Al-Balushi

Al-Balushi (Arabic: البلوشي; alternatively Baloushi, Balooshi, Bloushi or Blooshi) is a surname common in Arab states of the Persian Gulf (mainly Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain) mainly derived from the term Balochi, typically denoting Baloch ancestry from Balochistan .

Al-Balushi

البلوشي
Emirati political advisor Ahmed Bin Mahmoud Al Blooshi in Al Ain.

Many people carrying this surname trace their ancestral origins to Balochistan, a region in south Iran and Pakistan located across the Persian Gulf. Their ancestors predominantly came from the Makran coast in the 19th century, as some of them were present since 1728 in Obri. They can speak Arabic, while some also use their original languages of Balochi, and some speak Brahui or Persian. They are mainly Sunni Muslims.

Al Balushis in Oman

See also: Baloch diaspora, Baloch people in the United Arab Emirates, and Omani Baloch

Oman is home to one of the largest Al Balushi populations outside Pakistan and Iran. It is estimated that 35% of Oman's population is comprised of Al Balushis. The roots of this go back centuries, when two distinct political realities co-existed on the coast of West Asia, Makran and Oman. The common point between these two was the Gwadar Port, which was the main connection between Arabia, Asia and colonial European powers. Gwadar was once ruled by Sultan bin Ahmad of Oman and remained part of the Omani Sultanate until 1958, when Sultan Sa‘id bin Taymur sold it off to Pakistan for $3 million.

Al Balushis in Dhahirah

The Balush of Dhahirah constituted a significant part of the settled population in the region between the Trucial Coast and the Sultanate. However, these Balush should not be confused with those who came from the former Omani territory of Makran (now part of Pakistan) to serve as mercenaries in the Sultan’s army, nor with the Baluchis who settled in Muscat, the coastal towns of the Batinah, and the Trucial States—estimated at around 1,400 people—where they worked as traders and fishermen. While these other groups maintained their language, the Balush of Dhahirah have a distinct tribal structure, with a central dār around their capital, Mazām. They are Sunni Muslims and speak Arabic. (For more on their origins, see Wilkinson, Water, p. 207. A brief summary of the Balush can also be found in Lorimer, Geogr., p. 258 and pp. 1409f.)

During his 1902 journey from Abu Dhabi to Muscat, Major Cox observed that the Balūsh of Dhahirah had no direct contact with the Baținah region. Instead, their trade, both imports and exports, was entirely conducted with Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This trade pattern helps explain their generally strong relationship with the Bani Yas, especially their shaikh's collaboration with the Al Bū Falāḥ in the Buraimi area.

Al Balushis and the Bani Qitab

During the early years of the 20th century, a period marked by shifting tribal loyalties, the Balush of Mazām had a conflict with their former protectors, the Bani Qitab, who subsequently attacked them. As the Bedouin Bani Qitab gathered around Mazām, and after some casualties had occurred in the ensuing hostilities, the Balush sought assistance from Zāyid bin Khalifah. (For more details, see Lorimer, Histor., p. 753 and Kelly, Eastern, p. 98f.)

In February 1906, Shaikh Zāyid bin Khalifah gathered his forces with the goal of supporting the Balūsh of Mazām and securing blood money from the Bani Qitab on their behalf. Although the Bani Qitab struggled to gain support, the young Rāshid bin Ahmad of Umm al-Qaiwain seized the opportunity to challenge Shaikh Zāyid's influence over the tribes of the hinterland. However, a full-scale war over the Balūsh dispute was averted by a meeting of Trucial Rulers and hinterland shaikhs, held in Khawānīj near Dubai in April 1906. This gathering led to a written agreement outlining the Rulers' spheres of influence among the Bedouin. As part of the resolution, Shaikh Zāyid bin Khalifah took responsibility for addressing all claims, "important or trifling," made by the Balūsh against the Bani Qitab and instructed his wāli, Ahmad bin Hilal, to follow up accordingly (See the letter to Ahmad bin Hilal from April 1906 in the Dhawahir Collection).

The Tribe’s approach

In the 1950s, the Balush, like neighboring tribes, sought to leverage the political interest of the Sultan of Oman and the King of Saudi Arabia in securing their allegiance, using it as a bargaining tool or to obtain substantial subsidies. This was particularly notable at a time when oil prospecting began in their dār (For an example, see Kelly, Eastern, p. 231, who mentions Sa'id bin Rashid, the son of the Shaikh of the Balūch at 'Arāqi; he made several visits to Saudi Arabia and ultimately became one of the most active supporters of the Saudis in the region).

The Hinawi Grouping

The Hināwi tribes of the Trucial States, most notably the Bani Yas, primarily inhabit Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Shamailīyah. Traditional allies of the Bani Yas, also Hināwi, include the 'Awamir, along with the 'Afar and the Manāsir. The Dhawahir of the Buraimi oases and northern Dhahirah, who pledged allegiance to the Al Bū Falāḥ sub-section of the Bani Yas in the 19th century, are also Hināwi. Similarly, the Bani Ghafir of Dhāhirah and several smaller tribes in the region, such as the Ahbāb, are part of the Hināwi group. The prominent Bani 'Ali tribe, which historically supported the Hināwi Al Bū Sa'id Sultan, resides in Wadi Dhank and Yanqul, near the Al Bū Falāḥ-dominated area of al 'Ain. The Balūsh of Dhahirah have also been consistent supporters of the Hināwi. Beyond this dominant Hināwi region west of the Hajar range, there is a significant connection with tribes to the north, including the Shihūh, the Habūs, and the Za'ab (These tribes were subordinate to the Qawāsim and may have had a connection to the Hināwi when Shaikh Zayid bin Sultan allowed them to settle in Abu Dhabi after they had conflicts with the ruler of Ra's al Khaimah and left Jazirat al Za'ab in 1969). The largest Hināwi tribe outside the Bani Yas are the Sharqiyin, located on the east coast in Fujairah.

People

Notable people with the surname include:

Sportspeople

• Azan Al-Balushi, Omani footballer
• Hamed Al-Balushi, Omani footballer
• Issa Ali Al-Bloushi, Emirati footballer
• Jamal Nabi Al-Balushi, Omani footballer
• Mohammed Al-Balushi, Omani footballer
• Muheeb Al-Balushi, Omani footballer
• Talal Al-Bloushi, Qatari footballer
• Wadha Al-Balushi, Omani sports shooter
• Khalid Al-Baloushi, Emirati footballer
• Walid Abbas Al-Balushi, Emirati footballer
• Rayan Al-Bloushi, Saudi Arabian footballer
• Hamad Al-Balooshi, Emirati footballer
• Mansoor Al-Baloushi, Emirati footballer
• Abdullah Al-Buloushi, Former Kuwaiti footballer
• Ayesha Al-Balooshi, Emirati weightlifter
• Ali Mohamed Al-Balooshi, Emirati middle-distance runner
• Ali Al-Balushi, Kuwaiti boxer
• Ali Anwar Al-Balushi, Omani sprinter
• Yousuf Al Balushi, Omani cricketer
• Hamed Al-Balushi، Omani footballer who plays for Fanja SC

Politicians

• Ahmed Bin Mahmoud Al Blooshi, Emirati political advisor.
• Ibrahim bin Uthman Al-Balushi, former governor of Al-Ain

Miscellaneous

• Mai Al Balushi, Kuwaiti actress
• Salah Abdul Rasool Al Blooshi, Bahraini Guantanamo detainee
• Maram Al Balushi, Kuwaiti singer and actress
• Ammar al-Balushi, Pakistani-Kuwaiti Guantanamo detainee
• Hazza Al-Balushi, Omani Quran reader
• Adeeb Al-Balushi, Emirati Inventor

See also

• Baloch people
• Baloch diaspora
• Baloch people in Iran
• Baloch people in India
• Baloch people in the United Arab Emirates
• Baloch people in Oman