Dawasir

Dawasir, also written Dawasir or Dawaser, is a large Arab tribal group in the Arabian Peninsula. The Dawasir identify as descendants of older Arab lineages and have a long-standing presence in the central and southern parts of the peninsula, with communities also in Oman and among Gulf-area diasporas. The etymology of the name is uncertain and appears in various forms in Arabic and transliteration.

Historically, the Dawasir were primarily a pastoral and agrarian people, with many members living as Bedouin herders who moved seasonally across tribal territories and along caravan routes. They organized along kin-based clans and households, governed by traditional codes of honor, hospitality, and mutual aid, while maintaining social structures that included elders and tribal councils.

In the broader history of the Arabian Peninsula, Dawasir participated in regional power dynamics, sometimes in alliance with or opposition to other polities of the period. Like many tribes, their fortunes shifted with the rise and fall of states, wars, and trade networks.

In modern times, Dawasir communities have urbanized and diversified into various professions. Members of the tribe are now found throughout Saudi Arabia and Oman, with diaspora communities in other Gulf states and beyond. The tribe continues to influence cultural traditions, social networks, and tribal identity in the regions where it is present.