TheGhafalah (singular Al Ghafli) is an Arab tribe of theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE).[1]
An entirelyBedouin tribe at the turn of the 20th century, the Ghafalah roamed theJiri Plain inland ofRas Al Khaimah and particularlyUmm Al Quwain,[2] but did not extend theirdar, or roaming territory, into theHajar Mountains or even their foothills.[3] At the time numbering some 500 in strength, by 1968 their numbers had dwindled to 197 people living in the five northern Emirates.[4]
AGhafiri tribe, the Ghafalah were close to theAl Nahyan ofAbu Dhabi and often supported them in conflict. They claimed precedence over a number of wells inland, often sharing these with theKhawatir.[5] They subsisted mainly by selling firewood and charcoal in the coastal towns, and by the produce of their 700 camels, 1,000 sheep and goats as well as cattle and donkeys.[3] They also carried goods such as dates across inland routes to service coastal traders.[6]
The Ghafalah were one of a number of tribes opposed to oil exploration taking place inland of theTrucial States, particularly in the late 1940s,[7] frequently allying with the Khawatir, who frustrated the coastalQawasim rulers in granting oil concessions and access to the interior.[8]
These prefixes ignored in the alphabetical ordering: Al, Al-Bu, Albu, Banu, Bani | |
| Tribal coalition | |
Part ofArab tribes | |
