Hofuf City

Hofuf City is a city in Al-Ahsa Governorate, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia; at its centre stand historic palaces, markets and schools that form part of the heritage of its oasis. [2][5][11]

Hofuf holds Ibrahim Palace, the Bay'ah House, the Amiriya School and Al-Qaisariya Market, alongside the Al-Ahsa Oasis, a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. [1][3][4][6][11]

Ibrahim Palace, known as Ibrahim Fort, stands out in Hofuf City. It was built in 963 AH, corresponding to 1555 CE, and ranks among the historical landmarks of Al-Ahsa. It occupies an area of 16,500 square metres, with architecture that combines the Islamic and military styles; its structure was renewed in 1216 AH, corresponding to 1801 CE, by Ibrahim bin Ufaisan, after whom it takes its name. [1]

The palace lies in the northern part of Al-Kut district, one of the oldest quarters of Hofuf City, and forms part of the city's northern wall; a military garrison was permanently stationed there, and it served as the administrative seat of the governor. It is one of the largest palaces of the Al-Ahsa Oasis, covering 18,200 square metres, surrounded by a high wall and eight towers, and it contains a mosque, a steam bath, a cellar, a stable for horses and a communications room. [2]

The palace came under the rule of King Abdulaziz Al Saud after he took control of it and of the soldiers and equipment within it on the day of the opening of Al-Ahsa, on the fifth of Jumada al-Awwal 1331 AH, corresponding to 1913 CE. It is registered with the Heritage Commission as part of the architectural heritage of Al-Ahsa and is one of the elements of the oasis inscribed on the World Heritage List. [2]

The Bay'ah House lies in Hofuf City, in Al-Kut district, one of the best-known ancient quarters of Al-Ahsa Governorate. The house, whose construction dates back to the year 1203 AH, has an estimated area of more than 705 square metres. It was built by Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Omar bin Mohammed Al-Mulla, the judge of Al-Ahsa, and was turned into a museum that tells the story of the pledge of allegiance. [3]

There the founder King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud arrived in Al-Ahsa on Sunday, the eve of Monday, 28 Jumada al-Awwal 1331 AH, and the people of Al-Ahsa pledged allegiance to him in it; this is recalled every year on the occasion of National Day. The house embodies one of the milestones in the course of the unification of Saudi Arabia. [3]

The Amiriya School opened on the eleventh of Muharram 1360 AH, and it is the oldest formal government school in Al-Ahsa Governorate. It carried several names in succession: it began as the Amiriya School, then the First Al-Ahsa School, then the Hofuf School, and finally the House of Culture; it contributed to the entry of Al-Ahsa onto the UNESCO list, alongside other sites in the Kingdom. [4]

King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud visited the school in 1931 to inspect it, admired it, and ordered his son Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz to open it as a starting point for education in the Eastern Province. It was built in 1937 and opened in February 1941, and it was erected in the centre of Hofuf City on an area of 1200 square metres; traditional markets surround it, most notably the vegetable market, the Qassabiya market, the meat market, the gold market and the historic Al-Qusairiya market. [5]

Al-Qaisariya Market stands out among the traditional markets of Al-Ahsa, and it is one of the Kingdom's ancient historic popular markets. It lies in Al-Rifaa district of Hofuf City and was built in 1822 CE, corresponding to 1238 AH; it contains about 422 shops along covered, enclosed passages, and it saw a renewal of its structure during the reign of King Abdulaziz in 1334 AH. [6]

The market lies in the centre of Hofuf City, on the western side of Al-Rifaa district. Its area is seven thousand square metres, it has 14 entrances, and it holds more than 422 commercial shops. UNESCO inscribed it on the World Heritage List in 2018, and it has become one of the best-known traditional markets in the Arabian Peninsula and one of the most prominent landmarks and tourist destinations. [7]

The Al-Ahsa Municipality has completed 55% of the works of the project to develop the central Hofuf historic axis, the internal ring road, 1.5 kilometres long and at a total cost estimated at 8 million and 750,000 riyals. The road encircles the historic area from Ibrahim Palace in the north to the Riyadh road in the south, 6 kilometres long with four lanes in each direction. [8]

The Al-Ahsa Municipality is carrying out 73 projects under the initiatives of the National Transformation Program, at a total value of 928,006,229 riyals. These include 20 projects to raise the efficiency and rehabilitation of roads, 24 projects to address visual distortion and improve the urban landscape, 7 projects for rainwater drainage, 12 projects for the construction of buildings and service facilities, and 10 projects for the humanisation of cities. [9]

On 15 Muharram 1447 AH, corresponding to 10 July 2025, the first direct seasonal flights were launched between Al-Ahsa International Airport and Rize–Artvin International Airport in Turkey, as part of plans to expand seasonal destinations and the efforts of the Al-Ahsa Development Authority to support the airport. [10]

It was announced on 15 Shawwal 1439 AH, corresponding to 29 June 2018, that the Al-Ahsa Oasis site in the Eastern Province had been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as the fifth Saudi site to join the list. The oasis is among the best known palm oases; it holds more than 1.5 million palms producing dates, and the earliest date of human settlement there goes back to the fifth millennium BCE. This ancient agricultural heritage represents what is known as date palm cultivation in Saudi Arabia. [11]

The Al-Ahsa Oasis entered the Guinness World Records as the largest self-contained oasis in the world: it holds 2.5 million palms fed by a vast groundwater layer through 280 artesian wells, over an area exceeding 85.4 square kilometres, and the Heritage Commission introduced the encyclopedia to it. [12]

Q: Where is Hofuf City located? A: In Al-Ahsa Governorate in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, and at its centre it holds historic palaces, markets and schools. [2][5]

Q: What are the most prominent archaeological and heritage landmarks in Hofuf? A: Ibrahim Palace, the Bay'ah House, the Amiriya School and Al-Qaisariya Market, alongside the Al-Ahsa Oasis inscribed on the World Heritage List. [1][3][4][6][11]

Q: When was Ibrahim Palace built and what is its area? A: It was built in 963 AH, corresponding to 1555 CE, on an area of 16,500 square metres, and it lies in the northern part of Al-Kut district on an area of 18,200 square metres, surrounded by eight towers. [1][2]

Q: What is the significance of Al-Qaisariya Market? A: A historic popular market built in 1822 CE in Al-Rifaa district; it holds more than 422 shops and 14 entrances, and UNESCO inscribed it on the World Heritage List in 2018. [6][7]

Q: What is most notable about the Al-Ahsa Oasis? A: It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2018, and it entered the Guinness World Records as the largest self-contained oasis in the world. [11][12]

Hofuf City combines Ibrahim Palace, the Bay'ah House, the Amiriya School and Al-Qaisariya Market [1][3][4][6], the projects to develop its historic centre and its services [8][9], its international airport [10], and the Al-Ahsa Oasis inscribed on the World Heritage List. [11][12] Related topics on the platform include Qatif City and Dammam City.