| Kalbiyya الكلبية | |
|---|---|
| Alawite Syrian tribal confederation | |
 Kalbiyya tribal areas, northwestern Syria | |
| Ethnicity | Arab |
| Location | Nusayri mountains region, Syria |
| Population | 480,000 (est. 2011)[1] |
| Branches |
|
| Language | Levantine Arabic (Alawite dialect) |
| Religion | Alawite |
The Kalbiyya (Arabic: الكلبية), or Kalbi or Kelbi tribe[2] is one of four tribes, or tribal confederations, of the Alawite community in Syria. Appearing in historical sources from the 16th century, the Kalbiyya came to prominence when Hafez al-Assad, the son of a Kalbiyya tribal leader, seized power in Syria in a coup in 1970. Assad ruled Syria as dictator for 30 years and ensured that power was concentrated in the hands of members of the Kalbiyya tribe, a policy which his son, Bashar Al-Assad, continued after he became president in 2000. The Kalbiyya population mainly live in the Latakia Governorate in north west Syria.
- ^ Goldsmith 2015, p. 7.
- ^ Winter 2016, p. 99.