People group profile · PG011905
The Gulf Arabs of Qatar
The Gulf Arabs of Qatar, numbering about 393,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are an Arab people of the Arabian Gulf who speak Gulf Arabic and share a cultural heritage shaped by tribal traditions, kinship networks, maritime commerce, and the historical societies of eastern Arabia.
They are an indigenous people in the Arab, Arabian people cluster of the Arab Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Gulf Arabic.

Fast facts
- Country
- Qatar
- Population
- 393,000
- Affinity group
- Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
- People cluster
- Arab, Arabian
- Primary language
- Gulf Arabic (afb)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Unengaged and Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Gulf Arabs are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Gulf Arabs
- Pray that God would send workers to this people group
- Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
- Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
95% adherents
Primary language
Gulf Arabic · Afro-Asiatic family
100% speak Gulf Arabic
Gospel resources in Gulf Arabic
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Arabic Gulf)
- JESUS (Arabic Gulf)
- Magdalena (Arabic Gulf)
- The Savior (Arabic Gulf)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Gulf Arabs
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
Gulf Arabs in other countries
The same people is also reported in 9 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf Bedouins | Egypt | 1,830,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Gulf Arabs | United Arab Emirates | 1,355,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Kuwaiti Sunni Arabs | Kuwait | 1,220,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Gulf Arabs | Iran | 944,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Gulf Arabs | Oman | 888,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Gulf Arabs | Saudi Arabia | 583,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Gulf Arabs | Canada | 61,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Gulf Arabs | United States | 49,500 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Gulf Arabs | Yemen | 23,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.