Al Tunaij

The Tunaij (Arabic: الطنيج‎), also spelled as Tanaij (singular Tunaiji Arabic: الطنيجي‎), is an Arab tribe in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).[1] The Tunaij have mostly settled in Dhaid, the inland oasis town of Sharjah, and the Ras Al Khaimah town of Rams.[2][3] A small number of Tunaij also settled at Hamriyah.[4]

Al Tunaij Arabic: الطنيج‎
Arab tribe
Ethnicity	Arab
Location	United Arab Emirates
Language	Arabic
Religion	Islam

At the turn of the 19th century, there were some 4,000 Tunaij in the Northern Emirates, of whom 1,500 were Bedouin. Influential in tribal politics because they could raise a force of some 500 fighting men,[1] the Bedouin Tunaij used Dhaid as a centre and a fortified tower protected the 70-odd Tunaij houses there (the Na'im maintained a similar arrangement at Dhaid). The Tunaij have been linked to the Bani Qitab.[5]

The Tunaij of Rams were mostly involved in pearl fishing and, during the pearling season, both Bedouin Tunaij and Shihuh would come to the coast to work as seasonal labour.[6]

References

1. Heard-Bey, Frauke (2005). From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates : a society in transition. London: Motivate. p. 75. ISBN 1860631673. OCLC 64689681.
2. United Arab Emirates Land Ownership and Agriculture Laws Handbook. International Business Publications. 2015. ISBN 978-1438760193.
3. Donald Hawley (1970). The Trucial States. p. 294. ISBN 0049530054.
4. Lorimer, John (1915). Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. British Government, Bombay. p. 1858.
5. William Lancaster; Fidelity Lancaster (2011). Honour is in Contentment: Life Before Oil in Ras Al-Khaimah (UAE). p. 14. ISBN 978-3110223392.
6. Heard-Bey, Frauke (2005). From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates : a society in transition. London: Motivate. p. 459. ISBN 1860631673. OCLC 64689681.