Ha'il
Encyclopedia
Ha'il also spelled Hail, Ha'yel, or Hayil, is an oasis
city in Nejd in northwestern Saudi Arabia
. It is the capital of the Ha'il Province. The city has a population of 356,876 according to Ha'il Province.
Ha'il is largely agricultural, with significant grain
, date
, and fruit
production. A large percentage of the kingdom's wheat production comes from Ha'il Province, where the area to the northeast, 60 km to 100 km away, consists of irrigated
garden
s. Traditionally Ha'il derived its wealth from being on the camel caravan
route of the Hajj
. Ha'il is well known by the generosity of its people in Saudi Arabia
and the Arab world
as it is the place where Hatim al-Tai
lived.
of Al Rashid, a clan of the Shammar
tribe, from 1836 until 1921. The first emir, Abdullah bin Rashid, took power with his brother emir Obaid and Jabbr's sons. Abdullah bin Rashid continued constructing the Barzan Palace
in Ha'il which had been started by Mohammad Ibn Ali. After the death of Abdullah bin Rashid (in 1847 or 1848) his son and successor, Talal (or Telal), completed the palace.
During the Al Rashid period many foreign travelers visited Ha'il and the Rashidi emirs, and described their impressions in different journals and books, including those of Georg August Wallin
(1854), William Gifford Palgrave
(1865), Lady Anne Blunt
(1881), Charles Montagu Doughty
(1888), and Gertrude Bell
(1907).
Al Rashid emirs were considered relatively tolerant towards foreigners, including traders in Ha'il:
The opening of the Hejaz railway between Damascus
and Medina
, together with new inexpensive steamship routes to Jeddah
, undermined the traditional camel caravan economy of Ha'il.
The last Al Rashid emir was ousted from power by Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia
in 1921. Ibn Saud then gave orders to destroy the Barzan Palace and also ordered Al Rashid and Al Sabhan leaders to move from Ha'il to Riyadh City, and he assigned one person from the mentioned families, as temp. emir " Prince Ibraheem bin Salem Al Sabhan " in order to assure the loyalty from Ha'il people and Shammar, to keep in their minds, there is no major changes has been done.
After this Ha'il fell into steep decline, as witnessed by E. Rutter in 1931:
Today Ha'il is the center of Saudi Arabia's agricultural program, and most of the wheat
crops of the kingdom come from the area surrounding the city. There are also a number of camel farms for the production of camel milk near the city.
Was a famous pre-Islamic (Jahiliyyah) Arab
ian poet
, and the father of the Sahaba
Adi ibn Hatim and Safana bint Hatem. He was a Christian
, and belonged to the Ta'i Arabian tribe. Stories about his extreme generosity
have made him an icon to Arabs up till the present day, as in the proverbial phrase
"more generous than Hatem". There is a hill overlooking the city of Hail which has a reproduction of the campfire he lit to welcome his guests, which is turned on every night and can be seen from the center of the town.
Born around 1911, 1333h, he was ruling AL Saba'an village by his money, wisdom and power to make it the most powerful area in the south of the Bin Rasheed kingdom at that time. He played a major role in events that facilitated the entry of King Abdulaziz to Ha'il. He had connections with the Rasheed family that ruled Hail. Salem died at his home in 1979.
The son of the third amir of Al Rashid, he was adopted by his uncle Mohammed, the fifth amir, and brought up to be his heir. After Mohammed died of natural causes, Abdulaziz succeeded him unopposed. However, the Rashidi
rule was insecure, as their Ottoman
allies were unpopular and weakening. In 1904 the young Ibn Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia
, returned from exile with a small force and retook Riyadh
. Abdulaziz died in the battle of Rawdat Muhanna with Ibn Saud in 1906.
A member of the Al Sabhan Family, cousins of the Al Rashid, Amir Zamil Al Sabhan was the uncle of the Rashidi ruler Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Rashid, and served as regent until the prince came of age. Ha'il was under increasing pressure from Ibn Saud during this period.
Born in Riyadh in 1929. He was known as Mohammed Al-Tobaishi, and later on changed it to Mohammed Al-Anbar. He was head of the Saudi Royal Protocol during the time of King Saud. He was later on appointed as an Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was known for his generosity and extravagant spending.He died in 2006.
A Saudi-Arabian-born professor of Social Anthropology
at the department of Theology and Religious Studies in King's College London
since 1994. She gives occasional lectures in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. She is working on religio-political debate in Saudi Arabia
after 11 September. She has written several books and articles in academic journals on the Arabian Peninsula
, Arab migration, globalization and religious transnationalism.
A Saudi Arabia
n football (soccer)
goalkeeper
. He played in four World Cups
for the Saudi Arabia national team
, and as of early 2007, he is the world record holder for most international appearances
by a male footballer, with 181 caps for Saudi Arabia. He is the current captain of local club Al-Hilal
.
in the Barzan area. Many years ago this place was the location of the Barzan Palace
of the Al Rashid extended family who governed the area around Ha'il.
) fort built over 200 years ago as a combined observation post and stronghold. There is a beautiful view of the city from the main watchtower.
al Saud lives. It can only be seen from a distance - from the main highway nearby. It is a residential compound and as such is not open to the general public for sightseeing.
as it is the first car rally in Saudi Arabia, which started in 2006 and was approved by FIA in 2008.
, called Ha'il Community College (HCC), under the auspices of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
(KFUPM) in September 1998. HCC was the first Community College to open in a planned expansion of educational opportunities for Saudi Arabian high school graduates. HCC started by offering three-year Associate degree programs in Business Administration, Computer Systems, and Electronic Engineering
and Instrumentation. Later on, HCC offered three Bachelor degree programs in Applied Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Management Information Systems.
The University of Ha'il was officially established on 14 June 2006. The university consisted of five colleges: College of Medicine & Medical Sciences, College of Science, College of Engineering
, College of Computer Science
& Computer Engineering
, and Community College
. The first students were admitted on 11 February 2006. In 2007, two existing colleges joined the university, the men's Ha'il Teachers College (now called the College of Education)and the Girls College of Education. These two colleges were originally under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. The university enrolment has now grown to more than 16,000 students.
The University has several campuses inside the city, and is expanding. It has as a new campus under construction, which is located to the north of the city and covers an area of more than 9,000,000 m².
.
plant for railway construction. In the near future a railway (the north-south line) will be built extending from Riyadh to Al Hadeetha in northern Saudi Arabia through Ha'il as part of the expansion of the Saudi railway system railway in
(IATA:HAS, ICAO:OEHL) is a domestic airport located to the southeast of Ha'il city, which is served by NAS Airlines
, and to a limited extent by Saudi Arabian Airlines
. A new international airport will be constructed near Ha'il city, in the Prince Abdul Aziz bin Mousaed Economic City
(PABMEC), as Ha'il has a strategic location in the Middle East
because it takes only one hour by plane to reach 11 Arab
capitals.
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
city in Nejd in northwestern Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. It is the capital of the Ha'il Province. The city has a population of 356,876 according to Ha'il Province.
Ha'il is largely agricultural, with significant grain
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
, date
Date Palm
The date palm is a palm in the genus Phoenix, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. Although its place of origin is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from lands around the Persian Gulf. It is a medium-sized plant, 15–25 m tall, growing singly or forming a clump with...
, and fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
production. A large percentage of the kingdom's wheat production comes from Ha'il Province, where the area to the northeast, 60 km to 100 km away, consists of irrigated
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s. Traditionally Ha'il derived its wealth from being on the camel caravan
Camel train
A camel train is a series of camels carrying goods or passengers in a group as part of a regular or semi-regular service between two points. Although they rarely travelled faster than the walking speed of a man, camels' ability to handle harsh conditions made camel trains a vital part of...
route of the Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
. Ha'il is well known by the generosity of its people in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and the Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
as it is the place where Hatim al-Tai
Hatim al-Tai
For Indian television series Hatim, see Hatim Hatimtai , formally Hatem ibn Abdellah ibn Sa'ad at-Ta'iy was a famous pre-Islamic Arabian poet, and the father of the Sahaba Adi ibn Hatim and Safana bint Hatem. He was a Christian, and belonged to the Ta'i Arabian tribe...
lived.
History
Ha'il was the center of the emirateEmirate
An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Muslim monarch styled emir.-Etymology:Etymologically emirate or amirate is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any emir ....
of Al Rashid, a clan of the Shammar
Shammar
The tribe of Shammar is one of the largest tribes of Nejd-Saudi Arabia, with an estimated 1 million in Iraq, over 2.5 million in Saudi Arabia , a Kuwaiti population of around 100,000, a Syrian population is thought to exceed 1 million and with an unknown number in Jordan...
tribe, from 1836 until 1921. The first emir, Abdullah bin Rashid, took power with his brother emir Obaid and Jabbr's sons. Abdullah bin Rashid continued constructing the Barzan Palace
Barzan Palace
Barzan historical palace, located in Ha'il, Saudi Arabia, its construction was started in 1808 by prince Muhammad bin Abdul-Muhsin AL Ali over an area more than 300,000 meter square...
in Ha'il which had been started by Mohammad Ibn Ali. After the death of Abdullah bin Rashid (in 1847 or 1848) his son and successor, Talal (or Telal), completed the palace.
During the Al Rashid period many foreign travelers visited Ha'il and the Rashidi emirs, and described their impressions in different journals and books, including those of Georg August Wallin
Georg August Wallin
Georg August Wallin was a Finnish orientalist, explorer and professor remembered for his journeys in the Middle East during the 1840s.- Biography :...
(1854), William Gifford Palgrave
William Gifford Palgrave
William Gifford Palgrave was an Arabic scholar, born at Westminster, England. He was the son of Sir Francis Palgrave, K.H. and Elizabeth Turner....
(1865), Lady Anne Blunt
Lady Anne Blunt
Anne Isabella Noel Blunt, née King-Noel, 15th Baroness Wentworth , known for most of her life as Lady Anne Blunt, was co-founder, with her husband the poet Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, of the Crabbet Arabian Stud. The two married on 8 June 1869...
(1881), Charles Montagu Doughty
Charles Montagu Doughty
Charles Montagu Doughty was an English poet, writer, and traveller born in Theberton Hall, Saxmundham, Suffolk and educated at private schools in Laleham and Elstree, and at a school for the royal navy, Portsmouth...
(1888), and Gertrude Bell
Gertrude Bell
Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell, CBE was an English writer, traveller, political officer, administrator, and archaeologist who explored, mapped, and became highly influential to British imperial policy-making due to her extensive travels in Greater Syria, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and Arabia. Along...
(1907).
Al Rashid emirs were considered relatively tolerant towards foreigners, including traders in Ha'il:
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
and Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
, together with new inexpensive steamship routes to Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
, undermined the traditional camel caravan economy of Ha'il.
The last Al Rashid emir was ousted from power by Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia
Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia
King Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia was the first monarch of the Third Saudi State known as Saudi Arabia. He was commonly referred to as Ibn Saud....
in 1921. Ibn Saud then gave orders to destroy the Barzan Palace and also ordered Al Rashid and Al Sabhan leaders to move from Ha'il to Riyadh City, and he assigned one person from the mentioned families, as temp. emir " Prince Ibraheem bin Salem Al Sabhan " in order to assure the loyalty from Ha'il people and Shammar, to keep in their minds, there is no major changes has been done.
After this Ha'il fell into steep decline, as witnessed by E. Rutter in 1931:
Today Ha'il is the center of Saudi Arabia's agricultural program, and most of the wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
crops of the kingdom come from the area surrounding the city. There are also a number of camel farms for the production of camel milk near the city.
Famous people
- Hatim al-Tai:
Was a famous pre-Islamic (Jahiliyyah) Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
ian poet
Arabic poetry
Arabic poetry is the earliest form of Arabic literature. Present knowledge of poetry in Arabic dates from the 6th century, but oral poetry is believed to predate that. Arabic poetry is categorized into two main types, rhymed, or measured, and prose, with the former greatly preceding the latter...
, and the father of the Sahaba
Sahaba
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
Adi ibn Hatim and Safana bint Hatem. He was a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, and belonged to the Ta'i Arabian tribe. Stories about his extreme generosity
Generosity
Generosity is the habit of giving freely without expecting anything in return. It can involve offering time, assets or talents to aid someone in need...
have made him an icon to Arabs up till the present day, as in the proverbial phrase
Proverbial phrase
A proverbial phrase or a proverbial expression is type of a conventional saying similar to proverbs and transmitted by oral tradition. The difference is that a proverb is a fixed expression, while a proverbial phrase permits alterations to fit the grammar of the context.Another similar construction...
"more generous than Hatem". There is a hill overlooking the city of Hail which has a reproduction of the campfire he lit to welcome his guests, which is turned on every night and can be seen from the center of the town.
- Salem Al Gharbi:
Born around 1911, 1333h, he was ruling AL Saba'an village by his money, wisdom and power to make it the most powerful area in the south of the Bin Rasheed kingdom at that time. He played a major role in events that facilitated the entry of King Abdulaziz to Ha'il. He had connections with the Rasheed family that ruled Hail. Salem died at his home in 1979.
- Abdulaziz bin Mitab:
The son of the third amir of Al Rashid, he was adopted by his uncle Mohammed, the fifth amir, and brought up to be his heir. After Mohammed died of natural causes, Abdulaziz succeeded him unopposed. However, the Rashidi
Rashidi
Al Rasheed, the House of Rashid, or the House of Rasheed were a historic dynasty of the Arabian Peninsula, and the most formidable enemies of the House of Saud in Nejd...
rule was insecure, as their Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
allies were unpopular and weakening. In 1904 the young Ibn Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, returned from exile with a small force and retook Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
. Abdulaziz died in the battle of Rawdat Muhanna with Ibn Saud in 1906.
- Zamil Al Sabhan:
A member of the Al Sabhan Family, cousins of the Al Rashid, Amir Zamil Al Sabhan was the uncle of the Rashidi ruler Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Rashid, and served as regent until the prince came of age. Ha'il was under increasing pressure from Ibn Saud during this period.
- Mohammed Al-Sulaiman Al-Anbar:
Born in Riyadh in 1929. He was known as Mohammed Al-Tobaishi, and later on changed it to Mohammed Al-Anbar. He was head of the Saudi Royal Protocol during the time of King Saud. He was later on appointed as an Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was known for his generosity and extravagant spending.He died in 2006.
- Madawi Al-Rasheed:
A Saudi-Arabian-born professor of Social Anthropology
Social anthropology
Social Anthropology is one of the four or five branches of anthropology that studies how contemporary human beings behave in social groups. Practitioners of social anthropology investigate, often through long-term, intensive field studies , the social organization of a particular person: customs,...
at the department of Theology and Religious Studies in King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
since 1994. She gives occasional lectures in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. She is working on religio-political debate in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
after 11 September. She has written several books and articles in academic journals on the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
, Arab migration, globalization and religious transnationalism.
- Mohamed Al-Deayea:
A Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
. He played in four World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
for the Saudi Arabia national team
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
, and as of early 2007, he is the world record holder for most international appearances
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
by a male footballer, with 181 caps for Saudi Arabia. He is the current captain of local club Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club , also known simply as Al-Hilal, is a Saudi Arabian sports club based in the country's capital of Riyadh and best known for its professional football team, known as Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club...
.
Barzan Market
Ha'il has a market or soukSouk
A souq is a commercial quarter in an Arab, Berber, and increasingly European city. The term is often used to designate the market in any Arabized or Muslim city, but in modern times it appears in Western cities too...
in the Barzan area. Many years ago this place was the location of the Barzan Palace
Barzan Palace
Barzan historical palace, located in Ha'il, Saudi Arabia, its construction was started in 1808 by prince Muhammad bin Abdul-Muhsin AL Ali over an area more than 300,000 meter square...
of the Al Rashid extended family who governed the area around Ha'il.
Friday Market
Every Friday of each week this traditional-style souk is held. It is held on Friday because it is a national weekend.Barzan palace
Barzan Palace was a historic palace that used to be located in Ha'il up until the 1920s. It was built in 1808 by prince Muhammad bin Abdul-Muhsin Al Ali over an area of more than 300,000 square meters. The Palace was completed during the rule of the 2nd Rashidi amir, Talal ibn Abdullah (1848–68). The Palace consisted of 3 floors, the first had the reception halls, gardens, and kitchens. The second had the diplomatic guests rooms. The third had the royal family rooms. It was near Barzan souq.'Airif Fort
On a hill on the edge of the city is the impressive 'Airif (also spelled Oreif) Fort, a mud-brick (adobeAdobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
) fort built over 200 years ago as a combined observation post and stronghold. There is a beautiful view of the city from the main watchtower.
Qishlah Fortress
Qishlah Fortress, (also spelled Qashalah) Fortress, is an impressive sight located in the center of Ha'il. The current building was built in the 1940s while prince Abdul-Aziz bin Musa'ad Al Saud held office in Ha'il province. It is the largest traditional mud-brick fortress in Ha'il and is very well restored and preserved both outside and inside. It was used mostly as a barracks. It's two floors are 142.8x141.2 meters high , its walls are 8.5m high, and it has eight large watch-towers along with the wall with two main gates, eastern and western, and has a large inner courtyard with old military items on exhibition.At-Turathy Restaurant
At-Turathy is a large historical mud-brick building located in Ha'il center which is used as a traditional restaurant. Its appearance is half-restaurant, half-museum with a large number of local traditional items used as decorations. The atmosphere is very traditional, food is traditional, and seating is on the floor.AsSamra Mountain
Is a mountain overlooking the city and is where Hatim Al Tai lit a fire on the summit to welcome guests. Today there is an asphalted road going to the top and natural gas-powered fire on the summit which is lit at night. There is a park with a lake at the bottom of the mountain, and on the side of the mountain is the Saudi coat of arms (the date palm and crossed swords) made from electric lights which it is turned on at night. From the top of the mountain is a beautiful view of the city.Aja Mountain
Aja Mountain (Jebel Aja) is on the opposite side of Ha'il city from AsSamra and has a huge Saudi flag made of electric lights on the side of the mountain which is turned on at night.Ha'il Roundabouts
Ha'il has a number of interesting traffic roundabouts located in different parts of the city. These have large sculptures of traditional items located in the center of the traffic rotaries which are decorative fountains. One has a Gerba (traditional animal skin canteen) built as a fountain, another has a Mabakara (traditional incense burner)with Dellahs (traditional coffee pots) and cups around it built as a fountain.Ha'il Museum
It is the museum of the city of Ha'il. It is also one of the places where visitors can buy permits to see the petroglyphs near Jubbah Oasis, the other place being Ateeq Naif al-Shammari's Jubbah Palace of Heritage museum just off the main street in the town of Jubbah itself. The rock carvings, which are believed to date from 5500 BC are in an area that is about an hour and a half from Ha'il city by car. Tours to the Nadjd desert can also be organized there.Aja Palace
It is located on the outskirts of the city. It is where the current governor of Ha'il province His Royal Highness Prince Saud Bin Abdul Mohsen Bin Abdul AzizSaud Bin Abdul Mohsen Bin Abdul Aziz
Prince Saud bin Abdul-Muhsin bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud is the governor of Ha'il Province since 1999. He is a member of the Saudi royal family. He is the son of the late Prince Abdul-Muhsin bin Abdul-Aziz , the highly regarded former Governor of Madinah....
al Saud lives. It can only be seen from a distance - from the main highway nearby. It is a residential compound and as such is not open to the general public for sightseeing.
Ha'il Rally
Is an important event in Ha'il and even in Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
as it is the first car rally in Saudi Arabia, which started in 2006 and was approved by FIA in 2008.
Ha'il Desert Life Festival
Is an annual festival held in the province of Ha'il to celebrate and exchange experiences about desert life and culture around the world.History
The University of Ha'il (UoH) started as a community collegeCommunity college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
, called Ha'il Community College (HCC), under the auspices of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals is a public university in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia....
(KFUPM) in September 1998. HCC was the first Community College to open in a planned expansion of educational opportunities for Saudi Arabian high school graduates. HCC started by offering three-year Associate degree programs in Business Administration, Computer Systems, and Electronic Engineering
Electronic engineering
Electronics engineering, also referred to as electronic engineering, is an engineering discipline where non-linear and active electrical components such as electron tubes, and semiconductor devices, especially transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, are utilized to design electronic...
and Instrumentation. Later on, HCC offered three Bachelor degree programs in Applied Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Management Information Systems.
The University of Ha'il was officially established on 14 June 2006. The university consisted of five colleges: College of Medicine & Medical Sciences, College of Science, College of Engineering
College Of Engineering
A college of engineering generally refers to an institute which offers engineering course at undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level. Either these institutes are part of a university or are affiliated to some university. The duration of the undergraduate course is four to five years depending...
, College of Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
& Computer Engineering
Computer engineering
Computer engineering, also called computer systems engineering, is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design, and...
, and Community College
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
. The first students were admitted on 11 February 2006. In 2007, two existing colleges joined the university, the men's Ha'il Teachers College (now called the College of Education)and the Girls College of Education. These two colleges were originally under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. The university enrolment has now grown to more than 16,000 students.
The University has several campuses inside the city, and is expanding. It has as a new campus under construction, which is located to the north of the city and covers an area of more than 9,000,000 m².
Highways
Ha'il is located on Saudi Arabian highway 65, and is connected to 3 main highways, Madinah, Buraydah, and Jouf Highways, which connect Ha'il with the northern borders of Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
Rail System
Ha'il has an important logistic role in northern Saudi Arabia's rail system. In 2008 Ha'il is the site of a concrete sleeperConcrete sleeper
A concrete sleeper is a railroad tie made out of steel reinforced concrete.-History:Concrete sleepers were first made in Germany in 1906 for use between Nuremberg and Bamberg.-Types:...
plant for railway construction. In the near future a railway (the north-south line) will be built extending from Riyadh to Al Hadeetha in northern Saudi Arabia through Ha'il as part of the expansion of the Saudi railway system railway in
Airport
Ha'il Regional AirportHa'il Regional Airport
Ha'il Regional Airport is an airport in Ha'il, Saudi Arabia.-Airlines and destinations:...
(IATA:HAS, ICAO:OEHL) is a domestic airport located to the southeast of Ha'il city, which is served by NAS Airlines
Nas Air (Saudi Arabia)
Nas Air , a subsidiary of the National Air Services , is a Saudi Arabian domestic low-cost airline. The company's head office is located on the first floor of the Al Salam Centre in Riyadh...
, and to a limited extent by Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 90 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America...
. A new international airport will be constructed near Ha'il city, in the Prince Abdul Aziz bin Mousaed Economic City
Prince Abdul Aziz bin Mousaed Economic City
Prince Abdul Aziz bin Mousaed Economic City is a proposed economic city in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is reportedly looking to boost its involvement in industries beyond petroleum exporting....
(PABMEC), as Ha'il has a strategic location in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
because it takes only one hour by plane to reach 11 Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
capitals.