In the Arab population of Kuwait of approximately 1.3 million, 26 cases in 15 families were ascertained to have Bardet-Biedl syndrome (20 cases in 13 families) or Laurence-Moon syndrome (6 cases in 2 families). The apparently increased frequency of these interrelated autosomal recessive syndromes in Arabs is discussed in view of the high consanguinity rate and large family size.