The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is situated in the furthest south-western point of the Asian continent and it borders the western side of the Red Sea. To its South lie Yemen and the Sultanate of Oman and to its East is the Arabian Gulf, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. To its North are Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan. It expands over two and a quarter million square miles. Saudi Arabia has a dry desert climate. The heat as well as the cold is intense with very little rainfall. Most of the rainfall is concentrated in the Southern region and it expands over a vast area of desert encompassing a great portion of the Arabian Peninsula like the Al Ahqaf desert, Al Duhna desert and Al Nufood Desert.

The Sarwaat Mountain range stretches from North West of the Red Sea Coastline up to the South. The Thihamah Plains separate the Red Sea from The Sarwaat Mountains. In the middle lie rocky mountains and hills. Along the Arabian Gulf are sandy coastlines.

The most important region in the Kingdom is the Hijaaz Region. Within the precincts of this region are the two holy sites, Taif, Jeddah, and Yanbu. Jeddah and Yanbu are two strategic seaports of the Red Sea. Then the Najd region follows in which the capital city Riyadh is located. Among its major cities are Buraidah and Azizizah. The region of Hail is very famous and has a history, with two famous mountains-Aja and Salma. Hail is a beautiful farming area where an abundance of wheat is harvested. The eastern region is by far the wealthiest of all the regions due to its oil and minerals. The biggest oil field worldwide is found there, namely the Gawaar oil field in Al Ahsa. The biggest of oil rigs and refineries are found here also; and it is home to all the major oil companies in the Kingdom. Aramco is also based here and the most important of its cities are Dammam, Dhahran, Al Ahsa, Al Khobar, Ras Tanura and Jubail Industrial city.

The Southern region consists of three major areas, Al Aseer, Jazan and Najran. Al Aseer is the Kingdom’s preferred holiday destination. Abha is the most beautiful city from amongst the cities of the Al Aseer region and by far the most important after which comes Al Baha and Khamis Musheet. However, Jazan is famous for its fertile farm lands and has an important sea port as well, and is famous for its fishing industry followed by the Al Farasaan Islands in the Red Sea. Najran is an

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area close to the Al Ahqaf Desert in which the famous pit is found as mentioned in the chapter Al Burooj (Sign of the Zodiac) of the holy Quran.

“Woe to the makers of the pit of fire, fire stoked abundantly with fuel, Behold! They sat over against the (fire)……….”

It is also a farming area.

Then there are also other important cities situated in the North like Tabuk for example. Tabuk is a historical city in which the famous battle of Tabuk took place in the ninth year of Hijri. It is also a farming area which has a sea port on the red sea. The city of Arar is situated in the North East close to Iraq. The farming area of Jouf is situated in the North which consists of many small historical cities and villages amongst which; the city of Jundal is most famous.

The Legislative Areas:

There are 13 legislative areas in Saudi Arabia. They are Riyadh, Makkah Al Mukarramah, Al Madinah Al Munawwarra, Al Qasim, The Eastern Region, Al Aseer, Hail, Tabuk, Al Baha, The Northern Territories, AL Jouf, Jazan, Najran, and all those areas which fall under the above mentioned areas’ jurisdiction.

In Total there are 43 Governorates in Category A and 61 in Category B.

The Saudi Constitution:

From its inception, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has adopted Islamic Sharia Law as its constitution which is based on the holy Quran. Islamic Sharia law is applied and implemented across the board on all transactions and business deals right up to the projects which are supervised by the management themselves as well as all aspects of governance.

The Formal (National) Emblem of Saudi Arabia:

The Kingdom has chosen a date palm in-between two swords as its national and formal emblem symbolizing that the well being of a nation only exists with justice.

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The National Flag:

It is rectangular in shape with its width being two thirds its length having a green background with the inscriptions of “Laa illaha illal laah Muhammed Rasoolul laa – There is no God but Allah and Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) is the messenger of Allah,” on it with the Thul luth( Arabian font) being used.

Below these inscriptions is an Arabian sword with its handle pointing towards the flag post, with the inscriptions being written in white letters. It is not permissible to drop the flag to half mast, trampled upon it, nor have it soiled in any way due to the respect the inscriptions deserve.

Saudi National Day:

The 23rd of September has been declared as the national day to celebrate annually and commemorate the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as it coincides with the zodiac sign Libra, at the hands of His Royal Highness the late King Abdul Aziz Bin Abdur Rahman Al Saud (May Allah have mercy on him) who declared the birth of Saudi Arabia in the year 1351 H corresponding to the year 1932.

Saudi currency:

The common and basic currency for the Kingdom is the Saudi Riyal and is backed up with gold and it can be exchanged with foreign currency and is equivalent to one hundred halalah. The currency denominations are:

Notes: One riyal, five riyals, ten riyals, twenty riyals, fifty riyals, one hundred riyals, two hundred riyals and five hundred riyals.

Coins: One riyal, fifty halalah, twenty five halalah, ten halalah and five halaha.

The Riyal is pegged to the American Dollar at 3.75 riyals (three riyals and seventy five halalah).

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Calendar:

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is formally based on the Hijri calendar as per the hijrah (migration) of Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) from Makkah Al Mukarramah to Al Madinah Al Munawwarra.

The Hijri year is a lunar year which consists of 354 days divided into twelve lunar months which are as follows: Muharram, Safar, Rabi ul awwal, Rabi ul Thani, Jumaadul ulaa, Jumaadul Thani, Rajab, Sha’baan, Ramadhaan, Shawwaal, Zhul Qa’dah and Zhul Hijjah.

Formal Vacation:

The following are formal holidays:

Weekends- Thursdays and Fridays

Eid ul Fitr (vacation at the end of the fasting month of Ramadhaan)- from the beginning of the 25th of Ramadhaan until the 5th of Shawwaal with a duration spanning over ten to fourteen days depending on the inclusion of any weekends which may fall in between.

Eid ul Adha (vacation at the time of the annual pilgrimage) - begins from the start of the month of Zhil Hijjah up until the 15th of Zhil Hijjah. Government establishments and offices are also on vacation during this period.

Official Language:

Arabic is the official language with English being the second and taught from 6th grade elementary school. It is thereafter taught at all phases of school as well as at university level. The official calendar is the Hijri calendar and Islam is the practicing religion with all its citizens being Muslim.

Al Madinah Al Munawwarra and its Governorates

Al Madinah Al Munawwarra is situated in the Western Region of the Arabian Peninsula lying to the North of Makkah Al Mukarramah with a distance of approximately 447 kilometers. It is surrounded by fertile lands and mountains and it has plentiful water with an excess of palm trees and dates. The climate is dry and excessive in both winter and summer. Not much reliable information about its

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history is available. There are many myths about it but its sources are unknown and cannot be relied upon because most of them are from story tellers whose credibility cannot be verified. The most reliable information is that the dwellers of Al Madinah Al Munawwarra according to historians were the tribes of Aous and Khadhraj, who dwelled there before the migration of prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him), as well as the Jews who migrated from Syria after the battle of Bukht Nasr that demolished Jerusalem. The Jews came before the tribes of Aous and Khadhraj who migrated to Al Madinah after the destruction of Sad Ma’rab.

Al Madinah became the base for Islam after the Prophet’s migration as well as for all those who embraced Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. This trend continued right up until the conquest of Makkah, whereby it then became the capital of Islam. This trend of events continued throughout the Prophet’s era as well as that of Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman (May Allah be pleased with them).

The Islamic capital was transferred to Kufa during the era of Ali bin Abi Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) and then to Damascus during the reign of Mu’aawiyah (May Allah be pleased with him).In Pagan times Al Madinah was called Yathrib, and amongst its names during the Islamic era were Al Madinah, Taiba, Taaba, Miskeenah, Jaaberah, Majburah, Al Dar.

Al Madinah is an awesome place wherein the messenger of Allah (May peace and blessings be upon him), his three shining Caliphs viz. Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman (May Allah be pleased with them) as well as many senior companions of the messenger of Allah are buried. Approximately ten thousand of them including most of his noble wives, in addition to those venerable people who were the companions of the Prophet’s companions and seniors jurists like imam Malik bin Anas (May Allah have mercy upon him) are all buried in Al Madinah.

Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) was exceptionally fond of Al Madinah to the extent that upon returning from a journey, he would spur his mount faster so that he could reach Al Madinah quickly. Once his eyes fell upon its walls and dwellings, he would pray to Allah to increase the love of Al Madinah in his heart, hence he supplicated “Allahuma habbib liaina Al Madinah

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ka hubbina makah oh ashadd.- Oh Allah increase the love of Al Madinah in our hearts like the love we have for Makkah or even more”.

There is consensus among the learned scholars that Al Madinah and Makkah are the most virtuous cities, However there is a difference of opinion among the learned scholars as to which of the two are ranked higher. Umar bin Khattaab, his Son Abdullah and Malik bin Anas(May Allah be pleased with them) are of the opinion that Al Madinah has more virtue than Makkah whereas the majority are of the opinion that Makkah has more virtue, and each of them substantiate their claims with solid proof. Likewise there is a consensus among the jurists with regards to the actual earth and land with touches the body of prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) being the noblest and holiest of all places to the extent that it even surpasses the Holy Ka’ba in superiority. Among the traditions which have been narrated from the prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him) are: “There will dawn a time when a man will call his cousin or close relative saying; Come to comfort, come to comfort failing to realize that Al Madinah is best for him. I take an oath on the name of that being in whose hands lies my life that anyone who leaves Al Madinah whilst being dissatisfied with it will be replaced by Allah with another who is nobler than him. Be informed that Al Madinah is like a furnace that burns filth and dirt. The last day will not dawn unless Al Madinah expels its wretched and evil ones similarly as a furnace burns away rust from iron. (Muslim)

In another Hadeeth Prophet Muhammed(May peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whom so ever among you have the ability to die in Al Madinah, should do so, for verily I will intercede for all those that have passed away in Al Madinah.”(Inb Maja, Ibn Hibaan,Bai haqi).

Another hadeeth states: “Verily Imaan (faith) will creep and return to Al Madinah just like a snake creeps back into its hole” (Agreed upon).

Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) made a special supplication for Al Madinah stating; “Allahuma ij’al bil Madinah di’ fai maa jaa alta bi makata minal barakah- Oh Allah grant Al Madinah double the barakah (blessing) which you have granted Makkah.

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Allahuma baarik lana fi madinatina allahuma baarik lana fi saa inaa allahuma baarik lana fi moeddi na allhuma ij’ al ma albarakh barkatain- Oh Allah grant us blessings in our city, Oh Allah grant us blessings in our measure, Oh Allah grant us blessings in our weight, Oh Allah grants us double blessings with every single blessing.

Allhuma habbib ilaina Al Madinah ka hubbina makah oh ashadd Allahuma baarik lana fi sa inaa wa moeddi na wa sahhih ha lana wan qul humaha ilal juhfa-

Oh Allah make Al Madinah dear to us, like the love we have for Makkah or even more, Oh Allah Grant us blessings in our measure and weight Oh Allah rectify it for us and remove its sicknesses and calamities to Juhfa.(Agreed upon))(Name of a place which is approximately 350 km away from Al Madinah.

From among the salient features of Al Madinah is that Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) has demarcated Al Madinah as a sanctuary in the same manner as Ibraheem (May peace and blessings be upon him) demarcated Makkah and made it a safe haven and sanctuary. Many traditions have been narrated with regards to this, amongst them are; “Verily Ibraheem (May peace and blessing be upon him) has demarcated Makkah and made it a sanctuary and has prayed for it, like wise I have made Al Madinah a sanctuary and have prayed for blessings in its measure and weight in accordance to the supplication of Ibraheem (May peace and blessings be upon him) (Agreed upon).

Allahuma inee ooharrimu ha bi huramik al laa yu’ waa fiha muhdith wa laa yukh talaa khalaa ha wa laa yu’ dadoo showku ha wa laa too khaz luqta too ha illa li munshid (Ahmed, and others)

O Allah, I sanctify it with Your sanctity so that no innovator gets refuge in it, its plants should not be uprooted, its thorn should not be removed and its lost item should not be taken except for the one who searches for it-owner.

Allahuma inee uharrimu ma baina laa bataiha bi misli ma harrama ibraheemu makata Allahuma baarik lla hum fi moeddi him wa sa’ eehim-

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Oh Allah verily I have made Al Madinah, the area between its two mountains a sanctuary and a safe haven in the same manner as Ibraheem (May peace and blessings be upon him) made Makkah a sanctuary. Oh Allah, bless them in their measure and weight. (Agreed upon)

Innee uharrimu ma baina laa bataiha ay yuk ta aa udhaa ha oh yuk talo saidu ha (muslim)

Indeed I sanctify the area between its two mountains – that its plants be cut or its prey be hunted

Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) have said that

Al Madinah is a sanctuary and a safe haven Therefore anyone who starts any form of innovation or harbours an innovator, may the curse of Allah, his angels and all of mankind be upon him. Neither fard (Obligatory) nor nafl (non obligatory) deeds will be accepted from him. (Muslim)

Also among its salient features are that Dajjaal (Anti Christ) will not be allowed to enter nor would any plague as mentioned in the hadeeth;

There is not a place which Dajjaal will not visit except Makkah and Al Madinah. There will not be a hole in which he can squeeze through but there will be an armed angel guarding it. Al Madinah will then experience three tremors by way of expelling from Al Madinah every non believer and hypocrite. (Agreed upon)

Upon every hole and crevice there will be an armed angel guarding Al Madinah preventing Dajjaal and any form of plague from entering. (Agreed upon)

I will intercede and bear witness on behalf of every person who bears patience upon the difficulties and hardships of Al Madinah. (Muslim and Maalik in Mu’ata)

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Virtues of the Prophet’s Musjid:

Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) said that “to offer one Salaah in this musjid of mine is equal to a thousand prayers in any other musjid except the Holy Musjid in Makkah. (Agreed upon)

In another Hadeeth, Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) has mentioned that

“That place or piece of ground which is between my house and my pulpit (mimbar) is a garden from amongst the gardens of paradise, and my pulpit is on top of my fountain (Agreed upon)

Important Landmarks of Al Madinah:

Musjid Al Nabawi -Prophet’s Musjid.

Musjid Al Nabawi or the Prophet’s Musjid is the second holiest musjid in Islam and is centrally situated in Al Madinah. The first thing that any visitor to Al Madinah should do is visit the Prophet’s Musjid and perform two rakaats alaah as a mark of respect to the musjid and thereafter recite the salutations upon Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions ( May Allah be pleased with them).

As a service, Zam Zam water is provided to all visitors of the Prophet’s Musjid and many large containers are found containing cold Zam Zam water along its porticoes and pathways.

In the North Western corner of the musjid’s terrace is a Zam Zam water filling point just opposite car park number 8, which houses huge amounts of Zam Zam water in reservoirs and is available to all for filling as well as for household use. Generous amounts may be filled here.

Times for the filling of Zam Zam water is from 8am until 11 am and then again from 4.30 pm up until 6 pm daily. One should bring one’s own water containers for the filling of Zam Zam as containers are not provided.

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The construction, planning and design of the Prophet’s Musjid are totally unique in comparison to other structures and it gives the visitor and worshipper a sublime and serene atmosphere which in turn enhances one’s spirituality.

This tranquility and submission which one experiences whilst visiting the Prophet’s Musjid is the stepping stone to earnest concentration in worshipping the one and only Supreme God, which in fact was the initial purpose of visiting the Prophet’s Musjid.

Musjid Quba:

It is situated on the outskirts on the Southern side of Al Madinah Al Munawwarra and is the first musjid that was built in Al Madinah. Musjid Quba was built by Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) after arriving from Makkah on his maiden migration journey. He built this musjid before entering Al Madinah. The learned scholars have mentioned that in honour of Musjid Quba and the people that inhabited its surroundings, the following verse of the Quran was revealed; “The Musjid whose foundation was built on piety from the first day, is more entitled that you stand in it”.

Among its virtues is the Hadeeth of Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessing be upon him) stating;

“Whosever takes ablution at home and then proceeds to Musjid Quba to perform salaah therein, will receive the reward of an Umrah (Ibn Majah)

Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) used to constantly visit Musjid Quba on Saturdays walking as well as being mounted at times.

Musjid Qiblatain:

It is situated towards the North-west of Al Madinah. It has been reported that in this musjid the qiblah was diverted from Bait ul Maqdis towards Makkah. It was an abode of a woman belonging to the tribe of Banu Salamah. Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) visited this woman to offer his condolences as she lost her son. She insisted that he and his companions have a siesta at her place and she slaughtered a she goat in their honour. Thus, they partook of the meal and as the time for the Zhur Prayer was due, Prophet

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Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) led the Zuhr prayers facing Bait ul Maqdis. When he stood up for the third rakah of salaah, divine revelation came commanding that prayers should be performed facing Makkah and no longer Bait ul Maqdis, He then turned around in his salaah and faced Makkah. The Tribe of Banu Salamah requested the owner to sell the house so that they could convert it into a Musjid. The house was donated for this cause and a musjid was built on that spot which was named Musjid Banu Salamah and later called Musjid Qiblatain.

Musjid Meeqaat:

This musjid is commonly known as Zhul Hulaifah as it is located in the neighbourhood of Hulaifah. A Meeqaat is a place or zone from where those intending to perform Umrah or Hajj tie their ihram or make their Umrah or Hajj intentions. This is the zone for the residents of Al Madinah and those further up. Musjid Meeqaat is approximately 24 kilometers away from the Prophet’s Musjid in a westerly direction from the Valley of Aqeeq.

Musjid Al Fath:

This is one of the famous and well known musjids that is commonly known as Sab’a Masaajid (the Seven Musjids). It is situated to the East of Al Seeh neighbourhood and West of the foot of Mount Sal’a. Musjid Al Fath is to the North of Mount Sal’a; however it is above the southern side of Mount Sal’a. It is the highest from among the seven musjids and it is called Musjd Al Ahzaab as well as Musjid Al A’la. It is at this place that Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessing be upon him) supplicated to Allah Most Exalted, the day when the non believers formed a coalition against the Muslims. He supplicated Allah Most Exalted on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. His supplication and call was answered on the Wednesday between Zhur and Asr prayers. The Prophet of Allah was jubilant when his call was answered by Allah Most Exalted and it showed all over his face.

Jaabir (May Allah be pleased with him) says that nothing more important and of such a magnitude befell me than on that occasion when supplications were made and I saw the fruits of them. (Ahmed)

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It is named Al Fath since the acceptance of the Prophet’s supplication was at that very spot. Huzaifah (May Allah be please with him) went with the glad tidings to the Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him) informing him that the coalition of non believers have fled at night. The Prophet of Allah and his companions were victorious and Allah Most Exalted was at their assistance and cooled their eyes.

Al Baqee:

It is known as Baqee Al Gharkad referring to the trees that grew there. It is the cemetery for the residents of Al Madinah which is within close proximity of the Prophet’s Musjid and lies to its East. Ten thousand of the Prophet’s companions are buried there including his noble wives, Fatimah, his son Ibraheem, his uncle Abbass, his aunt Safiya bint Abdul Mutallib, his grandson Hassan bin Ali (May Allah be pleased with them all), as well as large numbers of taa’bi’een (Companions of the Prophet’s companions) and illustrious scholars.

Uhud:

It is the biggest Mountain in Al Madinah and is situated in the North. For this reason the Prophet of Allah (May peace and blessings be upon him) used Mount Uhud as an example to explain anything that was huge in size, Thus he mentioned; “If one of you has to spend the amount of Mount Uhud, it will not reach the Mudd (measure) of one of them (sahaba) nor even half of it”.

Ratifying the virtue of Mount Uhud, Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) said; “Uhud is a mountain that loves us and we in turn love it”

The Battle of Uhud took place at foot of this famous mountain in the third year of Hijrah. The cemetery of the martyrs who fought in this battle is also located at the foot of Mount Uhud. From among them was our leader, the uncle of the Prophet, Humza (May Allah be pleased who them). The Prophet of Allah (May peace and blessings be upon him) used to visit these martyrs and sought forgiveness on their behalf.

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The Valley of Aqeeq:

The Valley of Aqeeq is situated in the West of Al Madinah and to the East of The Islamic University. It stretches from the south to the north and is an important valley of Al Madinah. It has been mentioned in the Hadeeth;

“An angel came to me from my Lord at night and said, Perform salah in this blessed Valley and say, Umrah has entered Hajj (Umrah can be performed with Hajj).

Badr:

Badr is a small town situated to the South-west of Al Madinah and was a famous water route between Makkah and Al Madinah. It has a very famous valley called Al Safra’ which exists until this day. In the past the Tribe of Ghaffar used to live there to whom the great and noble companion of the Prophet, Abu Zhar Ghifaari(May Allah be pleased with him) belonged. Badr was also the base for the Tribe of Kanaa na, However currently the coalition tribes of Al Sahbooh, Al Hawaazim, Al Zawaahirah, Al Ahaamidah, Al Rihlah,Al Mahaamid and Banu Muhammed, all live there.

In pagan times it was a trade post with its annual trading times between the days of the First of Zhul Qa’dah and the Eighth. Badr was situated along the trading route for caravans travelling between Makkah and Syria.

Allah Most Exalted has bestowed Badr with a special favour and grace by choosing it to be the place for the most famous battle in which the unconditional and divine assistance came to the forces of Islam, Hence this day was called the Day of Proof (Furqaan). This transpired in the Second year of Hijrah. The non believers were disgraced and uprooted. Again Badr was given honour, when its name was mentioned in the Holy Quran;

“And we sent our divine assistance to you at Badr when you were outnumbered.”).

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It was given honour for the third time when the martyrs from the battle were laid to rest in Badr.

The summers are extremely hot and humid due to its close proximity to the sea, whilst the winters are moderate. Badr boasts a healthy date crop and many historians and influential people have rained praises upon Badr with the likes of Ibn Batuta, Ibn Jurbair, and Al Ayaashi as they have visited this place en-route to Makkah to perform the Pilgrimage.

Yanbu:

Yanbu is situated on the Red Sea coastline and is approximately 200 kilometers from Al Madinah in a South-westerly direction. It derived its name due to the abundant water holes and natural springs. Yanbu has a rich history dating back to at least 2500 years. It is also situated on the main caravan route between Yemen and Egypt servicing caravans carrying spices and incense to and fro as well as servicing countries located along the Mediterranean Sea. In reality, Yanbu is made up of three towns; Yanbu Sinaa’ee, Yanbu Al Nakhl, and Yanbu Al Bahr.

Yanbu Sinnaa’ee: also known as the Royal Commission was built in 1975 and has a very innovative and modern design to it, with beautiful and well planned roads. It is on the road to rapidly becoming the best industrial city in the world and its southern beach boasts of being amongst its most beautiful beaches, as well as it has huge modern shopping malls and a man-made lagoon.

Yanbu Al Nakhl: this is a valley which has many villages on its sides. It has about 50 kilometers of the Western Red Sea coastline which stretches to the East. This is also a very old city with a history dating back to about 2000 years and is largely made up of villages. It was also a rendezvous for business caravans and pilgrims en route to Makkah and vice versa. It services the Al Madinah Al Munawwarra sea port which is located on the Red Sea.

Until recently it was well known for its fertile date trees and natural springs. It has been reported that there are approximately 100 natural springs in Yanbu Al Nakhl, hence it was dubbed Wadi Naeem (Valley of Comfort and Bliss), until recently when its natural springs started drying up. Not many of its landmarks remain today. All the villages of Yanbu Al Nakhl are situated along adjoining springs

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which are the size of farm lands depending upon the power of the water gushing out. These springs and water holes are privately owned and are over seen by Project Managers.

Yanbu Al Bahr: This is the most important and strategic place of the city wherein most of the residents of Yanbu dwell as well as all major businesses and general operational bases are situated. It is a tourist destination in conjunction to being a hub connecting other cities. It stands out for its beautiful layout and design, in addition to it being the Kingdoms investment centre on the West Coast. Yanbu Al Bahr is a scuba divers paradise which harbours many yachts. The Bay of Yanbu is to the North of the city and is amongst the most beautiful coastlines. There are many industries as well as diving centres. Prince Abdul Muhsin airport is also in Yanbu Al Bahr which is a domestic airport; however some flights do depart from it to Cairo and Dubai. It is the most beautiful domestic airport in the entire Kingdom and it services all three cities; Yanbu Sinnaa’ee, Yanbu Al Nakhl and Yanbu Al Bahr. There are many villages and governorates surrounding Yanbu, amongst them is Al Ais which is situated to the North East. This was the trade route which was used by the caravans of the Quraish en-route to Syria. The well known and venerable companion of the prophet, Abu Busair(May Allah be pleased with him) hailed from here. He was the one who made the caravan of the Quraish divert and change course during the peace negotiations that were taking place between Prophet Muhammed (May peace and blessings be upon him) and the Quraish which transpired before the conquest of Makkah. Among other villages surrounding Yanbu are Khimal which is situated to the North of Yanbu Al Bahr, Al Ais, Al Najaf, Al Nabbah, Abu Shukair, and Rakhu.

Al Hanakia:

The Governorate of Al Hanakia is situated towards the North East of Al Madinah Al Munawwarra at a distance of about 110 kilometers. The road leading to it is tarred. It has six centres, 4 of which fall in the A category and two in the B category. They are:

1) Al Haswo centre2) Al Nakheel centre3) Al Dhumairah centre

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4) Arjaa’ centre5) Talaal centre6) Humaij centre

Al Ula:Al Ula is in the North-western region of Al Madinah Al Munawwara at a distance of 370 kilometers. It is a historic place and was called “Wadi Al Qura”. The Tribe of Azra lived there who were well known for their modesty and hospitality. They got their name due to the love poem of a poet: “Oh how wonderful would it be to spend just one night in Wadi Qura, for then I will be from among the fortunate ones” Madaa’in Salih is a very famous place in Al Ula which was called Al Hijr. Allah Most Exalted has mentioned it in the Holy Quran on a few occasions, amongst which is; “The people of Al Hijr have falsified and rejected the messengers despite us sending many clear signs, yet they chose to ignore them whilst carving homes from mountains as sanctuaries”. This is the very place to which Prophet Salih (May peace and blessings be upon him) was sent as well as the Story of the Camel as mentioned in many different verses of the Holy Quran.Their end result was total destruction and annihilation. The ruins still remain as a reminder. Al Ula is situated along the trade route to caravans coming from South East Africa, South East Asia as well as from the South of the Arabian Peninsula. They would trade in and transport spices, perfume and incense. Four dynasties ruled over it: Deedaan, Leh yaan, Mueen, and Al An baat. Its most famous tourist attraction is Madaa’in Salih which is amongst the world’s famous archeological sites housing many old castles and tombs.There is also a well known heritage village called Deira or The Old City which epitomizes Islamic culture and living of previous centuries dating back to the 7th century of the Hijri calendar. Its houses have been reconstructed and restored from archeological ruins and are now incorporated into a city consisting of about 870 dwellings which are semidetached having alleys and been plastered, paved as well as being enclosed with access to 14 doors. These are locked at night as a means of protection. The Mountain of Umm Nasir (Fort of Moosa Bin Nusair) is also a landmark, situated on the summit of a rocky hill which is in the centre of the

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neighbourhood of Deira. The Fort of Moosa Bin Nusair stretches over two gardens and is made of sandstone and is accessible by the means of a rocky stairway.

Musjid Al Sakhra:

It is next to the Fort of Moosa bin Nusair and has been built about 630 years ago. It does not have a pulpit for delivering sermons nor a minaret.

Musjid Al Izaam Al Jami:It is situated in the South-west of the City. It is the main musjid of the city and Friday Prayers are held there.The railway station: this station is the biggest that has been built in the Hijaaz region to service the passage between Al Madinah and Damascus.

Khaibar:

Khaibar is amongst those places which has a lot of old dwellings and settlements around it with many dynasties ruling over it from time to time, thus leaving behind many historical memories with regards to forts and castles as is witnessed. The Battle of Khaibar took place at this place in the 7th year of Hijrah. The Muslims gained victory over the Jews and their leader who was known as Murhib, was killed by Ali bin Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) on that very same day. Khaibar is situated to the North of Al Madinah Al Munawwarra at a distance of approximately 170 kilometers. It has many natural springs totaling to over 106 of which the biggest is still flowing. It is well known for its abundant palm trees and dates. There are lots of tourist attractions to be found in Khaibar like the Marhaba Fort, Al Na Tha, Al Watheeh, Ubla, Rasheeda, Al Salaalim, Al shaq, Al Bazah, and Al Rowwan. The Famous Mountains of Kahbair are Al Qareen, Atwa, Al Saffaq Al Ahmar, Al Ras Al Abyad.

There any many dams as well in Khaibar such as The Bint Dam, Al Haseed Dam and Al Hahaal Dam.

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Al Mahd:Al Mahd is approximately 150 kilometers from Al Madinah and is situated towards the South- east. It falls under the jurisdiction of Al Madinah Al Munawwarra as well as Riyadh and Makkah. Previously it fell under the Najd region. The Tribe of Banu Sulaim used to stay in this area, however these days it is occupied by the Tribes of Al Mutair, Al Harb and Al Ashraaf.It is situated 1000 meters above sea level. Al Mahd was given its name due to a mountain found in the West which has a history dating back to Prophet Sulaiman (May peace and blessing be upon him).Some are of the opinion that Al Mahd was a well which belonged to Ali bin Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) and later inherited by his heirs. This place was also home to some of the Quraish tribes dating back to the Ummayd Empire who owned huge farms in the area; hence some of the villages still have ancient names like Al Suwariqiyah and Al Suwairiqiyah, insinuating that about three thousand years ago gold was mined here. Minerals were the main resource for the area especially gold, silver, copper, zinc, carbonate calcium, and carbonate magnesium. This place is the richest of all the governorates of Al Madinah with regards to minerals. Its mining industry was the biggest in the Middle East and huge amounts were extracted during the first century before the Birth of Christ as was in the era of the Prophet (May peace and blessing be upon him).The Tribe of Banu Sulaim mined in the year 128 H during the Ummayd Empire and there after the mine was operational during the Abbasi Empire as well, and the gold which was mined amounted to approximately 40 tons. Al Mahd is also a farming town and it has been so since the time of the Quraish whereby they owned many farms during the Ummayd and the Abbasi Empires. Reservoirs are used to store additional water for farm irrigation. It has valleys and dams like the Baidhan Dam which has a capacity of carrying one million kilolitres. Also the dam of Sulhaniyah has the carrying capacity of three million kilolitres of water. Most of the farms are concentrated in the western region due to the land in the Baidhan Valley being fertile and arable.Al Ruwaidha, Al Safeenah, Habba’, Sulhaniyah, Suwairaqiyah, and Humnah are just a few worth mentioning, highlighting this fertile farming area.

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Suwariqiyha is a big rich town with a good population and it has a musjid wherein the Friday Prayers are held. It has farmlands with a good crop of bananas, figs, grapes, pomegranates, quince and peaches.Al Mahd is also a historical town with the Safeenah Castle located there, dating back three hundred years and is still in its original condition. The people of Safeenah still live there. Safeenah is a huge oasis which has abundant water and farmlands and is located South- west of Al Mahd at a distance of approximately 55 kilometers. Al Sahiliyah is part of an area of Safeenah which is situated high up and its cool climate is worthy of mentioning as well as its natural greenery is charming and captivating. The ruins of Suwairaqiyah can be seen from the summits of hill tops as well as from the foot of the hills. Last but not the least, the writings and inscriptions on the face of rocks are worth seeing as they are traced to first Islamic era. The gold mine is situated 1060 metres above sea level.

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