Banu Yam

The Yam are notable among the tribes of Saudi Arabia for the majority of its members who follow the small Sulaymani Isma'ili branch of Shi'ite Islam.

Religious leadership is currently in the hands of the al-Makrami clan, who joined Yam through alliance some time in the 17th century.

Most Yam in Najran are Isma’ili while the Al-Ajman and Al Murrah branches who can be found in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain are Sunni.

Members of the tribe can be found throughout Saudi Arabia due to migration, particularly the areas around Jeddah and Dammam.

Unlike some other tribes of southwestern Saudi Arabia, Yam have traditionally had a large bedouin section, due to the proximity of their territories to the formidable desert known as the Empty Quarter.