Overview
Al-Bahah is the smallest region, about 12,000 km², and the least populous in the 2022 census. It lies in the south-west between Makkah and Asir. [1]
Administration
The region has nine governorates besides the city of Al-Bahah and 42 centres: Baljurashi, Al-Mandaq, Al-Makhwah, Qilwah, Al-Aqiq, Al-Qura, Bani Hasan, Ghamid Al-Zinad and Al-Hajrah. Al-Aqiq is the largest and Ghamid Al-Zinad the smallest. [1]
Geography and climate
The region divides into the Tihamah plains and the Sarawat and Hijaz mountains; its highest point is Jabal Athrib south-east of Baljurashi. Altitude and moist winds from Tihamah keep spring and summer mild, with cold winters and rain year-round. [1]
Antiquities
Historic sites and museums
Farming and traditional markets
Farming is the main activity, dominant in the terraced, juniper-covered highlands, while livestock raising prevails on the plain. The region has historic traditional markets and Al-Baha University. [1]
Tourism and nature
Related topics
- HistoricJabal Shada Al-A'laJabal Shada Al-A'la is a rocky mountain in the northwestern part of Al-Makhwah Governorate in Al-Bahah Region, rising 2,200 meters above sea level and standing as the highest mountain in the Tihama plain. A nature reserve bearing its name stands on it, holding one of the Kingdom's highest levels of plant diversity, with more than 500 plant species recorded there, alongside inscriptions, archaeological sites and old villages.
- HistoricAl-Heda'aAl-Heda'a is an art of light verse recited to delight camels and urge them onward through traditional oral expressions that enable herders to call their camels, gather them and communicate with them; it is known as camel Al-Heda'a and is passed down by the people of the Arabian Peninsula from generation to generation. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led the file for its inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in cooperation with the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates, and it was inscribed on 30 November 2022.
- HistoricMountain IbexThe Mountain Ibex, known in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the Nubian Ibex, is a wild mountain animal and a symbol of the Kingdom's wildlife. The National Center for Wildlife works to breed and reintroduce it in reserves and national parks under the National Program for the Release and Reintroduction of Endangered Wild Animals.
- HistoricSaudi HoneySaudi honey is the product of apiaries spread across the regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and its yield varies between grazing ranges depending on the abundance of blossoms and their flowering periods. It receives official attention in licensing, training, marketing, and the organisation of production seasons and festivals.
- HistoricHijaz MountainsThe Hijaz Mountains are a mountain range in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that embraces a number of peaks and natural landmarks, and its range takes in Jabal an-Nur in Makkah. They are cut through by volcanic lava fields and granite peaks, and among their most prominent landmarks are Jabal Shada in the Al-Bahah region, Jabal al-Lawz in the Tabuk region and Jabal Fifa in the Jazan region.