# Oulad Tidrarin

The Oulad Tidrarin (Arabic: أولاد تيدرارين, romanized: Awlād Tīdrārīn) is a Sahrawi tribe of Arab origin. They speak Hassaniya Arabic. They are Muslims, belonging to the Maliki school of Sunni Islam. They live mainly in Western Sahara but also in Morocco and Mauritania.
The Oulad Tidrarin settled the Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro areas of Northwest Africa, their original home. Many live in the Cape Bojador and the coastline of the south of Morocco, some on the coast of Saguia el-Hamra and some branches live in the south and east of Mauritania. There are some members of the Uladsliman and Lidadsa in subgroups in Mali.

## History

The **Oulad Tidrarin** are said to have been founded by **Hanin**, whose alias was **Tidrarin** (*the mountain dweller*). Hanin is believed to have lived in the **15th century** and was originally from the **Adrar region in Mauritania** but was taken to what is today **Western Sahara** after being captured by a *ghazi*. Ali, the great-great-grandson of Hanin, is considered the ancestor of most of the tribal factions. Furthermore, **seven of the Oulad Tidrarin’s fractions** descend from **Sidi Ahmed Bou Ghambor**, an important and powerful chief at the **end of the 17th century and beginning of the 18th**, during the Oulad Tidrarin’s **zenith**.
In the **19th century**, tensions between the **Oulad Tidrarin** and their neighbors, the **Oulad Delim**, escalated over territorial disputes. This conflict led to an **all-out war** between the two powerful tribes. In **1888**, open hostilities broke out, and after a series of battles, the **Oulad Tidrarin emerged victorious**, dealing a decisive blow to the Oulad Delim. During the war, it is recorded that at least **98 Oulad Delim warriors were killed**, forcing the Oulad Delim into retreat. Despite this, **hostility between the two tribes persisted**, and remnants of the **historical rivalry** can still be observed in modern times.
During the period of **Spanish colonial rule**, the Oulad Tidrarin, like other Sahrawi tribes, experienced major socio-economic shifts. The imposed **Pax Hispanica (Spanish Peace)** meant that intertribal conflicts ceased, allowing the Oulad Tidrarin to focus on trade, pastoralism, and economic growth. By **1950**, they had accumulated **more camels than the Oulad Delim**, reflecting their comparative prosperity. By the **1970s**, many members of the tribe had transitioned to a **semi-sedentary** lifestyle, following broader trends among Sahrawi nomadic groups. According to the **1974 Spanish census**, the **Oulad Tidrarin mainly lived in Laayoune, Dakhla, and Boujdour**.
The name **Tidrarin** is of **Berber origin** and means **"mountain dwellers"**. It is the diminutive form of *idrarin* ("mountains").

## Subdivisions

The Oulad Tidrarin are made up of 10 fractions:
Ahel Taleb Ali
Oulad Moussa – They were known as fierce warriors and one of the most powerful and wealthy fractions of the Oulad Tidrarin.
Oulad Ali
Laboubat
El-Faaris
Lahseinat/El-Haseinat
Oulad Souleiman
Ahel Esteila
Ahel Hadj
Lidadsa
The Lidadsa and the El-Haseinat were adopted into the tribe, so they do not descend from Ali, the great-great-grandson of Hamin (Tidrarin).

## Religious activism

The tribe has established centres for the spread of Islamic culture, particularly along the Atlantic coast region. They have received recognition from the Moroccan sultans for their work in this area.