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 ...

Al-Ahsa Oasis ''Al-Aḥsāʾ'' ( ar, الْأَحْسَاء, ''al-ʾAhsā''), also known as al-Ḥasāʾ () or Hajar (), is a traditional oasis historical region in eastern Saudi Arabia whose name is used by the Al-Ahsa Governorate, which makes up much of th ...

Hofuf Al-Hofuf ( ar, ٱلْهُفُوف ', also spelled Hofuf or Hufuf, also known as "Al-Hasa", "Al-Ahsa" or "Al-Hassa") is the major urban city in the Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, with a population of 858,395 (as of 202 ...

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bod ...

Empty Quarter The Rub' al KhaliOther standardized transliterations include: / . The ' is the assimilated Arabic definite article, ', which can also be transliterated as '. (; ar, ٱلرُّبْع ٱلْخَالِي (), the "Empty Quarter") is the sand des ...

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...

King Faisal University King Faisal University (KFU) ( ar, جامعة الملك فيصل ') is a public university with the main campus in the city of Hofuf in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia founded in 1975. KFU was initially established with four colleges: two in Dammam and t ...

Semites Semites, Semitic peoples or Semitic cultures is an obsolete term for an ethnic, cultural or racial group.Arabian Peninsula to the north and east. Moreover, one of the first civilizations that appeared in Al-Ahsa was

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...

civilization. This was determined by tombs that date back to five thousand years that were discovered on the coasts of Al-Ahsa and the neighboring island

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...

. These are believed to be of Phoenician origin. Furthermore, the antiquities found in these tombs were later sent to the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

. Al-Ahsa had been inhabited since prehistoric times for its geographical and agricultural importance. An example of its geographical importance would be that it served as a crossing for them to the Fertile Crescent. In addition to that, is that it is serves a commercial importance as it is a crossroads of several trade routes linking the Arabian Peninsula with

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

through the port of

Uqair Uqair (), alternatively spelled as al-'Uqair, Uqayr, and Ogair, is an ancient seaport city in the Al-Ahsa Governorate of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It is the first seaport in the Persian Gulf and has been linked by some to the ancient ...

and the port of Qatif. In terms of agricultural importance, Al-Ahsa is of great importance since its area is made up of fertile lands and contains abundant water sources. It is known that the

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...

ns are one of the branches of the Canaanites. The Canaanites moved from the Gulf coast to the

Mediterranean coast The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the eas ...

and settled in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

, Syria and Palestine, carrying with them the names of their cities such as Tyre, Arwad, Byblos and others. Following the migration of the Canaanites from the Al-Ahsa coast, the Jerhaites, a branch of the Chaldeans, settled in their place. Their description of their city came from the Greek traveler Strabo, who said about Al-Ahsa:

"It was founded by Chaldean immigrants from Babylon in a swampy land, and it was built of salt stones, eighty thousand cubits away from the sword of the sea."

The Greek historian Polybius also described Al-Ahsa as an important commercial center, one of the active markets in the Arab countries, and a crossroads for the caravan routes coming from southern Arabia, the

Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...

, the Hijaz,

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The inhabitants of those countries were among the richest peoples of the island. Their wealth was gold and silver, which stirred greed. At the same time, the

Seleucid The Seleucid Empire (; grc, Βασιλεία τῶν Σελευκιδῶν, ''Basileía tōn Seleukidōn'') was a Greek state in West Asia that existed during the Hellenistic period from 312 BC to 63 BC. The Seleucid Empire was founded by the ...

king Antiochus III led his fleet in 205 BC. He crossed the

Tigris The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the ...

, heading to it to seize its treasures, but its people, fearing them for their city and out of their love for peace and in order to preserve their freedom that they cherished, sent a delegation to him carrying a large gift of gold and precious stones. So Antiochus accepted the gift And he closed back to his country, and perhaps the barren desert and the adventure of the trip was the main reason that convinced the

Seleucid The Seleucid Empire (; grc, Βασιλεία τῶν Σελευκιδῶν, ''Basileía tōn Seleukidōn'') was a Greek state in West Asia that existed during the Hellenistic period from 312 BC to 63 BC. The Seleucid Empire was founded by the ...

king to return from his determination.

City of Hejir

Al-Ahsa was then became a part of a city belonging to the territory of

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...

at that time, located between Ras Al-Qara mountain, Abu Hasis mountain, and the northern part of Jabal al-Qarah in Al-Ahsa today a place now called the town of Al-Kawarij. The town was of importance to the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula, because of the port of Al-Uqair, which served as a link in bringing goods and exporting them to and from

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, China,

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the ...

.The port made it the great market for the central and eastern regions of it. When the Islamic call appeared, the Messenger Muhammad sent Al-Ala bin Abdullah Al-Hadrami in the seventh century AD corresponding to the eighth year of the Hijri to invite the people of Hejir to Islam, which they accepted.

Islamic times

Eastern Arabia was conquered by the emerging Rashidun Caliphate during the 7th century. It was later inherited by the Umayyads and Abbasids. In 899 A.D., the region came under the control of the Qarmatian leader, Abu Tahir al-Jannabi, and was declared independent from the Abbasid Caliphate of

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...

. Its capital was at al-Mu'miniya near modern

Hofuf Al-Hofuf ( ar, ٱلْهُفُوف ', also spelled Hofuf or Hufuf, also known as "Al-Hasa", "Al-Ahsa" or "Al-Hassa") is the major urban city in the Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, with a population of 858,395 (as of 202 ...

. By circa 1000, Al-Hasa became the 9th largest city worldwide supporting 100,000 inhabitants. In 1077, the Qarmatian state of Al-Ahsa was overthrown by the Uyunids. Al-Ahsa subsequently fell under the rule of the

Bahrani The Baharna ( ar, بحارنة) are the indigenous Shia Muslim inhabitants of Bahrain who inhabited the area before the arrival of Sunni Muslim Arab tribes from Najd, particularly by Banu Utbah in the 18th century which the Bahraini royal famil ...

dynasty of the

Usfurids The Usfurids ( ar, آل عصفور, Al ʿUṣfūr) were an Arab dynasty that in 1253 gained control of Eastern Arabia, including the islands of Bahrain. They were a branch of Uqaylids who re-migrated to Arabia after the fall of their rule in Syr ...

, followed by their relatives, the Jabrids, who became one of the most formidable powers in the region, retaking the islands of

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...

from the princes of Hormuz. The last Jabrid ruler of Bahrain was Muqrin ibn Zamil. In 1521, the

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the ...

conquered the Awal Islands (the islands that comprise present day Bahrain) from the Jabrid ruler Muqrin ibn Zamil, who fell strongly in battle. The Jabrids struggled to maintain their position on the mainland in the face of the Ottomans and their tribal allies, the Muntafiq. In 1550, Al-Ahsa and nearby Qatif came under the sovereignty of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

with Sultan Suleiman I. Al-Ahsa was nominally the Eyalet of Lahsa in the Ottoman administrative system, and was usually a

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...

of the Porte. Qatif was later lost to the Portuguese. The Ottomans were expelled from Al-Ahsa in 1670, and the region came under the rule of the chiefs of Banu Khalid tribe. Al-Ahsa, along with Qatif, was incorporated into the Wahhabist

Emirate of Diriyah The Emirate of Diriyah (), also known as the First Saudi State, was established in February 1727 (1139 Hijri year, AH). In 1744, the emir of Najdi town called Diriyah Muhammad bin Saud and the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab formed a ...

in 1795, but returned to Ottoman control in 1818 with an invasion ordered by Muhammad Ali of Egypt. The Banu Khalid were again installed as rulers of the region but, in 1830, the Emirate of Nejd retook the region. Direct Ottoman rule was restored in 1871, and Al-Ahsa was placed first under

Baghdad Vilayet ota, ولايت بغداد''Vilâyet-i Bagdad'' , conventional_long_name = Baghdad Vilayet , common_name = Baghdad Vilayet , subdivision = Vilayet , nation = Ottoman Empire , year_start = 18 ...

and with Baghdad's subdivision Basra Vilayet in 1875. In 1913, ibn Saud, the founder of modern

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 ...

, annexed Al-Ahsa and Qatif into his domain of Najd. Al-Ahsa has been inhabited since prehistoric times, due to its abundance of water. 627 CE:

Muhammad 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 mo ...

orders the

Third Raid on Banu Thalabah Third Raid on Banu Thalabah took place in September, 627AD, 6th month of 6AH of the Islamic calendarNote: Book contains a list of battles of Muhammad in Arabic, English translation availabl/ref> In Jumada Ath-Thania, Zaid as the commander of 15 ...

in Al-Taraf, now part of the Al-Ahsa governorate. 899: Al-Ahsa comes under control of the Qarmatian leader, Abu-Sa'id Jannabi, and is declared independent from the Abbasids of Baghdad. The capital is Al-Mu'miniya (near modern Hofuf). 1000: Al-Ahsa is among the 10 largest cities on earth, with 110,000 inhabitants. 1077: The Qarmatian state of Al-Ahsa is overthrown by the Uyunids. 1238:

Usfurid The Usfurids ( ar, آل عصفور, Al ʿUṣfūr) were an Arab dynasty that in 1253 gained control of Eastern Arabia, including the islands of Bahrain. They were a branch of Uqaylids who re-migrated to Arabia after the fall of their rule in Syr ...

dynasty takes over the region of Al-Ahsa and Al-Qatif. 1383: Usfurids are overthrown by the Jarwanids. 1440: The Jabrids take over Al-Ahsa, Qatif,

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...

, and

Kish Island Kish ( fa, کیش ) is a resort island in Bandar Lengeh County, Hormozgān Province, off the southern coast of Iran in the Persian Gulf. Owing to its free trade zone status, the island is touted as a consumer's paradise, with numerous malls, s ...

, and extend their influence to eastern Nejd. 1521: Jabrid kingdom falls to the Muntafiq tribe of southern

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

, who rule Al-Ahsa on behalf of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. The Ottomans station their garrisons in the region. 1670: the Ottomans are expelled by the tribe of Banu Khalid, who make their capital in Al-Mubarraz. 1795: Conquered by Saudi troops during the formation of the

First Saudi State The Emirate of Diriyah (), also known as the First Saudi State, was established in February 1727 (1139 AH). In 1744, the emir of Najdi town called Diriyah Muhammad bin Saud and the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab formed an alliance ...

. 1818: Reconquered by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

by Ottoman Egyptian forces overthrowing the First Saudi State in the process and granting the local tribe of Banu Khalid self-rule. 1830: Comes under the control of the

Second Saudi State The Emirate of Nejd or Imamate of Nejd was the Second Saudi State, existing between 1824 and 1891 in Nejd, the regions of Riyadh and Ha'il of what is now Saudi Arabia. Saudi rule was restored to central and eastern Arabia after the Emirate of ...

. 1871: The Second Saudi Dynasty loses the region to the Ottoman Empire again; however, this time it is directly ruled from

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...

instead of by tribe of Bani Khalid under self-rule has had been the case in the past during Ottoman ownerships. 1913: King Abdulaziz Al Saud conquers

Al-Ahsa Oasis ''Al-Aḥsāʾ'' ( ar, الْأَحْسَاء, ''al-ʾAhsā''), also known as al-Ḥasāʾ () or Hajar (), is a traditional oasis historical region in eastern Saudi Arabia whose name is used by the Al-Ahsa Governorate, which makes up much of th ...

, annexing it into his Kingdom of Najd. (This is recognised in the Treaty of Sèvres signed in 1920 with the other official partitionings of the Ottoman Empire.) 1932: Al-Ahsa becomes part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the

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 ...

. 1930s: Huge petroleum deposits are discovered near Dammam, resulting in rapid modernization for the region. JABAL QARA

Early 1960s: The oil fields in Al-Ahsa reach the production level of 1 million barrels per day.

Population and economy

According to 2005 estimate, Al-Ahsa has over 908,000 people. All local residents are Muslim, including both Shia and Sunnis. Over the centuries, residents of the oasis have included the Banu Abdul Qays, the

Banu Uqayl Banu Uqayl ( ar, بنو عُـقَـيـْل) are an ancient Arab tribe that played an important role in the history of eastern Arabia and Iraq. They belonged to the Banu Ka'b branch of the large Banu 'Amir confederation. The Banu 'Amir confede ...

, and the Bani Khalid. Oil production and agriculture are the two main economic activities of the Al-Ahsa. Al-Ahsa is the home of some of the richest oil fields in the world. Natural fresh-water springs have surfaced in the region for millennia, encouraging human habitation and agricultural efforts ( date palm cultivation especially) since prehistoric times. The Saudi Ministry of Agriculture established a factory to process its rich date harvest at the rate of five tons daily. Other components of its agricultural output include rice, corn, citrus, and other fruits. In addition, intensive livestock raising, involving thousands of sheep, goats, cattle and camels and more than 15 major poultry farms producing more than 100 million eggs a year, make Al-Ahsa one of the major food producers for the kingdom. Manufacturing—both the traditional small-scale cottage industry kind (e.g. the traditional mantle and pottery) and large-scale industries such as cement and plastics—has also been strongly encouraged.

Transportation

Airport

Al-Ahsa International Airport (IATA: HOF) is the city's main airport. The airport is located 25 km from the city center and serves weekly local flights to Jeddah, Al-Medina and international flights to

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

.

Roads

The city is served by a modern major highway system; Al-Ahsa / Riyadh highway; that links the city to KSA central region. Al-Ahsa / Dammam highway; that links the city to the rest of KSA eastern region and Kuwait. Al-Ahsa / Abu Dhabi highway; that links the city to UAE and Oman.

Railway

The city has a railway station connecting the city with the capital Riyadh to the west and Dammam to the north

Buses

The main charter bus company in the kingdom, known as the Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO), offers trips both within the kingdom and to its neighboring countries.

International Standings

* It has become the first city in the Persian Gulf region to be listed under the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

's Creative Cities Network in the fields of crafts and folk art. * It was also designated as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 2018. * In 2019, Al-Ahasa was selected as the Arab Tourism Capital.

Palm trees

The Al-Ahsa region boasts over 30 million palm trees. The Ministry of Agriculture has set up a factory to process its rich output of dates, amounting to five tons daily.

Main cities

*

Al-Hofuf Al-Hofuf ( ar, ٱلْهُفُوف ', also spelled Hofuf or Hufuf, also known as "Al-Hasa", "Al-Ahsa" or "Al-Hassa") is the major urban city in the Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, with a population of 858,395 (as of 202 ...

is the capital city of the Al-Ahsa province and has many traditional markets. * Al-Mubarraz (also spelled Al-Mobarraz), in Arabic المبرز, is one of the two main cities of the governorate. * Al-Oyoon (also spelled Al-Uyoon or Al-Oyoun) * Al-Omran (also spelled Al-Umran), in Arabic العمران, has an area of more than 6 km² and a population of more than 49,000 (in 1997). It consists of about 17 villages, including Al-Hutah, Al-Rumailah, North Al-Omran, South Al-Omran, Ghomsi, Al-Ulayyah, Abu Al-Hasa, Abu Thur, Al-Sayayrah, Al-Suwydrah, Al-Aramyah, Fariq Al-Raml, Wasit, Al- Shuwaikiah, Al-Sabaykh and Al-Nakheel. The Al-Sawab Club is situated in Al-Omran. *

Shaybah Shaybah, also called as Zararah, is a settlement dominated by a major crude oil production oil site, the Shaybah oil field, in Saudi Arabia, located approximately from the northern edge of the Rub' Al-Khali ("Empty Quarter") desert. It is about ...

(oil town in the

Empty Quarter The Rub' al KhaliOther standardized transliterations include: / . The ' is the assimilated Arabic definite article, ', which can also be transliterated as '. (; ar, ٱلرُّبْع ٱلْخَالِي (), the "Empty Quarter") is the sand des ...

)

Administrative subdivisions

The governorate of Al-Ahsa has seven ''marakiz''. They do not have any administrative functions, but can still be proclaimed as an administrative division. The marakiz are: * Al Hafayer * Al Ubaylah * Al-Jafr, Saudi Arabia *

Haradh Haradh () is a large town and industrial city in the Ahsa Governorate in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, approximately southwest of Hofuf. Due to its location above the Ghawar oil field, several oil and gas wells, along with oil refineri ...

*

Hofuf Al-Hofuf ( ar, ٱلْهُفُوف ', also spelled Hofuf or Hufuf, also known as "Al-Hasa", "Al-Ahsa" or "Al-Hassa") is the major urban city in the Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, with a population of 858,395 (as of 202 ...

* Rumailah, Saudi Arabia *

Shaybah Shaybah, also called as Zararah, is a settlement dominated by a major crude oil production oil site, the Shaybah oil field, in Saudi Arabia, located approximately from the northern edge of the Rub' Al-Khali ("Empty Quarter") desert. It is about ...

Villages

Al-Ahsa is a large area where a lot of villages and small towns are located. The villages are normally grouped into two main groups according to their relative location to the oasis. Although the villages lack big markets and/or hospitals, there are few good polyclinics and small markets. You can find small bank branches and automated teller machines in many villages. Recently there have been a great improvement in road maintenance and re-construction of some main roads between villages and cities. Al-Ahsa has about 50 villages, following is a list of some according to their location:

Eastern villages

Here is an incomplete list (population in 1997): * Al-Taraf (+27,000) which is famous for its four hills and its small zoo. Al-Rumailah (probably +12,020) It is well known because Al-Romailah existed at the time of Muhammad * Al-Holailah (+21,000) * Al-Battaliyah (+20,000) * Al-Shu'bah (+17,000) * Al-Omran (+49,000) which is a well-known village and has its own municipality * Al-Munaizlah (+17,000) * Al-Garah (+13,000) which is well known for its mountain Jabl Al-Garah * Al-Jafr (+13,000) which is well known for its own police station and other government offices * Al-Kilabiyah (+12,000) located about from Al-Hofuf * Al-Mansorah (+10,000) * Al-Towaithir (+8000) * Al-Fudhool (+8000) *Al-Markaz (+9000) ( ar, ٱلْمَرْكَز, ar, قَرْيَة ٱلْمَرْكَز, Qaryat Al-Markaz, also spelled Al-Markez). It is about from Al-Hofuf. * Al-Hotah (Probably +7000) * Bani Ma'an ( ar, بَنِي مَعن), one of the oldest villages. It is believed that it was bigger in the past. * Al-Dalwah * Al-Shahareen * Al-Sabat * Abu Thor * Al-Turaibil * Al-Tuhaimiyah * Al-Mizawi * Al-Jeshah (+29,000) *Al-Jubail (+10,000)

Northern villages

Here is an incomplete list: * Al-Gherain * Al-Mutairfi (+29,000) which is well known for its natural springs * Al-Julaijlah * Al-Marah * Al-Garn * Al-Shigaig * Al-Wazziyah.

Associated small villages

Here is an incomplete list: * Al Hafayer * Yabrin

Climate

Al-Ahsa has a dry, tropical climate, with a five-month summer and a relatively cold winter. It enjoys the benefit of copious reserves of underground water which has allowed the area to develop its agricultural potential. Nevertheless, Al-Ahsa has to deal with tons of sand which the wind carries and deposits over the land. To counter this problem, the Kingdom has planted large barriers of trees to prevent the

wind-borne sand Aeolian processes, also spelled eolian, pertain to wind activity in the study of geology and weather and specifically to the wind's ability to shape the surface of the Earth (or other planets). Winds may erode, transport, and deposit materials ...

from damaging inhabited and agricultural areas.

Recreation sites

One of the oldest mosques in Islam,

Jawatha Mosque Jawatha Mosque ( ar, مَسْجِد جَوَاثَا, Masjid Jawāthā), also incorrectly spelled ''Al-Jawan'', is located in the Jawāthā, about northeast of Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. It was the earliest known mosque built in eastern Arab ...

, is reputed to be found here, as well, and several historic remnants of Ottoman Turkish influence can be seen in buildings such as Qasr Ibrahim and the Qasr Sahood. Many pictures of old Al-Ahsa and the Eastern Province were taken by the Danish explorer and convert to Islam

Knud Holmboe Knud Valdemar Gylding Holmboe (22 April 1902 Horsens Denmark – 13 October 1931 Aqaba, Jordan) was a Danish journalist, author and explorer who converted from Protestantism to Catholicism in 1921, and, after a sojourn in North Africa, ultimatel ...

(1902–1931) in his travels through the Middle East. Here is a list of some historical and recreation sites: *

Jawatha Mosque Jawatha Mosque ( ar, مَسْجِد جَوَاثَا, Masjid Jawāthā), also incorrectly spelled ''Al-Jawan'', is located in the Jawāthā, about northeast of Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. It was the earliest known mosque built in eastern Arab ...

*

Uqair Uqair (), alternatively spelled as al-'Uqair, Uqayr, and Ogair, is an ancient seaport city in the Al-Ahsa Governorate of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It is the first seaport in the Persian Gulf and has been linked by some to the ancient ...

: Seaport is situated on the Persian Gulf in eastern Al-Ahsa. It has lost its focal role as a fishing and transport site, and is now an outing place for people of the region. *Qaṣr Ibrāhīm ( ar, قَصْر إِبْرَاهِيْم) is a castle built during Ottoman rule. It is located prominently in

Al-Hofuf Al-Hofuf ( ar, ٱلْهُفُوف ', also spelled Hofuf or Hufuf, also known as "Al-Hasa", "Al-Ahsa" or "Al-Hassa") is the major urban city in the Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, with a population of 858,395 (as of 202 ...

city. *Natural Springs like those in Umm Sabaa provides curative mineral water at a steady rate. * Jabl Al-Garah is a hill (locally called a mountain) in Al-Garah a village of the same name offers visitors cool air in the summer months. * Qasr Sahood ( ar, قصر صاهود) is a Palace built during Ottoman rule in the city of Al-Mubarraz. * Salwa Beach ( ar, شاطىء سلوى) is sandy beach about from Al-Hofuf. * Al-Shuʿbah Mountain ( ar, جبل الشعبة). * Jabl Al-Arbaʿ ( ar, جبل الأربع) are sandy hills about from Al-Hofuf, on the way to

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...

. * Al-Ahsa National Museum. * Al-Ahsa National Park, located at Al-Omran town.

Citations

References

Riyadh Newspaper
#{{note, pop Recreation Utilities in Al-Ahsa by Abdullah Al-Shayeb

Sources

* Al-Ahsa a Geographical Study by Abdullah Al-Taher * Recreation Utilities in Al-Ahsa by Abdullah Al-Shayeb

External links

Municipality of Al-Ahsa
(Arabic)
Al-Ahsa Website
Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia Oases of Saudi Arabia Governorates of Saudi Arabia Al-Ahsa Governorate

History

City of Hejir

Islamic times

Population and economy

Transportation

Airport

Roads

Railway

Buses

International Standings

Palm trees

Main cities

Administrative subdivisions

Villages

Eastern villages

Northern villages

Associated small villages

Climate

Recreation sites

See also

Citations

References

Sources

External links