Huwala people

Huwala (Arabic: الهولة, sing. Huwali هولي) also collectively referred to as Bani Huwala, is a blanket term usually used to refer to tribal Arabs who migrated to the coast of Iran around the 13th and 14th centuries. Such migrations continued till around 19th century to the area which is now Iran's Hormozgan province and Fars province, mainly Bandar Abbas, Qishm, and the mainland near Bandar Lengeh. The Huwala follows Sunni Islam, as opposed the majority Persian Twelver Shia and similar to Sunni Peninsular Arabs. Most of the Huwala have remigrated back to the Arabian Peninsula between late 19th century and early 20th century. The imposition of restrictive economic policies by Reza Shah in the 1930s led to the migration of most of the Huwala back to the Arabian Peninsula.

The term "Huwala" does not refer to Sunni Larestani Achomi families such as Kandari, Janahi, Khaloori, Zarooni, and Bastaki. It specifically refers to the actual Arab Huwalas (Arab El-Sahel), which encompasses the Qawasem, Hammadi, Al Nasur/Nassour, Obaidli, and Bani Tamim tribes.

The original Huwalas are commonly referred to as Arab el-Sahel el-Shargi (Arabic: عرب الساحل الشرقي), or simply Arab Faris (Arabic: عرب فارس), but some of them prefer not to be called Huwalas as the term is used for Achomis in the Gulf. On the other hand, Achomis sometimes choose to identify themselves as Huwalas due to societal pressure to assimilate.

Some families of non-Arab origins have adopted the surnames of Arabian Huwala tribes. For example, they are often Hammadi and Marzooqi only in name.