The Moroccan Arabs of Italy

The Moroccan Arabs of Italy, numbering approximately 517,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Arabic-speaking people of North Africa whose culture reflects the interaction of Arab, Amazigh (Berber), Islamic, Mediterranean, Saharan, African, and Andalusian influences within the distinctive historical and social context of Morocco. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Moroccan Arabic is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite: Arab, Moroccan

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Arab Peoples
Country: Italy
People Cluster: Arab, Maghreb
Primary Language(s): Moroccan Arabic (ary)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 517,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG042325
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Moroccan Arabs of Italy

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Sunni Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

100%
%
Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Moroccan Arabic
Language Family: Afro-Asiatic

100%
%
Arabic, Moroccan Speakers

Media Resources in Moroccan Arabic:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film
MagdalenaView Film
The SaviorView Film

3 films

Bible Resources in Moroccan Arabic:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Morocco Bible Society, 2012✓

1 entry

Or check out the Moroccan Arabic bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Moroccan Arabs are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Moroccan Arabs:
Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Moroccan Arabs of Italy

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
readRomans 1:18

Pray that God will have mercy and open the eyes of those who don't know Jesus, so that they can turn to the One who is able to save them from their sins.

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
readRomans 1:19-20

Pray that God will use His creation – the “things that have been made” – to spark a fresh and passionate curiosity among them to draw near to the Maker and that, as they seek Him, He will make a way for them to hear the gospel and receive it with joy.

Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
readPsalm 127:1

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will build their homes in the Lord and raise their children to know and honor Him.

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way.
readPsalm 37:23

Pray that believers from near and far will serve here and trust in the Lord's timing as He establishes their steps.

Arab, Moroccan Across Countries (ROP3 - 106804) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

15 people groups

PhotoPeople Group IDNameCountryPopulationStrategic Progress IndexLanguageReligion ▲
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsBelgium232,000Engaged yet UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsGibraltar1,700Unengaged and UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsNetherlands411,000Engaged yet UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsPortugal24,000Unengaged and UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsSpain882,000Engaged yet UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsUnited Kingdom41,000Unengaged and UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsFrance853,000Engaged yet UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsLibya11,500Unengaged and UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsMorocco21,310,000Engaged yet UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsItaly517,000Engaged yet UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsGermany137,000Unengaged and UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsAlgeria187,000Engaged yet UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsUnited States122,000Engaged yet UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsCanada111,000Engaged yet UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam
Moroccan ArabsMoroccan ArabsWestern Sahara417,000Unengaged and UnreachedMoroccan ArabicSunni Islam

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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