Khalij (gulf) and it refers to the Arabs who lived by the Arabian Gulf. So therefore all Kuwaiti, Bahraini, Qatari and Emirati people are considered Khalijis. I would also consider the people of Qatif and Ahsa regions of Saudi also Khalijis. But what about the majority of Saudis (who are from Hijaz, Najd and Aseer)?
I can see many cultural differences between Saudis and other GCC countries. For example, it’s easy to relate all Gulf dialects to each other. But try to compare the Najdi dialect to the Bahraini? Or the Hijazzi dialect to the Kuwaiti?
There are other non cultural differences between Khalijis and Saudis. The Khalijis are much wealthier than Saudis. Khalijis are more liberal than the Saudis.
This brings me to the idea of GCC and whether Saudi Arabia belongs to the union or not!

So what do you think??

i was confused about these word Khaliji for long time ago,anyway i think only the eastern side who located on Arabian Gulf.

aren't hijazis the most liberal and friendly? also hijazis are true desendants of the people from Prophets time.

^^
true, hijazis are more liberal than allot of khalijes
about if I am khaliji or not
I consider my self as a non-khaliji

Persian gulf.

Well, its a good topic. Personally, nowadays citizens of the GCC countries are considered Khaleeji. However, the culture of the countries in the Arabian Gulf, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, and Oman have evolved throughout the years through its dependence on the Arabian Gulf for trade, food, and basic life. Therefore, its people are closely related by one culture. Perhaps Hejazees from Jeddah have their own distint culture--more closely related to Yemen.. Perhaps I am wrong, but Saudi is a huuuuge country with different accents, people, and cities--not like the countries in the Arabian Gulf.

lol yeah i am Khaleeji and Khaleeji since i am from UAE and Qatar :) since i am 3/4 Qatari and 1/4 Emarati Dont ask why you wouldnt understand my explenation lol

we are actually talking about whether to call Saudi Khalijis or not. I personally was born and rasised in Riyadh and I don't really consider myself Khaliji..

Halawala,

Sometimes people use the phrase "The Gulf and Saudi Arabia" which indirectly excludes Saudis from being Khalijis. I guess we can only call ourselves Khalijis because Saudi Arabia is a member of the GCC. But what if Yemen joins the council? would you call Yemenis Khalijis. What if Jordan joins the council?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Saudi people are different from the Arabian Gulf people in many ways. Kuwaiti, Qatari, Emeriati and Bahraini can easily relate themselves to the Gulf historically socially and even economically. On the other hand, there are Saudis (or should I say MOST Saudis) who never even saw the Arabian Gulf!

but if yemen or jordan join the meaning Khaliji will be useless the term Khaliji is only suggesting that the country borders the arabian gulf but Iraq and Iran have more chance of Coming in the GCC than Yemen or Jordan.

your post is disappointing lol but its sadly true

Im from Jeddah and yeah..I consider my self as :) 5aliji :)
since the 80s and ((Efta7 ya simsim)) looooooooooooooooooooool
but I think everyone here who doesn't feel as "khliji" he'll know inside himself that we're not just neighbors or sharing the same cost line...no we're sharing our blood and our traditions..
for my self I dont feel the khaliji ppl as ppl from other country..there are just from hmmmmm let's say other region within one country...
and we'll fell that stronger after 2011 ;)

^^you mean Currency Unification?

I personally was born and rasised in Riyadh and I don't really consider myself Khaliji..

thats becuz Riyadh is in the middle and far from the Gulf lol... unless if youre from Dhahran or Khobar etc :D

yeah the enviroment and the culture of riyadh is very different from the gulf region. I acutally like Riyadh because it is big and open unlike gulf cities which are very condense and crowded. Riyadh also has very good weather compared to gulf cities which are so humid and hot. Riyadh is dry heat so its not too bad.

Riyadh also has very good weather compared to gulf cities which are so humid and hot. Riyadh is dry heat so its not too bad.
:nuts: :ohno: :bash: :nono:

have you ever experienced somoum winds?? رياح السموم؟
when the winds became exactly as the hair dryer's air ??? I am not joking!!!

i know i lived there, but those winds only happen few times. also its not as bad as extreeme humidity

thats becuz Riyadh is in the middle and far from the Gulf lol... unless if youre from Dhahran or Khobar etc :D

well, Riyadh has about 1/5 of the total population. The west coast including Aseera and Jazan has probablty 3/5 of the population. The population of the whoe eastern province are less than 2 million and most of them are not originally from there.

^^you mean Currency Unification?

I dont think that it will ever happen!

ok,, nice topic Riyadhi :)

ok im not arab, im kuwaiti and i consider myself khaliji, so its not only for arab, right ? ;)

and yeah i guess saudis are culturaly different than the other gulf countries, this is the first time i think about it...

did saudi arabia have pearl divers and did they have a close connection with the sea like kuwaitis, bahraini and qataris?

I think there were pearl divers in Suadi, in Qatif and Ahsa areas. But I don't think that 90% of Saudis have any connection with Arabian Gulf. That's why I started this topic..

^
yes, Hasawis or generally ppl originally from east cost do
I have no idea about ppl from west cost
but still ... Im not khaliji
<--- from Riyadh
do you know old ppl originally from the center (Najdis) will ever never eat fish and beef (but all my family do eat them except my grandmas)

CrazY....how come Kuwaiti but not Arab :?

^
CrazY....how come Kuwaiti but not Arab :?
he maybe not originally from Kuwait but grow up and living there.

my ancestry came from persia, the founder of my family came to kuwait before the establishment of the state of kuwait 1920....

so im kuwaiti and not arab

most arabs are not really from arabian origins but they are still arabs..

"ألا إن العربية ليست بأب ولا بأم ولكن العربية اللسان، فمن تكلم العربية فهو عربي"

that's not our topic of discussion anyways...

what stupid thread name ever ........i think it's skyscapercity.com site not chat for private nationality

are you khaliji^ lol

are you khaliji^ lol

LOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOL:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

what stupid thread name ever ........i think it's skyscapercity.com site not chat for private nationality

In my opinion, you are stupid because this sub-forum (Sky Bashka) is for non skyscraper related topics and you failed to realize that... and that's stuipdity :)

Now go troll in your backyard...:bash:

what stupid thread name ever ........i think it's skyscapercity.com site not chat for private nationality

Its under Sky Bashka so its allowed and if you think its stupid, dont participate. :)

It's really stunning! Saudi Arabia has the longest coastline by the Arabian gulf yet the majority of its area is not located near the gulf. I think Saudis don't need any names to call themselves with unlike other tiny Gulf states which are not well-known worldwide.

It's really stunning! Saudi Arabia has the longest coastline by the Arabian gulf yet the majority of its area is not located near the gulf. I think Saudis don't need any names to call themselves with unlike other tiny Gulf states which are not well-known worldwide.

Invalid argument. :D

1.A lot of Saudis live near the Arabian Gulf in the Eastern Province
2. Gulf countries are tied culturally, economically, politically (somewhat), family, socially, ect...
3. Gulf states are well-known world wide.
4. Oman has the smallest coastline in the Arabian Gulf, but it is still considered a Gulf country. Geography is not nessessary a factor here.

^^Eastern Province

Invalid argument. :D

1.A lot of Saudis live near the Arabian Gulf in the Eastern Province
2. Gulf countries are tied culturally, economically, politically (somewhat), family, socially, ect...
3. Gulf states are well-known world wide.
4. Oman has the smallest coastline in the Arabian Gulf, but it is still considered a Gulf country. Geography is not nessessary a factor here.

1- A lot but not the majority.
2- Saudi Arabia has many cultures & larger economy. I'm not sure about the family & social matters.
3- Gulf states are known as gulf states in general but if you come to the individual names I'm not sure how many wsterners are going to recognize that Qatar is a name of a gulf state for instance.
4- Oman is a gulf state as Saudi is but the thread as I understand is not about Saudi Arabia being a gulf state or not, it's about how far does the Saudi people consider themselves Khalijis.

Well, yes I think Tonnerre is with me on this. We all know Saudi Arabia has a long costal line on the Gulf but that's not an enough reason for a Najdi or a Hijazi to conider himself a Khaliji. The Saudis who live on the gulf are actually a minority comparing to the Saudi population and even the mjority of those who live in Khobar, Dammam, Jubail and Dhahran are not originally from the Eastern provience and they did not even adopt the Khaliji culture. I can though see the Khaliji culture clearly in Qatif and Ahsaa. They are both relatively small regions with a population of only 1.5 million.

If you noticed I did use Oman as an example of the Khaliji cultures because I also don't think that Omani people have the close cultural similarities that UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain share. Yet, it's alot closer to the Khaliji culture than Saudi Arabia even though they don't really have much of a costline on the Arabian Gulf.

Wether gulf states are known or not is aother issue...

Sorry but I have few more points to mention,

The family ties that Halawala is talking about actually exist but on the Saudi scale they are not really worth mentioning I guess. I mean there are plenty of Marri families in Qatar have relatives in Saudi (in Hasa and Yabrin). And alot of Hajri, Shammiri, Unzi famliies in Kuwait have relatives in Saudi (mainly in Hafr Al batin and Nayyriyah). While this is a well known thing in Kuwait and and Qatar, most Saudis don't even know that...

Saudi is really a multi Arabian culture and I don't think it's right to call other than Arabian. I mean it's Saudi ARABIA.

On another issue, I'm not against any kind of unity between neighboring countries but is the GCC thing really working? Should Saudi arabian remain in the council?
I honestly think that Saudi Arabia does not belong to the council anymore for political, economic and social reasons. And I think the council might be able to establish a more efficient unity without Saudi..

I honestly think that Saudi Arabia does not belong to the council anymore for political, economic and social reasons. And I think the council might be able to establish a more efficient unity without Saudi..

Umm, but Saudi Arabia is the HQ of the GCC, while Sheik Zayed contributed to the formation of the GCC, it was formed largely to have an influence over its Ajam neighbor in the north.

Riyadh is the headquarters of the GCC! So, therefore by calling Riyadhis unkhaleejis is awkward--although they themselves decide if they want to. The idea was formed of the six states that participated in the Foreign Ministers' meeting held in Riyadh on 4 February 1981--while the first GCC meeting was in Abu Dhabi.

Besides, Iran lies in the Arabian Gulf, too. Do we consider Iranian Khaleejis? Of course not--since they are not Arab and hence do not share the same culture as the rest of the people. Besides, a lot of the GCC nationals are orginally from Saudi Arabia and Yemen--which is the spring of Arabia. My argument is that defining Khaleeji is not JUST a geographical term, but also a greater political, and cultural term. I mean it almost wonders me how come you guys dont consider urself Khaleejis? You can think of course whatever you want..

Maybe perhaps the term Khaleeji is not defined by one culture,and rather many cultures. For example, bedoins in Qatar might act socially the same way as some bedoins in Najd or something. Some of the "Hathar" are more liberal like some in Jeddah. So, there are many different cultures and traditions--but they are all Khaleejis--weather they are Bedoins or Hathar, Arab-originally, Huwaillas, or Ajam, Sinna or Shia, black or white. They are Khallejis.
in the end we are Muslims worshipping one God, and this is the most imporant thing.

We have already established that Iranian people can not be Khalijis. Khalijis are the Arabs who live on the Arabian Gulf. But we all know that most of Saudi Arabia can not be linked in any way to the gulf. I do not know if you have been to Hijaz, Najd or Aseer but the cultures there are entirely different from other gulf countries. I’m talking about the dialects, food habits, and even level of religious conservatism. I can see more cultural links between Aseer and Yemen than Aseer and the Gulf; or between Hijaz and Egypt than Hijaz and the Gulf. I know there are many Saudis in the Eastern Province who you can not differentiate between them and Kuwaitis or Qataris culturally but again, they are a minority relatively to the Saudi population.

The politically driven media has been trying to convince us for decades that we are the same, but in reality we are not. And if it was not for the political body, the GCC, maybe we would have considered ourselves just Arabs.

Looking at the situation today, the Gulf States are becoming more liberal while Saudi is still the traditional conservative kingdom with minor changes. The gap between Saudis and other gulf citizens in terms of finance and welfares is actually increasing. The Gulf States are increasingly becoming multi cultural societies with the locals being a minority while Saudis are dominating the kingdom’s population even more. The regions politics are unfortunately creating tension between Saudis the citizens of the Gulf and therefore driving them away even further.

Anywas, I’m not really saying that I don’t want to be Khaliji. I’m simply saying that I’m not.

Those to the north, the Ajams, is insulting. Get over this kind of talk and inferiority complex. Those to the north of the Persian Gulf are Persian and so are many to the south of the Persian Gulf. They are sometimes referred to as bandari.

let's make it simply
UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain=Khaliji
Damam,Khoobar,Jubail=Sharqawi(Eastern)
Ryadh=Njdi
Makkah,Jeddah=Higazi/Makawi
Abha,Baha,Baljurshi,Jizan=Jnobi(South)

.....and so on ;)

I always thought the term "Khaliji" referred to GCC member states, because the council is called the "Gulf" council. So a Saudi from Jeddah is still Khaliji because his country, Saudi Arabia, is part of the Gulf Council, and not because his country has a coast on the Gulf which he doesn't live on.

Although the accents differ from one Gulf state to another, and I do agree that some parts of Saudi Arabia would show more variation naturally since they're further away from others... I still think that in general a Gulf tinge is there. Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan have different accents but overall I group them together, except for some parts of Jordan which are bedouin. I also consider Iraq as a whole to possess a Gulf accent, and so does Yemen.

People in the peninsula in general wear similar clothes and have similar cultural practices. I think Yemen should be part of the GCC. We have a large Emirati-Yemeni population, and they've easily integrated into the local Emirati culture. Emirati-Persians who came from the Hormozgan province of Iran overlooking the Gulf, also easily integrated. But I don't consider current inhabitants of Hormozgan and other provinces on the Gulf to be "Khaliji" because of their language and clothing differences... although culturally they are very similar and they do have a minority Arab population.

I agree with Riyadhi's comment about KSA having a majority Arab population as opposed to other GCC states that have a high expatriate population. When I visited KSA, I was impressed by the concentrated Arab population relative to Dubai. I thought they should start tourism commercials for "Saudi Arabia, truly Arabia".

As the saying goes: "My brother and I against my cousin; my cousin and I against a stranger". You can stick to fellow Najdis or Hejazis locally, but in the Arab World and international picture, you are closer to khalijis from Qatar than zalameh from Syria. If an Egyptian took a look at you, he'll call you khaliji.

In the end we're all ignorant Beverly Hillbillies who struck black gold in our sandy backyards, drive 4x4 vehicles, cover our women with black cloaks, have servants, dance with swords, drive crazily, and like to spend generously on huge dinners with rice and lamb/goat and eat with our hands like the true Gulf savages that we are ;)

Those to the north, the Ajams, is insulting. Get over this kind of talk and inferiority complex. Those to the north of the Persian Gulf are Persian and so are many to the south of the Persian Gulf. They are sometimes referred to as bandari.

Calm down buddy! Ajam means non-Arab, not an insulting word. I didnt mean it in an insulting way--an in way are we superior to Iranians, nor the other way around.

In the end we're all ignorant Beverly Hillbillies who struck black gold in our sandy backyards, drive 4x4 vehicles, cover our women with black cloaks, have servants, dance with swords, drive crazily, and like to spend generously on huge dinners with rice and lamb/goat and eat with our hands like the true Gulf savages that we are ;)

:D Yes we are. I have to go now, I hear my oil rig in my backyard ringing... hehee

^^
loooooool
I remember that I was sitting with Koreans
and they asked me how many oil fields that I have !!!

but I dont think that we have to withdraw from the GCC council
we have to stay there, even with all of our differences

^^ damn it...did you HAVE to mention the "huge dinners with rice and lamb/goat"? :(

I miss that..

^^
loooooool
I remember that I was sitting with Koreans
and they asked me how many oil fields that I have !!!

but I dont think that we have to withdraw from the GCC council
we have to stay there, even with all of our differences


What did the council accomplish? The gulf cup :nuts: ?

And isn't Saudi Arabia slowing the council?

^^ I like their inter-GCC train proposal, and it looks like it'll go through. Also their use of ID cards at checkpoints. GCC women can marry GCC men of other nationalities without many passport/legal complications ;)

And don't they have military commitments also... Desert Shield or something like that. We're tiny, we need each others' help.

KSA is just the big daddy of us all.

And isn't Saudi Arabia slowing the council?
thats why we have to stay :naughty:
loool I'm joking

I know a Saudi from Jeddah and he consider himself a Khaliji. It isn't really related to the Gulf at all. It is about 6 countries with common interests !!

I know a Saudi from Jeddah and he consider himself a Khaliji. It isn't really related to the Gulf at all. It is about 6 countries with common interests !!

All of the Saudis here in Sharjah and Dubai consider themselves Khaleejis...

I know a Saudi from Jeddah and he consider himself a Khaliji. It isn't really related to the Gulf at all. It is about 6 countries with common interests !!

what do you mean by interests... political interests?
cuz we are not really talking about the polical situation but rather the cultural ties.
would your friend from Jeddah have called himself Khaliji if it was not for the GCC?

^^ I wouldn't call myself a khaliji if it wasn't for GCC.

I think Saudis call themselves Khalijis when they are in a GCC state but when they come back to their country they totally forget the term Khaliiji

^^ I wouldn't call myself a khaliji if it wasn't for GCC.

hmmmm so you agree that the term "Khaliji" is more political than cultural, right?

hmmmm so you agree that the term "Khaliji" is more political than cultural, right?

Its a political-cum-cultural term. It was created as a political term but evolved to include a cultural denoation to it.

hmmmmmm I still don't see many culturlal ties there....

Do you think that Manamah is closer culturally to Riyadh than Amman for example?

Khalji is a political identity, not a cultural one.

Therefore,

Culturally, most of the Saudis, (and Omani) are not Khalijis.

Politically, they are.

Do we have AtaSaudi as same as AtaTurk? :)

AtaArab...j/k

The name of this Iranian song is Khalij. Is that the same thing, lol.

EoINlr-cM8w

Do we have AtaSaudi as same as AtaTurk? :)

AtaArab...j/k



Yes, we do have...it is me...!

hahaha

I know a Saudi from Jeddah and he consider himself a Khaliji. It isn't really related to the Gulf at all. It is about 6 countries with common interests !!


Precisly, i dont see the rational of opening this topic, Saudis cannot be diffrent from Khaleejes quite simply because most of us either originated from the central regions of the arabian platue or share close family ties, now geographicaly speeking and how geography might have effected the outcomes of peoples daily lives is completly diffrent, its due to the environemtn and what sources of income were feasbel at the time, for example the UAE;s in land Al Ain was based on farming while Sharjah and Dubai were based on pearls diving, that essentialy does not meen that ppl from al ain would be considering wether they are khaleejeis or not?
you see what i am trying to say?

in addition il khaleej is forging a new identity nowa days its no longer based on geographic location but more on social interactions and similarites KUWAITIS share more in commen to saudi the IRAN NN, (thankyouverymuch), we are very closely interrealted for example and our history determins this fact of life.

in addition political formations, that are currently in progress, are also forging a new identity, most of us in commen discussion refer to our selves as kuwaitis or saudis or emaraties etc, but more recently we have been using ilkhaleej far more often correct like 7ina bil 5aleej for example which in its own effect is forging a new identity, which incompassess all 6 countries and thier nations regardless of locality or geography and yes including il 7ijaz.

and i if you talk of places like hail, or qassim or najd these are ansestirol homes for most people in hte gulf including thier royal families for that matter, even the dreded Al Thani of Qatar come from Najd, Al Khalifa and Al Sabah as well, whil Al Nahayan come from Western Hijaz and southern Saudi as an example you see?

I agree that the many Saudi families who live in the Eastern providence share very strong ties with other families in other gulf countries and most importantly they share the same gulf (khalij) so it's absolutely legitimate to call them ‘Khalijis’… what I don’t agree with is calling the people from Hijaz, Najd and Aseer Khalijis while many of them have never even seen the gulf!!

so i think “Khaliji” is simply a political term and has very little to do with culture..

We have many Yemenis in the UAE and except their gat habit :tongue2: we are almost the same. Who cares about the cultural differences if we are 95% the same?

even the dreded Al Thani of Qatar come from Najd,

Why dreaded? :ohno:

Why dreaded? :ohno:

lol i dont meen to be antegonistic in any form, i belive its related to my preception of the ruling family in Qatar, i fear if i voice out my opinions about them you might consider it personal? but my preception of various ruling families in the gulf isnt....exactly flowery;)

so i think “Khaliji” is simply a political term and has very little to do with culture..[/QUOTE]


i can disagree with you very much, well based on very basic yet important commen social cultures that are shared, the diffrences in acsent are not really an issue, let us consider for example the fact that most gulf countries are small in size and thierfor the avalibility of diffrent spoken acsents isnt a luxuary (if you view it to be a luxury) most countries in this region would enjoy, but rather the cultural similarities based on major historical facts is what should be considerd here in this discussion.
small as they might be such factors, yet extreemly important in a study varifing cultural similarties would be: and yes i am being serious food, clothing,dance, even gossip(diwania majlis,maylis) ,belive it or not these are a major indication of extreem cultural similarties, especially in a rather rugged and harsh terrian as the arabian peninsula, where forigen interactions have really only been limited to the recent years following the discovery of oil and the sudden wave of immigration that followed and some of whom got lucky anfd got naturalized and are currently advocating thier nationalism far more than the ORIGINAL locals, but not only that they are claiming not to be arab openly in some of the forums i saw earlier, say for example kuwait and the wave of 3ajam.

as i know and every kuwaiti knows, that the wave of 3agad to kuwait was far more greater in the 1970s and 80s by the unfortunate nationalization laws in the coutry... thats why most of them have bedoon relatives, and i don't know how :S

Look you must understand, its a simple fact this is an arab country and has for long been an arab country with close ties to our neghibours in the south......you know flying the red flag and pretending to fit in is not really logical your still forigen by blood, and by faith! but i dont want to get into this discussion at the moment, il bedoon are ppl which are related to the 3ajam

Study on Kuwait Recently published in the Foregn Relations Magazine Boston.

Although the most important social division in the country is between citizens and foreigners, the indigenous population is internally divided along a number of lines as well. The first is sectarian. The majority of Kuwaiti nationals are Sunnis Muslims; the minority are Shia. Figures have never been published on the number of Shia, but estimates in the 1980s ranged from 15 to 25 percent of the national population. Shia are a diverse group. Some are Arab, many the descendants of immigrants from Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province) in Saudi Arabia or from Bahrain. Others are of Iranian origin, who often speak Farsi as well as Arabic at home and sometimes maintain business or family ties with Iranians across the gulf. After the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the subsequent Iran-Iraq War of 1980-88, this Shia community experienced a renewed sense of sectarian identification. The identification resulted from sympathy with their revolutionary coreligionists in Iran and from increasing government and social discrimination. During the 1980s, the tension between Sunnis and Shia, which had erupted occasionally in the past, became somewhat sharper.
Kuwaitis are also divided to a certain extent along class lines. Although the national population is generally well off because of the state's generous employment policies regarding nationals and its extensive social services, important divisions nonetheless exist between the country's economic elite and the rest of the population. The wealthiest Kuwaitis are members either of the ruling family or of what was once a powerful and still distinct merchant class. Many of these are descendants of the Bani Utub, the original central Arabian tribe that settled Kuwait in the eighteenth century. The most important and wealthiest of the Bani Utub are members of the Al Sabah, the ruling family of Kuwait. The economic elite is largely Sunni. However, some Shia families and individual Shia are also wealthy.

Despite these internal divisions, the national population is also characterized by a strong sense of national identity. There are no important ethnic divisions: the national population is overwhelmingly Arab. The major sectarian divisions are subsumed in the larger shared Islamic identity. And unlike many of its neighbors, Kuwait is not a twentieth-century colonial fabrication. It has been an autonomous political and social unit since the eighteenth century.

Look you must understand, its a simple fact this is an arab country and has for long been an arab country with close ties to our neghibours in the south......you know flying the red flag and pretending to fit in is not really logical your still forigen by blood, and by faith! but i dont want to get into this discussion at the moment, il bedoon are ppl which are related to the 3ajamSo What is wrong in being 3ajami again? Since when being an Arab country means rejecting other ethnic races when they are all citizens of that country?

Since treason is commited smussuw since treatory to your country and fellow citizens is committed, at times of crises!

Khalji is a political identity, not a cultural one.

Therefore,

Culturally, most of the Saudis, (and Omani) are not Khalijis.

Politically, they are.

What are they culturally? Do people in KSA indentify their ethnicity by tribes, by any chance?

I know a few Palestinians who were born & raised in Western Saudi Arabia, and they do not consider themselves to be Khaleeji. They say they also speak a different type of Arabic. Any detailed info on this matter would be appreciated.
Thanks.

^^ so how is our cultures different? the way we dance? :tongue2:

^^ Don't know. Thats why I am asking you. The language/dialect is the only difference they told me.

lol i dont meen to be antegonistic in any form, i belive its related to my preception of the ruling family in Qatar, i fear if i voice out my opinions about them you might consider it personal? but my preception of various ruling families in the gulf isnt....exactly flowery;)

LooL, no I respect your comments very much, and I agree with some parts of them throughout this forum actually. U really know how to explain a point :) But, some points I dont really agree..

But I love my Emir very much. LooL i dont know if it has anything to do with this thread or not. hehe

^^ so how is our cultures different? the way we dance? :tongue2:
loooool, but honestly that make sense

Also Kabsa is different from Machboos :)

^^ no man ,try ma36oob mshakkal.......................i love it

I also consider Iraq as a whole to possess a Gulf accent

As a whole? As a whole doesn't possess a Gulf accent or dialect. They may have similarities, however unless you are referring to Bedouin accent or those living near the Basra-Gulf coast, much of the rest of Iraq speak dialects that are "mostakilla مستقلة" in the same way Egypt is. The Iraqi dialect is very influenced by Turkish, Kurdish, Assyrian and Iranian. If you go to Mosul, they speak their own dialect which is close to Halab or Aleppo in Syria, western Iraqis speak about the same dialect as Northern Jordanians, etc. That dance music that is popular in the khaleej such as "El Bortokala" is considered cheap low class kawaliya (gypsy) material by Iraqis. Many people have a mainstream pop culture view of Iraq and fail to understand that Iraq is a country full of dialects, culture, and religions. We may join the Gulf Football tournament for sport purposes, but as a whole are not raised with "khalejona wa7d" mentality save for a minority of opportunists.

^^ no man ,try ma36oob mshakkal.......................i love it
I tried it once, and I'll never try it again
but I like motabbag
do you know that ma39oob and motabbag are Indonesian food? :)

^^ no i didnt.............:?

Yemeni traders brought this food back with them after their trips there

If it was my heart that's speaking, I'd say: Saudis are Khaleejis, period. :)
But to take your question from a more rational point of view, I'd say that most Saudis are Khaleeji, but not always by nature. Let me explain.
To me I think that the Eastern Province is the lone true Khaleeji region in Saudi Arabia, but when it comes to Nejd or Hejaz, it's different.
I believe that Hejaz as a region has its own distinct culture, I also believe that this "distinct" culture resulted because Hejaz is a melting bot. When you try to trace the family lineage of most Hejazis, you will find that half of them if not most of them are from outside the peninsula. For example, there are Saudi Hejazis who have their origins in Russia, and some who have their origins in Central Asia or Africa. I think this is mainly due to the existence of Mecca and Medina in that region, and also because a lot of ethnically non-Arab states and empires have controlled the region throughout the ages, bringing their cultures and settlers with them.
Nowadays, I strongly believe that the Hejazi culture has faded in the shadow of the so called "Saudi" culture, though to me it's not Saudi it's Nejdi. The population of Hejaz was and is still heavily Saudified (if that word is grammatically right :|), for example look at the way Hejazis dress, they dress just like Nejdis. They wear thobes and shimaghs, and they call it their national dress. The only thing remaining is the Hejazi accent and a little bit of tolerance (which is rarely found between the Nejdis), I think that's fading and melting too.
So, Hejazis are not originally Khaleeji to me, but they were Khaleejized.
Now, in the case of Nejd. It's a whole different scenario. To me, since I'm myself a Nejdi, I see that the difference between the Gulf and Nejd is the dialect and that Nejd was influenced more by the Wahhabist thought, due to its isolation and the less of civilizations in its history.
The accent is almost the same, the same words go in both accents the only difference is replacing the Khaleeji "ch" with a Nejdi "ts" (some people call it a Qassimi "ts" :D), and also that the Nejdis keep the Arabic "j (Jeem)" the same, whereas the Khaleejis replace it with a "y (Ya)", for example Masjid (which is Arabic for mosque) is still Masjid in Nejdi, but it's Masyed in Khaleeji. I think this slight difference in accents is okay since not all Khaleeji accents are the same, for example compare the Kuwaiti to the Emirati or Omani accents, you'll find lots of differences. So, Nejd is Khaleeji to me by nature, except that it is a little bit less liberal than the Gulf.
So when adding the Khaleeji-related Nejd, to the already-Khaleeji Eastern Province, and also with the Khaleejized Hejaz. That gives a fully Khaleeji state :D.
Yet still, with some differences than the other Khaleeji states due to their low numbers of population and area, thus they can keep a single form of culture. But you can NEVER say that KSA is not a Khaleeji state or dare to compare it with Yemen. :bash:
Peace out guys :nocrook:

I considering my self hejazi not really 5aleji, I actually consider myself more hejazi than Saudi because this land has come and gone between different rulers and empires however we've still been here. My family has been in Makkah and it's surroundings (taif) for as long as I know. I have never been to the gulf countries as many Hejazi people aswell so I don't see why people are throwing them into the Khaleeji category! Most people have the idea that all of Arabia is khaleej or even all of Saudi... which is awfully wrong.

:)

I believe that Hejaz as a region has its own distinct culture, I also believe that this "distinct" culture resulted because Hejaz is a melting bot. When you try to trace the family lineage of most Hejazis, you will find that half of them if not most of them are from outside the peninsula. For example, there are Saudi Hejazis who have their origins in Russia, and some who have their origins in Central Asia or Africa. I think this is mainly due to the existence of Mecca and Medina in that region, and also because a lot of ethnically non-Arab states and empires have controlled the region throughout the ages, bringing their cultures and settlers with them.
Nowadays, I strongly believe that the Hejazi culture has faded in the shadow of the so called "Saudi" culture, though to me it's not Saudi it's Nejdi. The population of Hejaz was and is still heavily Saudified (if that word is grammatically right :|), for example look at the way Hejazis dress, they dress just like Nejdis. They wear thobes and shimaghs, and they call it their national dress. The only thing remaining is the Hejazi accent and a little bit of tolerance (which is rarely found between the Nejdis), I think that's fading and melting too.

*clap* as a proud Hijazi that has spent her entire life hopping between Jeddah and Riyadh, well said my friend, WELL SAID! Very very well articulated.

^^
Just when I thought no one read that you brought hope back to my life..! :D
Thank you.. :hug:

^^^^ the people who live on both sides are Arabs...so what do you need us to call it?? :)
I tell you what..you call it Persian and we'll call it Arabian,or maybe something like Arabsian or Perabian..or anything you like :)
the most important thing is don't be sad for just a small thing like this.other wise,is going to harm your health,and it's going to stay Arabian!!
just joking,isn't :D

children should go to bed

Well, since the land is owned and inhabited by Arabs, I think they should have the right to call it whatever they want =)

After your president goes nuts and attacks us all and takes over, you can name it whatever you want ^_^

Hahaha no we Iranians are not arabs we are Persians! God bless that and don't denied it its by the international community called Persian Gulf also in the atlas it is Persian gulf maybe you arabs must accept that!
Iranian Arabs (Persian: عربان ايرانی) are the Arabic-speaking peoples of Iran. Most Iranian Arabs live in the coastal regions of southern Iran
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Arabs

Arabian gulf ( i feel like wanna tease somechild lol)

the Persian gulf!:)
end of discussion!:)
which gulf??the Arabian gulf??

before I look to my atlas go and look to your parsian language book..
which letters do you see?? Parsian or Arabian?

^^Persian 0.0
you arabs are very uneducated. Geographically it's called Persian Gulf. Going back to middle school? :lol:

Here we go again :| Same old BS discussion about the persian gulf. Do u think hijacking every thread and telling them not to call it the A.... Gulf, will convince them? No it won't!

yeah actually, i don't give a f about arabs not calling it Persian Gulf or calling it whatever else, absolutely careless. if it makes them happy then let them call it Ar... Gulf in their little sky Baskha forum. Dreaming on...:) the rest of the world call it persian Gulf.

وش طبب هالمبزرة لاحول ههه
تعال اس جي مسح رداديدهم ربنا يمسح خطاياك :D
وعلى فكرة البزر الاولاني اكره ماله شي اسمه سعودي مره شفته جالس يحش فينا
الحتسي كله عامي عشان مايطلعونه في قوقل :naughty:
واذا جيتوا تردون ردوا بالسعودي باي رطنة محلية قح وكثروا ابستاماات عشان "يندزهرون" اللي فهم الكلمة الاخيرة له مني اللي يبي :D

I think people from Basra and Zubair in Iraq and Arabs from Ahwaz and western shores of Iran are more Khaleeji than people from Hijaz and Riyad.

ياخي من جد ... فيهم كبر و يشوفون الناس الثانين خصوصا حنا أقل منهم :)
ترى الدعوة مب خطأ جغرافي أو زي كذا ... لا تلقاهم يقولون من هـ العرب ذولي ، ما يستاهلون يسمى خليج باسمهم ..( فيه بحر بكبره إسمه بحر العرب ، خلهم يفرحون بخليجهم:lol: )

أذكر طلعوني مره من أحد منتديـ اتهم ( وش وداني هناك ؟ عارف:nuts: ) عشاني فزعت ( أتحدى قوقل يعرف هـ الكلمة ) للبحرين و إنهما مب تبعهم ... عطوني حظر مدى الحياة :banana: و رسالة المشرف كانت عنـ صرية بشكل مقزز ..

وينك يا س ج ، قشع مشاركاتهم من هنا و ريحن :cheers:

عادي ما استغربها منهم. ما درو انه حدهم معلم شاورما و لا حلاق عندنا :lol:

^^Persian 0.0
you arabs are very uneducated. Geographically it's called Persian Gulf. Going back to middle school? :lol:

Can you please read the rules of the forum:

No Arabian/Persian Gulf fights both sides.This is the Saudi forum and respect what they are writing. You can feel free to comment or reply but not to bring up this issue.

I want to apologize from everyone here if i said anything disrespectful. I really didn't mean to offend anyone here, forgetting the fact that i was offended myself. Again, i apologize.

^^ sweet :hug:

You have the right to call it whatever u want but there is no point fighting about it all the time.

edit

عادي ما استغربها منهم. ما درو انه حدهم معلم شاورما و لا حلاق عندنا :lol:

ماقد شفت ايراني على الطبيعة في السعودية

^^ طيب شف في بطريق الملك عبدالله بالرياض مطعم ايراني حق شورما جنب ماما نورة. رح وشفهم على الطبيعة

^^ يعني شكلهم غير عندهم عجوة او قرون مثلا
خذ لك فرة علي القسم الايراني هنا ووفر المشوار

^^
Just when I thought no one read that you brought hope back to my life..! :D
Thank you.. :hug:

No problem!

Long live Al Hijaz (L)

and Najd <333

.. وه أشوى
هو صدز بس قضيتوا :D

I agree that the Hijazi culture and identity is fading to extinction :( .

As much as we want to deny it, as every day passes, there is less to differentiate between us and the Najdis. Heck, outside of Saudi nobody knows the difference anymore.

isn't that a good thing ?
to have a new identity , not hijazi, not najdi , but SAUDI ?

No.

1) I don't believe in nationalism.
2) Even worse, when the "common" identity and culture is nothing more than the lowest common denominator: 3ar9a, kabsa, 5aima ...yack yack yack

^^ so what do high and mighty u guys eat?

Beluga caviar with shavings of black truffle wrapped in gold leaf. It's delicious. You should try it. :shifty:

^^ pictures, pictures :shifty:

يعني شكلهم غير عندهم عجوة او قرون مثلا
لا كنت اقصد في السعودية ولا اشوفهم دايم

.. وه أشوى
هو صدز بس قضيتوا :D
your a guy or a girl? i've always thought you are a guy until "وه أشوى"

not hijazi, not najdi , but SAUDI ?
No, everyone is good as he is :)

لا كنت اقصد في السعودية ولا اشوفهم دايم


your a guy or a girl? i've always thought you are a guy until "وه أشوى"


No, everyone is good as he is :)

لا ترى شفتهم يوم الجمعه , كنت ماخذ العايله معي في الحي الدملوماسي وتقريبا حول الثلاثين كانوا متواجدين هناك
الظاهر ساكنين في الحي أو دبلوماسيين
ولابسين لبس إيراني سواء الحريم أو الرجال
:)

شفتهم في المطعم الإيراني اللي ذكره Kotton
وفي مكة بطبيعة الحال
( أذكر كانوا حاجزين الفندق كله ما عدا دور واحد كنا فيه ، الله لا يوريك بس :D)




your a guy or a girl? i've always thought you are a guy until "وه أشوى"



the same thought crossed my mind :lol:

@jh1: مدري بس سمعت انهم مسوين قلق بالمدينة و مكة. نفس القلق الي مسوينه بالبحرين. شغل دعارة و مسخرة

@Sdare: يابو ما علمتنا وش معنى يندزهرون :P

I don't consider myself Khaleeji. My family is originally from Makkah, but I live in Jeddah.

I don't really like to affiliate myself with particular people though. So I don't like to refer myself as "Hijazi", either.

your a guy or a girl? i've always thought you are a guy until "وه أشوى"


:D خخخخخخخخخخخخخخخخخخخخخ... لا ولد بس اتميلح

Don't be a sexist! :)

^^ sexist? no i'm far away of it!
@Sdare: يابو ما علمتنا وش معنى يندزهرون :P
Yenqahroon, in Najdi Qaf is substituted with dz. example: Digeegah (minute) is Didzeedzah lol

isn't that a good thing ?
to have a new identity , not hijazi, not najdi , but SAUDI ?

I am Saudi, and proud.

Very proud.

lol did you have fog ham as-so7ob playing in the background when you wrote that? :D

lol did you have fog ham as-so7ob playing in the background when you wrote that? :D

No, you just need to be abroad..:ohno: