Abstract:

The current literature focuses on labor migration from Uzbekistan to Russia, which increased in the 2000s. In contrast, the migration influx from Central Asia for political and religious reasons occurred at the beginning of the 20th century. Soviet control over Central Asia became stronger and more violent in the 1930s. That pushed many educated and religious Uzbeks to emigrate to other countries such as Afghanistan, Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, etc. Although some attempts have been made to focus on Uzbeks abroad, there are still gaps in research on the Uzbek diaspora in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This study aims to develop a framework for studying Uzbek identity in the diaspora based on the primary data collection among Uzbeks living in Saudi Arabia. The different characteristics of the participants in this study enable special consideration of gender, migration status, and values. This research distills commonalities in migration and Uzbek identity among the Saudi-born/migrant Uzbek diaspora of different ages. The author is specifically interested in the aspects of the younger Uzbek diaspora’s attitude to Uzbek traditions as they pertain to Saudi society and non-migrants. The study is conducted using the technique of focus group, precious for understanding individuals’ and groups’ experiences of migration, identity, and intention to return to the motherland.