Majlis (Arabic: المجلس, pl. مجالس Majālis) is an Arabic term meaning 'sitting room', used to describe various types of special gatherings among common interest groups of administrative, social or religious nature in countries with linguistic or cultural connections to the Muslim world. Majlis can refer to a legislature as well and is used in the name of legislative councils or assemblies in some states.

The Majlis sofa, rooted in Middle Eastern culture, features low, cushioned seating for social gatherings.

Majlis is the Arabic word for a sitting room. Its Semitic root is the verb جَلَس jalas meaning 'to sit', (cf. British English 'sitting room' and 'seat of government').

It is also romanized as Mejlis or Majles.^{[citation needed]}

In pre-Islamic Arabia, a majlis was a tribal council in which the male members participated in making decisions of common interest. The council was presided over by the chief (Sheikh). During the period of the Rashidun Caliphate, the Majlis al-Shura was formed to elect a new caliph. Al-Mawardi has written that members of the majlis should satisfy three conditions: they must be just, they must have enough knowledge to distinguish a good caliph from a bad one, and must have sufficient wisdom and judgement to select the best caliph.

Majlis is also used to refer to a private place where guests are received and entertained. Frequently the room has cushions placed around the walls where the visitors sit, either with the cushions placed directly on the floor or upon a raised shelf. Because hospitality is taken seriously, many families take pride in making their guests comfortable when visiting.

In many Arab homes, the majlis is the meeting room or front parlor used to entertain visitors. In Saudi Arabia, the decoration of the majlis in the home is often the responsibility of the women of the house, who either decorate the area themselves or barter with other women to do it for them. In Asir Province and in the neighboring Saada Governorate of Yemen, geometric designs and bright colors are used in al-Qatt Al-Asiri, a style of painting the majlis.

Sometimes public waiting rooms are also called a majlis, since this is an area where people meet and visit. Here the traditional al-qatt al-Asiri has been added to the interior design of the room. The provincial airport in Abha has recently been designed to reflect the cultural heritage of the region, an airport official said: "Abha is the first city in the Kingdom to have its airport decorated in a local-heritage style," said Provincial Airport Director Abdul Aziz Abu Harba. "The seating arrangement at the airport lounge has been in the form of a traditional majlis and the walls are painted in various colors reflecting the natural beauty of Asir."