| Al Tunaij | |
| Local Name: | ar|الطنيج |
| Type: | Arab tribe |
| Ethnicity: | Arab |
| Location: | United Arab Emirates |
| Language: | Arabic |
| Religion: | Islam |
The Tunaij (ar|الطنيج), also spelled as Tanaij (singular Al Tunaiji ar|الطنيجي), is an Arab tribe of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).[1] The Tunaij mostly settled in Dhaid, the inland oasis town of Sharjah, and the Ras Al Khaimah town of Rams.[2] [3] A small number of Tunaij also settled at Hamriyah.[4]
At the turn of the 19th century, there were some 4,000 Tunaij in the Northern Emirates, of whom 1,500 were Bedouin. Influential in tribal politics because they could raise a force of some 500 fighting men, the Bedouin Tunaij used Dhaid as a centre and a fortified tower protected the 70-odd Tunaij houses there (the Na'im maintained a similar arrangement at Dhaid). The Tunaij have been linked to the Bani Qitab.[5]
The Tunaij of Rams were mostly involved in pearl fishing and, during the pearling season, both Bedouin Tunaij and Shihuh would come to the coast to work as seasonal labour.[6]