Moroccan Arab DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Morocco · North Africa
Arabic reached Morocco with the conquests of the late 7th and early 8th centuries, and spread further with Arab tribes such as the Banu Hilal and Banu Ma'qil from the 12th century onwards, as many Berber-speaking communities gradually shifted to Arabic. Our model reads the Moroccan Arab average as 35.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 25.8% North African hunter-gatherer (Iberomaurusian), 15.6% Natufian, 12.1% West African, 7.9% steppe and 2.9% Iranian Neolithic. Its North African hunter-gatherer share is close to that of Berber-speaking Riffians (29.1%), which fits a largely shared local base, but it carries about twice the Natufian share (15.6% against 7.8%) and twice the West African share (12.1% against 5.5%). The closest modern average is the Algerian one (0.0121), ahead of Moroccan Arabs from Casablanca, Arabs from Algiers, Tunisian Berbers from Matmata and Mozabites. The closest ancient groups are the Guanches of the Canary Islands (0.0389 and 0.0392), followed by Iron Age Punic Kerkouane in Tunisia.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 35.5%, North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) 25.8%, Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) 15.6%
- Closest modern population in our data: Algerian, distance 0.0121
- Closest ancient group in our data: Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche, distance 0.0389
Where does Moroccan Arab DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Moroccan Arab individuals sampled in Morocco, listed in the G25 sheet as "Moroccan_Arab" and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Moroccan Arab average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Moroccan Arab average comes out as 35.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 25.8% North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) and 15.6% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant). The Anatolian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. The North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) share (25.8%) reflects the Late Stone Age North Africans known from the Taforalt cave in Morocco.
Smaller traces of Iranian Neolithic farmers (under 5%) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The model fits well (fit distance 0.017), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Tamazgha – North African Ancestry Report
Closest modern populations to Moroccan Arab
Genetically, the Moroccan Arab average sits nearest to Algerian at 0.012, Moroccan Arab (Casablanca) at 0.015 and Algerian Arab (Algiers) at 0.016. On our scale, a distance of 0.012 counts as very close. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Algerian (0.012), Algerian Arab (Algiers) (0.016) and Tunisian Berber (Matmata) (0.018). Even the tenth closest, Tunisian Arab (Jendouba), is only 0.027 away: Moroccan Arab belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algerian | 0.0121 | Very close |
| 2 | Moroccan Arab (Casablanca) | 0.0149 | Very close |
| 3 | Algerian Arab (Algiers) | 0.0159 | Very close |
| 4 | Tunisian Berber (Matmata) | 0.0182 | Very close |
| 5 | Mozabite | 0.0193 | Very close |
| 6 | Moroccan | 0.0200 | Very close |
| 7 | Moroccan Arab (Zagora) | 0.0249 | Very close |
| 8 | Tunisian | 0.0266 | Close |
| 9 | Algerian (Arab-Berber) | 0.0272 | Close |
| 10 | Tunisian Arab (Jendouba) | 0.0274 | Close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Moroccan Arab
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Moroccan Arab, Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche (High to Late Medieval, c. 1000-1500 AD) comes first, at 0.039, with Canary Islands Guanche next. That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further layers. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche | High to Late Medieval, c. 1000-1500 AD | 0.0389 |
| 2 | Canary Islands Guanche | Pre-Hispanic Canary Islands, before c. 1500 AD | 0.0392 |
| 3 | Canary Islands Early Medieval Guanche | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0436 |
| 4 | Canary Islands Late Medieval Guanche | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0467 |
| 5 | Canary Islands High Medieval Guanche | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0469 |
| 6 | Tunisia IA Phoenician/Punic Kerkouane (North African Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0480 |
| 7 | Austria Roman Empire Wels (North African Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0534 |
| 8 | Hungary Late Antiquity Roman (North African Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0549 |
| 9 | Canary Islands Late Medieval-Early Modern Guanche | Late Medieval to Early Modern, c. 1300-1800 AD | 0.0549 |
| 10 | Canary Islands Late Antiquity Guanche | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0554 |
Ancient DNA from Morocco
Our ancient DNA database holds 52 individuals excavated in present-day Morocco, dated from about 19,806 BC to 3,700 BC. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are E1b (8), G2a (3) and T1a (3), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are U6 (14), H (10) and K1 (3). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Moroccan Arab population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Morocco
- Genomic history of Northwestern Africa, since the Iron Age (2026)
- Moroccan genome project: genomic insight into a North African population (2025)
- Moroccan genome project: Genomic insight into a North African population (2024)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 52 from Morocco.
Compare yourself with Moroccan Arab
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Moroccan Arab average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Moroccan Arab and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
Keep in mind that a population average is a statistical summary of a limited number of sampled individuals. Real people inside any group vary, some carry more of one ancestry and some less, and no genetic profile decides who is or is not Moroccan Arab. Use these numbers as a map of deep ancestry, not as a label.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Moroccan Arab average. Your own DNA has its own story: Tamazgha – North African Ancestry Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people with roots in North Africa: ancient regional core (Iberomaurusian and Taforalt, Neolithic farmers and Green Sahara herders, Numidians and Libyan natives, Carthage, Roman Africa, Vandal and Byzantine Africa, the...
More populations from North Africa
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Moroccan Arab?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Moroccan Arab average is about 35.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 25.8% North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) and 15.6% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Moroccan Arab?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Moroccan Arab (Casablanca)), the closest modern populations to the Moroccan Arab average are Algerian, Algerian Arab (Algiers) and Tunisian Berber (Matmata). The closest ancient matches are Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche, Canary Islands Guanche and Canary Islands Early Medieval Guanche.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Moroccan Arab?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Moroccan Arab average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Moroccan Arab ancestry?
For the Moroccan Arab average, the regional report to choose is Tamazgha – North African Ancestry Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.