the ismailis, a religious and ethnic minority with historic roots in najrān province of southwestern saudi arabia, face increasing threats to their identity as a result of official discrimination. with the arrival of mishʻal bin suʻūd as the governor of najrān in 1996, tension between local authorities and the ismaili population increased, culminating in a confrontation between armed ismāʻīlī demonstrators and police and army units outside the holiday inn hotel in najrān city on april 2000. official discrimination in saudi arabia against ismāʻīlīs encompasses government employment, religious practices, and the justice system. government officials exclude ismāʻīlīs from decision making, and publicly disparage their faith.