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People group profile · PG050581

The Sahrawi of Western Sahara

The Sahrawi of Western Sahara, numbering about 274,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are an ethnic group of mixed Hassani Arab and Sanhaji Amazigh descent indigenous to the western part of the Sahara Dessert.

They are an indigenous people in the Arab, Hassaniya people cluster of the Arab Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Hassaniyya.

Pray for the SahrawiPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Sahrawi people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Sahrawi

Fast facts

Country
Western Sahara
Population
274,000
Affinity group
Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
People cluster
Arab, Hassaniya
Primary language
Hassaniyya (mey)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
Strategic Progress Index ?
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Northern Africa, Africa
Location
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic controlled region

Where they live

Gospel status

The Sahrawi 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 Sahrawi

  • 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

Primary language

Hassaniyya · Afro-Asiatic family

90% speak Hassaniyya

Gospel resources in Hassaniyya

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

Films

  • JESUS (Arabic, Hassaniya)

Bibles

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

Pray for the Sahrawi

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

Download a prayer guide

Sahrawi in other countries

The same people is also reported in 2 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
SahrawiMorocco691,000Engaged yet Unreached
SahrawiAlgeria241,000Engaged yet Unreached

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