[Truncated abstract] Polymorphic Alu insertions (POALINs) are known to contribute to the variation and genetic diversity of the human genome. In this report specific POALINs of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) were studied. Previous population studies on the MHC POALINs have focused on individuals of African, European and Asian descent. In this study, we expand the research by studying a new and previously uncharacterised population, focusing on the Bedouin from the Middle East. Specifically we report on the individual insertion frequencies of four POALINs within the MHC class I region of this population. POALINs are members of a young Alu subfamily that have only recently been inserted into the human genome. POALINs are either present or absent at particular sites. Individuals that share the inserted (or deleted) polymorphism inherited the insertion (or deletion) from a common ancestor, making Alu alleles identical by decent. In population genetics a comparison of the resulting products from each population can then be done by comparing the lengths of the PCR products in a series of unrelated individuals and may also detect polymorphisms with regard to the presence or absence of the Alu repeats. As a direct result of their abundance and sequence identity, they promote genetic recombination events that are responsible for large-scale deletions, duplication and translocations. The deletions occur mostly in the A-T rich regions and have found to be unlikely to have been created independently of the insertions of the Alu elements (Callinan et al, 2005) The easy genotyping of the POALINs has proven to be very valuable as lineage markers for the study of human population genetics, pedigree and forensics as well as genomic diversity and evolution. POALINs have been used in a range of applications, primarily focusing on anthropological analysis of human populations. As a result of its ease of use and its utility as a marker in human evolutions studies, combining the POALINs along with other markers used in forensics could lead to improved identity testing in forensic science. More specifically, in combination with more traditional markers, race specific genotypes and haplotypes could be used for profiling crime scene samples. ... This is supported by previously reported molecular data using various types of genetic markers. In a study using six separate Alu genes, Antunez-de-Mayolo et al were able to generate a phylogenetic tree, in which the biogeographical groups followed a pattern. The biogeographical groups started with African populations that were found to relate closely to the hypothetical ancestral African population. The African populations were then followed in order by Southwest Asian populations, European populations which include Middle Eastern groups (Antunez-de-Mayolo et al, 2002). This study shows the similarities and differences between the frequencies of the Middle Eastern Bedouin and the rest of the compared populations. Though no clear results were determined, the information from the POALINs along with information provided from other genetic markers can lead to further research on the Bedouin population and the improvement of the forensic population database in order to accurately test individual ethnic background of samples to be analysed.