Unaizah ( ar, عنيزة ) or officially The Governorate of Unaizah (also spelled Onaizah, Onizah, or Unayzah; ar, محافظة عنيزة ) is a Saudi Arabian city in the

Al Qassim Province The Qassim Province ( ar, منطقة القصيم ' , Najdi Arabic: ), also known as the Qassim Region, is one of the 13 Regions of Saudi Arabia, provinces of Saudi Arabia. Located at the heart of the country near the geographic center of the Ar ...

. It lies south of the province capital

Buraydah Buraidah ( ar, بريدة ') is the capital and largest city of Al-Qassim Region in north-central Saudi Arabia in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula. Buraydah lies equidistant from the Red Sea to the west and Persian Gulf to the east. Its known fo ...

and north of

Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the R ...

, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is the second largest city in Al-Qassim Province with a population of 163,729 (2010 census). Historically, Unaizah was an important stopping point for Muslim pilgrims coming from Mesopotamia (now Iraq) and Persia (now Iran) on their way to

Makkah Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow va ...

. Many scientists and historians believe that Unaizah was inhabited hundreds of years before the spread of

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

, citing its reference in numerous poems from some of the most important poets of pre-Islamic Arabia such as

Imru' al-Qais Imruʾ al-Qais Junduh bin Hujr al-Kindi ( ar, ٱمْرُؤ ٱلْقَيْس جُنْدُح ٱبْن حُجْر ٱلْكِنْدِيّ, ALA-LC: ''ʾImruʾ al-Qays Junduḥ ibn Ḥujr al-Kindīy'') was an Arab king and poet in the 6th century, an ...

Geography

Unaizah is in the south of

Al-Qassim Province The Qassim Province ( ar, منطقة القصيم ' , Najdi Arabic: ), also known as the Qassim Region, is one of the 13 provinces of Saudi Arabia. Located at the heart of the country near the geographic center of the Arabian Peninsula, it ha ...

and at the heart of the historical region of

Najd Najd ( ar, نَجْدٌ, ), or the Nejd, forms the geographic center of Saudi Arabia, accounting for about a third of the country's modern population and, since the Emirate of Diriyah, acting as the base for all unification campaigns by the H ...

. It is located roughly 30 kilometers from

(the capital of the province) and more than 300 kilometers north of the Saudi capital,

. Unaizah lies in the northern-central region of the

and to the south of the

Wadi al-Rummah Wadi Al-Rummah or ar-Rummah (ar: وادي الرمة) is one of the Arabian Peninsula's longest river valleys, at a length of almost . Now mostly dry and partly blocked by encroaching sand dunes, the wadi arises near Medina at Jibāl al Abyaḑ (A ...

(Rumma Valley), which is the longest

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...

on the

Arabian peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...

. It is surrounded by

sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

to its north and west, which are known locally as the Al-Ghamis Sands. The Al-Ghadha Woods are located to the north of the city. Next to Unaizah is the Al-Aushaziyah

salt lake A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per litre). ...

(or Sabkha), which is considered an official part of the city.

Climate

Unaizah has a hot desert climate (Köppen Climate Classification BWh), with long, extremely hot summers and short, very mild winters. The average high temperature in August is . The city experiences very little precipitation, especially in summer, but receives a fair amount of rain in March and April. It is also known to have dust storms during which the dust can be so thick that visibility is under .

Agriculture

Unaizah is an agricultural area and produces

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

and

barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley pr ...

of various strains. The region also grows

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...

grapefruit The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark pink. Grapefruit is ...

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus ''Alli ...

s, mandarins,

oranges An orange is a fruit of various citrus species in the family Rutaceae (see list of plants known as orange); it primarily refers to ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis'', which is also called sweet orange, to distinguish it from the related ''Citrus × ...

pomegranate The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punicoideae, that grows between tall. The pomegranate was originally described throughout the Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean re ...

s and

dates Date or dates may refer to: *Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner **Group dating *Play date, an ...

Leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus ''Alli ...

s (

kurrat ''Allium ampeloprasum'' is a member of the onion genus ''Allium''. The wild plant is commonly known as wild leek or broadleaf wild leek. Its native range is southern Europe to western Asia, but it is cultivated in many other places and has becom ...

) are a very important part of the local culture of Unaizah. They are popular among the locals and comprise a significant portion of the local agricultural industry. An annual Date Season Festival has been held in September since the early 2000s, giving Unaizah the distinction of hosting the second largest date festival in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...

and the Middle East. The festival rivals the date festival of neighboring Buraydah's, which is sometimes known as "Buraydah, the City of Dates".Hot Dates in the Saudi Desert -- The world’s second-largest date festival shifts into high gear.
Andrew Leber,

Slate.com ''Slate'' is an online magazine that covers current affairs, politics, and culture in the United States. It was created in 1996 by former '' New Republic'' editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. In 20 ...

, 2017-09-25 Unaizah's 2008 (4th) annual Date Festival was known as the "Unaizah International Date Festival", though the city's title "Unaizah, the Kingdom of Dates" was retained as a motto. Many people from different places of the Middle East come to see this festival and buy dates because they know there is a good quality of dates.

Government

The Unaizah Municipality (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

: بلدية عنيزة or

baladiyah Baladiyah () is a type of Arabic administrative division that can be translated as "district", "sub-district" or "municipality". The plural is baladiyat (). Grammatically, it is the feminine of "rural, country-, folk-". The Arabic term amanah ( ...

: البلدية ) was founded in in Unaizah. It carries out the civic administration for the Metropolitan area of

Unaizah Unaizah ( ar, عنيزة ) or officially The Governorate of Unaizah (also spelled Onaizah, Onizah, or Unayzah; ar, محافظة عنيزة ) is a Saudi Arabian city in the Al Qassim Province. It lies south of the province capital Buraydah and n ...

. The municipality was established for the purpose of maintaining villages, regulating construction projects and systematizing public health, safety measures and the construction of the infrastructure of the city such as roads, the stormwater drainage network and street lighting. The Unaizah Municipality has 3 main agencies: *Services Agency : Responsible of maintenance and operation of facilities in the city. *Project Management Agency: Responsible of managing and regulating the construction projects in the city. *Urbanization and Planing Agency: Responsible of urban planning and administrating lands and properties in the city. The municipality has had 16 mayors since it was founded. there is 18 villages and offices within the range of Unaizah Municipality.

Education

Unaizah is home to some pioneers in

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

; the first

Saudi Saudi may refer to: * Saudi Arabia * Saudis, people from Saudi Arabia * Saudi culture, the culture of Saudi Arabia * House of Saud The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is c ...

person from

to earn a

PhD. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

degree was from Unaizah, and his name was Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Khowaiter. The first

female from

to earn a PhD degree was also raised in this city. Her name was Dr. Ebtisam Al Bassam. One of the first cities to embrace female education in

and

was Unaizah. It faced resistance from neighboring provinces and brought Unaizah at the forefront of a national debate. After lengthy negotiations, the capital city of Qassim,

Buraidah Buraidah ( ar, بريدة ') is the capital and largest city of Al-Qassim Region in north-central Saudi Arabia in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula. Buraydah lies equidistant from the Red Sea to the west and Persian Gulf to the east. Its known fo ...

a sister city of Unaizah, officially recognized the right of an education for females, partly due to

King Abdulaziz Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ar, عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود, ʿAbd al ʿAzīz bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted ...

's interference in settling the dispute. Today, there are many public schools in Unaizah for all three educational levels (primary, intermediate, and secondary). There are also two

private schools An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...

and one private

international school An international school is an institution that promotes education in an international environment or framework. Although there is no uniform definition or criteria, international schools are usually characterized by a multinational student body a ...

. There is also a boys' technological secondary school in the city and a technological college, as well as a girls' educational college.

Qassim University Qassim University is a major public university in Saudi Arabia. The main campus of Qassim University covers about eight square kilometers in the heart of the region. Qassim University has over 38 Colleges, offering over 30 PhD, 70 master's, 120 ...

is located approximately 30 kilometers north of the city, and enrolls both males and females.

Western travelers

The people of Unaizah are well known for their hospitality and acceptance for people from other races and religions. The famous

Charles Montagu Doughty Charles Montagu Doughty (19 August 1843 – 20 January 1926) was an English poet, writer, explorer, adventurer and traveller, best known for his two-volume 1888 travel book '' Travels in Arabia Deserta''. Early life and education Son of Rev. Ch ...

lived in the city during his odyssey and wrote highly about the city.

Amin al-Rihani Ameen Rihani (Amīn Fāris Anṭūn ar-Rīḥānī) ( ar, أمين الريحاني / ALA-LC: ''Amīn ar-Rīḥānī''; Freike, Lebanon, November 24, 1876 – September 13, 1940), was a Lebanese American writer, intellectual and political a ...

(the famous

Franco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" Prefix * Franco, a prefix used when ref ...

- Lebanese scholar and traveler) spoke highly of the city's architecture and works of art in his book "

Kings of Arabia Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...

" likening it to Paris thereby coining the nickname "Paris of Najd" for the city.

Tourism

There are twelve tourist

festivals A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival co ...

and activities recognized by the

Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities The Ministry of Tourism (MoT; ar, وزارة السياحة, translit=Wizārah al-Sīāḥah), before 2020 as the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), till 2015 as the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) and ...

, and a calendar has been made for these events. The

tourist attractions A tourist attraction is a place of interest that Tourism, tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of ...

in Unaizah range from

to private meetings in family ranches. Some of the most notable venues in which festivals are held are the following: * Almusawkaf * Onaizah Mall * Othaim Mall * Al-Ghada Park * Al Bassam Mansion, a traditional house and a private museum * Al Hajeb Parks * Al Hamdan House, a traditional house and a private museum * Asia Resort and Park * Dream Land, the largest

theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

in Al Qassim Province and reportedly the Central Region * Judaida Local Market * King Fahd Cultural Center * The Roman amphitheater * Salih Bin Salih Cultural Center * The Unaizah House for Traditional Legacy * Caravanserai Museum, a little museum of antiques, family memories, traditional things, and historical stories There are five

hotels A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

in Unaizah, two of which are currently under construction, in addition to the

rental Renting, also known as hiring or letting, is an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property owned by another. A gross lease is when the tenant pays a flat rental amount and the landlord pays for al ...

apartments An apartment (American English), or flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that occupies part of a building, generally on a single story. There are man ...

and suites distributed all around the city: * Al Fahd Crown (under construction) * Golden Tulip (under construction) * Radisson Blu Hotel (under construction) * Onaizah Hotel * Boudl Although Unaizah is thought to be relatively more accepting of visitors than its neighbors, its tourism industry faces criticism for a number of reasons. One such criticism is its disregard for infrastructure maintenance.

Culture

Religion

All of the Saudi

citizens Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...

of Unaizah are

Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word ''Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagree ...

with a small minority of

Dharmic religions Indian religions, sometimes also termed Dharmic religions or Indic religions, are the religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent. These religions, which include Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism,Adams, C. J."Classification of ...

, (mostly

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

) brought and practiced in the city by Asian workers (mainly Indians). As the rest of Saudi Arabian cities, non-Islamic worship houses are not allowed. The majority of the city's inhabitants are socially conservative. One of Saudi Arabia's leading religious clerics

Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen (March 9, 1929 – January 10, 2001; Arabic: محمد بن صالح العثيمين), also known as Muhammad ibn al-Uthaymeen, was a prominent Islamic scholar from Saudi Arabia. Biography Uthaymeen was born on ...

was a student of the

Sheikh Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...

Abd ar-Rahman ibn Nasir as-Sa'di, an Unaizah native.

was born and raised in Unaizah. He lived in Unaizah where many mosques have been built and named after him.

Cuisine

The Qassimi cuisine in general, and the cuisine of Unaizah is very famous for its delicious food, and for its renowned and tasty traditional meals such as ''Jereesh'', ''Margoug'', ''Gersan'', and ''Metazeez''. As for sweets, along with other Qassimi sweets, the Qassimi Kleeja is a well-known sweet all over Saudi Arabia and in

Eastern Arabia Eastern Arabia, historically known as al-Baḥrayn ( ar, البحرين) until the 18th century, is a region stretched from Basra to Khasab along the Persian Gulf coast and included parts of modern-day Bahrain, Kuwait, Eastern Saudi Arabia, Unite ...

. Like other Saudi cities, the

Kabsa ), ''makbūs/machbūs'' ( ar, مكبوس/مچبوس) , country = Saudi Arabia , region = Arabian Peninsula , creator = , course = Meal , served = , main_ingredient = Rice (usually long-grain, ...

is the most traditional lunch. The

Yemeni Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast and sh ...

Mandi Mandi may refer to: Places * Mandı, Azerbaijan India * Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir * Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh ** Mandi State, former princely sta ...

is also popular as a lunch meal. Western origin

junk food "Junk food" is a term used to describe food that is high in calories from sugar and/or fat, and possibly also sodium, but with little dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, or other important forms of nutritional value. It is also known as HF ...

is also popular in the city.

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...

Subway Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to: Transportation * Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems * Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle * Subway (George Bush Interconti ...

Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...

Domino's Pizza Domino's Pizza, Inc., trading as Domino's, is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960 and led by CEO Russell Weiner. The corporation is Delaware domiciled and headquartered at the Domino's Farms Office Park in Ann Arbor ...

Herfy Herfy ( ar, هرفي) is a Saudi Arabian multinational fast food restaurant chain in Saudi Arabia and one of the largest in the Middle East, surpassing international chains in terms of presence. It has a total of more than 380 restaurants and 5,0 ...

Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and dessert at d ...

Pizza Inn Pizza Inn is a Dallas-based restaurant chain and international food franchise, specializing in American-style pan pizza, pasta, and side dishes. The company is based in the Dallas suburb of The Colony, Texas. At its peak, Pizza Inn had over 500 ...

Little Caesars Little Caesar Enterprises Inc. (doing business as Little Caesars) is an American multi-national pizza chain. Based on 2020 statistics, Little Caesars is the third-largest pizza chain by total sales in the United States, behind Pizza Hut and Do ...

Hardee's Hardee's Restaurants LLC is an American fast-food restaurant chain operated by CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. ("CKE") with locations primarily in the Southern and Midwestern United States. The company has evolved through several corporate owne ...

, and

KFC KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that specializes in fried chicken. It is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with 2 ...

among others are widely distributed in Unaizah.

Sports

Department of Education Stadium (Unaizah) A

Unaizah is very active in terms of

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

is the most popular sport all over

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

, and it is very popular in Unaizah, it is played in school's P.E. (i.e. Physical Education) lessons, and it is common to see a group of kids playing it in the streets. There are two local clubs in Unaizah, the Saudi ''Al Najmah club'', and the ''Al Arabi club''.

Population

The city has experienced very high rates of population growth. Unaizah officially counted population in the city limits in 2010 was 163,729.

Media

Unaizah is served by six major

Arabic-language Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

newspapers A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports ...

, '' Al Jazirah'', ''

Al Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the R ...

'', ''

Okaz ''Okaz'' ( ar, عكاظ) is an Arabic Saudi Arabian daily newspaper located in Jeddah. The paper was launched in 1960 and its sister publication is ''Saudi Gazette''. The paper is simultaneously printed in both Riyadh and Jeddah and has offices a ...

'', '' Al Watan'', ''

Al Hayat Al-Hayat ( ar, الحياة meaning "Life") was a London-based, pan-Arab newspaper owned by Saudi Prince Khalid bin Sultan, that had a circulation estimated over 200,000. It was the newspaper of record for the Arab diaspora and the preferred ve ...

'', ''

Al Yaum ''Al Yaum'' (Arabic: اليوم; ''The Day'' or ''Today'') is a Dammam-based, supposedly pro-government Arabic daily newspaper published in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The paper has been in circulation since 1965 History and ownership ''Al Yaum'' was ...

''. Unaizah has one local

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

, that issues every four months, it is called ''Paris Najd'', named after the widest spread

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

of Unaizah. In addition to many other national and international magazines distributed everywhere in the city's markets.

Television stations A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity, such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio waves directly from a transmitter on the earth ...

serving the city area include Saudi TV1, Saudi TV2, Saudi TV Sports, Al Ekhbariyah, ART channels network and hundreds of cable, satellite and other specialty television providers.

Ruling dynasty

The city has been ruled by the Al Sulaim family (Sons of Sulaiman Al-Zamil) since 1818. They came to power when Prince Yehya Al-Sulaim in 1822 killed the governor appointed by the

Ottoman emperor The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. At its he ...

, Abdullah Al-Jamei. This dynasty still rules the city according to a written treaty between them and the

Saudi royal family The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), and ...

. Some of the most famous families in

originate from Unaizah, including Al Juffali, Al Ohaly, Alsmaeel, AlGarawi, Al Abalkhail, Al Ghothami, Al Hatlani, Al Ghumayz, Al Sulaiman, Al Hamdan, Al Akeel, Al Fadl, Al Tamimi, Al Zamil (ALZamel), Al Olayan, Al Bassam, Al Gadhi, Al Matrody, Al Salloum, Al Saheel, Al Subaiee, Al Senany, Al Mansour, Al Yahya, Al Thukair, Al Turki, Al Dubayan, Al Shoshan, Al Shubaili, Al Shebel, Al Damigh, Al Othaimeen, Al Malloohi, Al Marzooki, Al Manei, Al Se'di, Al Abeeki, Al Houthi, Al Khwaiter, Al Sowayil, Al Daffaa, Al Jaffali, Al Dukhayyel, Al Dakheel, Al Abdeli, Al Suhaimi families and many others. Musaad Al-Sulim

* Mohammad al-Yahya, first Saudi Arabian CEO at the bank of HSBC * Heythem Abdullah ALZamel, one of the First Saudi Trauma/Acute Care Surgeons; educated and trained in the United States. * Abdullah al-Senany, poet, educator, and calligrapher *

Azzam al-Kadi Azzam is a name of Arabic origin (, and may refer to: People Given name *Azzam Sleit (born 1966), Jordanian engineer and politician Surname *Abdul Rahman Hassan Azzam (also known as Azzam Pasha), Egyptian diplomat who is known for making the famou ...

, laparoscopic and trauma surgeon, public figure, and assistant professor at Al Qassim University * Mohammad al-Sebayel, the first Arab surgeon to perform a human liver transplant *

Abdulaziz al-Hazzaa Abdulaziz ( ota, عبد العزيز, ʿAbdü'l-ʿAzîz; tr, Abdülaziz; 8 February 18304 June 1876) was the 32nd List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and reigned from 25 June 1861 to 30 May 1876, when he was 187 ...

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...

notable for his different voice levels. * Musa'ad al-Senany, Saudi Minister of Labor and Social Affairs * Khalid Al-Mansour, Saudi retired footballer *

Abdullah al-Nuaim Abdullah may refer to: * Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village * ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan * '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Pakis ...

, Riyadh city manager, vice president of

King Saud University King Saud University (KSU, ar, جامعة الملك سعود) is a public university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Established in 1957 by King Saud bin Abdulaziz to address the country's skilled worker shortage, it is the first university in the K ...

, founder and President of the Board of Trustees, King Fahd National Library * Abdulaziz al-Nuaim, member of the

Saudi Shura Council The Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia ( ar, مجلس الشورى السعودي, Maǧlis aš-Šūrā s-Saʿūdiyy), also known as ''Majlis ash-Shura'' or ''Shura Council,'' is the formal advisory body of Saudi Arabia. It is a deliberative as ...

. * Abdullah al-Hamdan,

Saudi Air Force The Royal Saudi Air Force ( ar, ‎الْقُوَّاتُ الْجَوِّيَّةُ الْمَلَكِيَّةْ ٱلسُّعُوْدِيَّة, Al-Quwwat Al-Jawiyah Al-Malakiyah as-Su’udiyah) (RSAF) is the aviation branch of the Saudi Arabia ...

general * Abdullah bin Sulaiman al-Hamdan, Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, adviser to

* Abdullah Al Shebel, president of

Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) (), commonly known as Al-Imam University, is a public university in Baladiyah al-Shemal in northern Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 1953. represented by the College of Sharia Sciences (n ...

Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Al Zamil Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Zamil (1942 – October 6, 2019) was an industrial engineer, whose work in industry and government was important to the industrial development of Saudi Arabia. As the original chief executive of Saudi Basic Industries Cor ...

, industrial engineer and politician, Minister of Industry and Electricity * AbdalRahman al-Subeit, vice president of the

Saudi Arabian National Guard The Saudi Arabian National Guard or SANG ( ar, الحَرَس الوَطنيّ, al-Ḥaras al-Waṭanī), also known as the "White Army", is one of the three major branches of the military forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The national gua ...

* AbdalRahman Abalkhail, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs and

Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Saudi may refer to: * Saudi Arabia * Saudis, people from Saudi Arabia * Saudi culture, the culture of Saudi Arabia * House of Saud, the ruling family of Saudi Arabia {{disambiguation ...

Yousef Al-Othaimeen Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen ( ar, يوسف بن أحمد العثيمين) is a Saudi Arabian politician who served as secretary-general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) from November 2016, when Iyad bin Amin Madani stepped do ...

, Minister of Social Affairs * Mohammad Al-Sowayel, President of

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST; ar, مدينة الملك عبدالعزيز للعلوم والتقنية) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is an organization established in 1977 as the Saudi Arabian National Center for Science & ...

* Ahmad Al Dubayan, director of the Islamic Cultural Centre in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

* Ali Al Khayat, poet and writer *

Abdullah Al Shoshan Abdullah may refer to: * Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village * ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan * '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Pakis ...

, poet * Abdullah Al-Houthi, Former General Manager and Controller of Sabick Inc *

Saleh Al-Dabibi Saleh or Salih ( ar, صالح, or ) is an Arabic masculine given name which means "Pious". Given name * Salih, Arabian prophet * Salih ibn Ali (711–769 CE), was the Abbasid general and governor in Syria and Egypt. * ''Salih ibn Harun al-Rashid ...

, Lawyer * Muhammed Al-Houthi, Former Goalkeeper for Al-Najma SC and the Saudi International Team. Featured on the "Coke Collectible Cans" that featured various "Gold Star" players on The Saudi Arabian National Team. He is seen in the first row, third can. * Abdul Rahman Al-Dabibi, Former Captain of Al-Camel Milk FC. *

Ibrahim bin Abdullah Al Suwaiyel Sheikh Ibrahim bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Suwaiyel ( ar, الشيخ إبراهيم بن عبد الله بن عبد العزيز بن عبد الله السويّل ''Ash-Sheikh Ibrāhīm bin ʿAbdullāh bin ʿAbdulʿazīz bin ʿ ...

, former Saudi Ambassador to the United States * Ebraheem Alsuleiman (Alakeel), former chief of Crown Prince Faisal's Royal Court and former

Yusef Al-Bassam Yusuf ibn Ya'qub ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ( ar, يوسف ٱبن يعقوب ٱبن إسحاق ٱبن إبراهيم, Yūsuf ibn Yaʿqūb ibn ʾIsḥāq ibn ʾIbrāhīm, ) is a prophet mentioned in the Quran, and corresponds to Joseph, a person f ...

, President of the Saudi Development Fund *

Lubna Olayan Lubna Suliman Olayan ( ar, لبنى سلیمان العليان; born 4 August 1955) is a Saudi business woman. She is the daughter of Saudi billionaire businessman Sulaiman Olayan. Career She has been on the boards of WPP and Saudi Hollandi B ...

, prominent businesswoman * Muhammad Al Shubeili, former Saudi Ambassador to Iraq and Malaysia *

Muhammad Al Zughaiby Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monothe ...

, Minister of Transportation *

Abdulmohsen Al-Bassam Abdulmohsen Hamad Al-Bassam is a retired officer in the Royal Saudi Air Force and a former astronaut. He was the back-up payload specialist for Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on STS-51-G. Background Abdulmohsen Hamad Al-Bassam was ...

, Retired officer in the Royal Saudi Air Force and a former astronaut. He was the back-up payload specialist for

Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Sultan bin Salman Al Saud ( ar, سلطان بن سلمان آل سعود; ''Sulṭān bin Salmān Āl Suʿūd''; born 27 June 1956) is a Saudi prince and former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot who flew aboard the American STS-51-G Space Shuttle missi ...

STS-51-G STS-51-G was the 18th flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the fifth flight of Space Shuttle ''Discovery''. The seven-day mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on June 17, 1985, and landed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif ...

. *

Nassir Al-Salloum Nassir may refer to: * Nassir Abojalas Nassir Abo-Jalas (born June 11, 1994) is a Saudi Arabian professional basketball player. He currently plays for Uhud Medina of the Saudi Premier League. He represented Saudi Arabia's national basketball ...

, Minister of Transportation *

Dawood Alsulaim romanized: Dāwīḏ syr, ܕܘܝܕ, Dawīd Koine el, Δαυίδ, Dauíd , image = Prophet Dawood Name.svg , image size = 150px , caption = David's name in Islamic calligraphy , birth_date = 10th ce ...

, pilot, major general, and former Saudi

Military Attaché A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. This type of attaché post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer, who retains a commission while serving with an embassy. Opport ...

to the United Kingdom. * Saleh Al Abbad, former chief of the Saudi Royal Court. *

Saleh Al Nugaidan Saleh or Salih ( ar, صالح, or ) is an Arabic masculine given name which means "Pious". Given name * Salih, Arabian prophet * Salih ibn Ali (711–769 CE), was the Abbasid general and governor in Syria and Egypt. * ''Salih ibn Harun al-Rashid ...

draughtsman A draughtsman (British spelling) or draftsman (American spelling) may refer to: * An architectural drafter, who produced architectural drawings until the late 20th century * An artist who produces drawings that rival or surpass their other types ...

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

, and

photographer A photographer (the Greek language, Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who makes photographs. Duties and types of photographe ...

. *

Sulaiman S. Olayan Suliman Saleh Olayan ( ar, سليمان صالح العليان; 5 November 1918 – 4 July 2002) was among Saudi Arabia's wealthiest businessmen. Biography and career Orphaned at the age of six, Olayan had more humble beginnings than most of h ...

, one of Saudi Arabia's leading businessmen whose autobiography is titled "From Unaizah to Wall Street." * Sulaiman Al Sulaim, former Minister of Commerce and Finance and Chairman of Saudi American Bank * Abdulrahman Rashed Alkhayat,

Royal Saudi Navy The Royal Saudi Navy ( ar, البَحْريَّة الْمَلكيَّة السُّعُودِيَّة, Al-Quwwat al-Bahriyah al-Arabiyah as-Su'udiyah) or Royal Saudi Naval Forces ( ar, القُوَّات البَحْريَّة الْمَلك� ...

admiral *

Saad Al-Sowayan Saad or Sa'ad may also refer to: *Saad (name), people carrying the name or surname *Sa'ad, a kibbutz in the Negev desert in Israel *Saad Esporte Clube, a Brazilian football club * Saad SC, an Iraqi football club *Saad Specialist Hospital, in Khobar ...

, anthropologist and writer * Abdul-Rahman ibn Nasir al-Sa'di, a Sunni Muslim scholar and former imam of the city's Jami' mosque *

Muhammad ibn Uthaymeen Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin (; 9 March 192910 January 2001) was a Saudi Islamic scholar. Biography Ibn al-Uthaymin was born on March 9, 1929, in the City of Unayzah, Qaseem Region of Saudi Arabia. He is said to have memorized the Quran at ...

, a Sunni Muslim scholar and former imam of the city's Jami' mosque

In the news

Unaizah is well known for its hospitality, hence, there are a variety of tourism Festivals in the year. These include dates, and healthy crops festivals. There is also a bi-annual cultural festival which is a trademark for this city. It was the only city of the

region to invite a Saudi

Shiite Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...

cleric to speak in a public event, in a grass-roots effort to promote a united national identity. This drew criticism from conservatives in neighboring cities.

Gallery

Image:Bin Uthaimeen Mosque, Unaizah.jpg, Bin Uthaimeen Mosque Image:Grand Mosque of Unayzah.jpg, Al Gadhi Mosque Image:Unaizah View.jpg, Al Gadhi Mosque and The Municipality Building Image:Unaizah Hotel.jpg, Onaizah Hotel Image:Aerial view of Al Ghadha.jpg, Aerial view of Al Ghadha Desert Festival 2007 Image:King Abdulaziz Road, Unaizah.jpg, King Abdulaziz Road