Hafar Al-Batin Governorate

Hafar Al-Batin is a governorate on the land border between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Kuwait and the Republic of Iraq, a position that serves the growth of the movement of goods passing to and from the Kingdom.[1]

The governorate holds the Al-Raqai border crossing with the State of Kuwait and Al-Qaisumah International Airport, two pillars of transport and transit movement between the Kingdom and its neighbours.[2][3]

Hafar Al-Batin Governorate occupies an important location on the border between the Kingdom and its sister states, the State of Kuwait and the Republic of Iraq, which helps to develop the movement of goods passing to and from the Kingdom.[1]

This location strengthens the governorate's role in transit movement across the Kingdom's land borders, as the Al-Raqai crossing links it with the State of Kuwait, and Al-Qaisumah International Airport facilitates travel to and from the governorate.[2][3]

His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Eastern Province, opened the new Al-Raqai crossing that links the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the State of Kuwait on 23 Shawwal 1440 AH, corresponding to 26 June 2019, and the project's cost exceeded one billion and six hundred million riyals.[2]

The crossing stands on a total area of 6,165,456 square metres and includes departure and arrival areas for vehicles with a capacity of up to 12,000 vehicles a day, areas for trucks with a capacity of 2,000 trucks a day, and an area dedicated to inspecting goods and all consignments of every kind.[2]

The crossing consists of sixteen departure lanes and the same number of arrival lanes, in addition to halls equipped with the latest technologies and furniture to complete the procedures of travellers using buses.[4] Private-sector projects in Hafar Al-Batin Governorate exceed 4 billion riyals and formed 12 percent of the projects, indicators consistent with Saudi Vision 2030.[2] Among the related topics on the platform is the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program.

The Hafar Al-Batin Airport at Al-Qaisumah project aims to expand the existing halls and add an international travel hall with a total area of 3,900 square metres containing 6 gates and 9 counters for completing travel procedures.[3]

The Governor of the Eastern Province inaugurated the airport's expansion on 5 Rabi' al-Akhir 1444 AH, corresponding to 30 October 2022; it includes increasing the areas of the domestic and international departure hall by 238 percent to reach 2,300 square metres, and building a shared arrival hall with an area of 1,600 square metres, raising the number of beneficiaries to more than 700,000 passengers a year.[5]

On 29 Sha'ban 1444 AH, corresponding to 21 March 2023, the airport saw the inauguration of the first direct international flights to the city of Dubai, at two flights a week.[6] The number of passengers from the airport for 2022 reached more than 223,000 passengers, an increase of about 20 percent over 2021, and the number of flights exceeded 2,500 flights, an increase of about 8 percent.[6]

The Council of Ministers approved raising the organisational level of the municipality of Hafar Al-Batin Governorate to a secretariat, a decision that met wide welcome from the governorate's residents for its support of the municipal and development services there, and it was issued on 12 Sha'ban 1439 AH, corresponding to 28 April 2018.[7]

On 17 Jumada al-Akhirah 1443 AH, corresponding to 20 January 2022, the Governor of the Eastern Province inaugurated the new Hafar Al-Batin secretariat building located southeast of the governorate, in the presence of the Governor of Hafar Al-Batin and the Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing.[8]

The order of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was issued to establish the University of Hafar Al-Batin on 5 Jumada al-Akhirah 1435 AH, corresponding to 5 April 2014, and it came to serve the governorate's residents among male and female students and to spare them the hardship of travelling to other universities.[9]

The Minister of Sport issued a decision on 11 Sha'ban 1442 AH, corresponding to 24 March 2021, to establish an office for the Ministry of Sport in Hafar Al-Batin Governorate, reporting directly to the Director General of the Ministry's branches, with the clubs Al-Batin, Qaryat Al-Ulya, Al-Alamin, Al-Qaisumah and Al-Nu'ayriyah affiliated to it.[10]

The first edition of the Hafar Al-Batin Falcon Festival launched on 26 Jumada al-Akhirah 1441 AH, corresponding to 20 February 2020, carried out by the governorate's falconers' association and sponsored by the Saudi Falcon Club; it continues for ten days and nearly 3,000 falconers from the Kingdom's various regions and the Gulf states compete in it.[11] Among the related topics on the platform is falconry.

The Truffle Festival in Hafar Al-Batin Governorate receives residents and visitors from the Gulf states, and it is the first of its kind at the Gulf level.[12]

The Governor of Hafar Al-Batin inaugurated the first Agricultural Products Festival in the governorate, carried out by the Hafar Al-Batin secretariat with the participation of 16 exhibitors from the Kingdom's farmers, on 9 Rabi' al-Awwal 1444 AH, corresponding to 5 October 2022, continuing for four days.[13]

Q: Where does Hafar Al-Batin Governorate lie? A: On the land border between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Kuwait and the Republic of Iraq.[1]

Q: Which crossing links the Kingdom with the State of Kuwait at Hafar Al-Batin? A: The new Al-Raqai crossing, opened on 23 Shawwal 1440 AH, corresponding to 26 June 2019, and consisting of sixteen departure lanes and the same number of arrival lanes.[2][4]

Q: What is the Hafar Al-Batin airport and what is its capacity? A: Al-Qaisumah International Airport, whose capacity after its expansion, inaugurated on 5 Rabi' al-Akhir 1444 AH, corresponding to 30 October 2022, exceeded more than 700,000 passengers a year.[5]

Q: When was the organisational level of the Hafar Al-Batin municipality raised to a secretariat? A: By the approval of the Council of Ministers on 12 Sha'ban 1439 AH, corresponding to 28 April 2018.[7]

Q: What are the most prominent festivals held in Hafar Al-Batin? A: The Hafar Al-Batin Falcon Festival, the Truffle Festival and the Agricultural Products Festival.[11][12][13]

Hafar Al-Batin brings together its location on the land border between the Kingdom, the State of Kuwait and Iraq [1], the transit and goods movement it strengthens alongside the Al-Raqai crossing with a capacity of 12,000 vehicles and 2,000 trucks a day [2][4], Al-Qaisumah International Airport with a capacity exceeding 700,000 passengers a year [5], a secretariat that oversees the governorate's municipal services [7][8], a university established to serve the governorate's people [9], an office for the Ministry of Sport to which five clubs are affiliated [10], and seasonal festivals, most notably the falcon, truffle and agricultural products festivals.[11][12][13]