The Ghafalah (singular Al Ghafli) is an Arab tribe of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).^[1]

An entirely Bedouin tribe at the turn of the 20th century, the Ghafalah roamed the Jiri Plain inland of Ras Al Khaimah and particularly Umm Al Quwain,^[2] but did not extend their dar, or roaming territory, into the Hajar Mountains or even their foothills.^[3] At the time numbering some 500 in strength, by 1968 their numbers had dwindled to 197 people living in the five northern Emirates.^[4]

A Ghafiri tribe, the Ghafalah were close to the Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi and often supported them in conflict. They claimed precedence over a number of wells inland, often sharing these with the Khawatir.^[5] They subsisted mainly by selling firewood and charcoal in the coastal towns, and by the produce of their 700 camels, 1,000 sheep and goats as well as cattle and donkeys.^[3] They also carried goods such as dates across inland routes to service coastal traders.^[6]

The Ghafalah were one of a number of tribes opposed to oil exploration taking place inland of the Trucial States, particularly in the late 1940s,^[7] frequently allying with the Khawatir, who frustrated the coastal Qawasim rulers in granting oil concessions and access to the interior.^[8]