Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG048929

The Awlad Ali Bedouins of Egypt

The Awlad Ali Bedouins of Egypt, numbering about 607,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Bedouin tribal confederation living in Egypt’s Western Desert (Matrouh region) and across the border in eastern Libya (Cyrenaica).

They are an indigenous people in the Bedouin, Saharan people cluster of the Arab Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Egyptian Arabic.

Pray for the Awlad Ali BedouinsPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Awlad Ali Bedouins people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Awlad Ali Bedouin

Fast facts

Country
Egypt
Population
607,000
Affinity group
Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
People cluster
Bedouin, Saharan
Primary language
Egyptian Arabic (arz)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Northern Africa, Africa
Location
Widespread

Where they live

Gospel status

The Awlad Ali Bedouins are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. 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 Awlad Ali Bedouins

  • Continue prayer and fasting for this group
  • Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
  • Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Primary religion

Sunni Islam · Islam

100% adherents

Primary language

Egyptian Arabic · Afro-Asiatic family

100% speak Egyptian Arabic

Gospel resources in Egyptian Arabic

  • Bible available, published 2021
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

  • JESUS (Arabic, Egyptian Colloquial)
  • JESUS (Arabic, Egyptian Colloquial)
  • Magdalena (Arabic, Egyptian Colloquial)

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Awlad Ali Bedouins

  1. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  2. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  3. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  4. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.

Download a prayer guide

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.