Riau Malays
Traditional Riau wedding dress | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Riau • Riau Islands • North Sumatra • Jambi • Bengkulu (Indonesia) Johor • Malacca (Malaysia) | |
| Indonesia | 2,610,890 |
| Malaysia | 116,000 |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Malays | |
Riau Malays (Jawi: ملايو رياو, Melayu Riau) are a sub-group of Malays native to Riau and the Riau Islands province of eastern Sumatra, Indonesia. They only make up 29% of Riau Island population, while in Riau, they constitute a plurality, at around 45%. Riau Malays, especially in coastal Riau and Riau Islands, share the same or similar cultural, historical, and linguistic background with Johorean and Singaporean Malays due to their common Malaccan origin in the 15th century.