Overview
Jazan lies in the south-west, with the Red Sea along its western edge, Asir to the north and east and Yemen to the south. It is the second-smallest region, about 13,000 km², and among the most densely populated. [1]
Administration
Jazan city is the seat of the emirate. The region's governorates are Sabya, Abu Arish, Samtah, Baish, Farasan Islands, Ad-Darb, Al-Harth, Damad, Ar-Rayth, Ad-Dair, Ahad Al-Masarihah, Al-Idabi, Al-Aridah, Harub, Fifa and At-Tuwal. [1]
Geography and climate
Its landscape ranges from mountains to plains and islands; inhabited islands include Farasan Al-Kabir, Sajid and Qummah in the Farasan Islands archipelago. Its highest point is Jabal Al-Urayf north-east of Fifa. [1]
Summers are very hot and winters mild, except in the temperate highlands, which receive rain year-round. [1]
Farming and fishing
Farming and fishing underpin the economy; Jazan is classed as an agricultural region and has several dams. Its highlands are the home of coffee cultivation in the Kingdom, alongside vegetables, fruit, jasmine and kadi. [1]
The region also hosts Jazan City for Primary and Downstream Industries and its industrial port. [1]
Tourism and services
Attractions include Al-Marjan Island, Jazan Heritage Village, the Wadi Jazan dam lake, Al-Najdi Mosque and Palace on Farasan, Al-Dawsariyah Fort and Wadi Lajab. Jazan University was founded in 1426 AH/2005 CE. [1]
Tourism and nature
- NatureFarasan Islands Reserve: Marine Habitats and Island LifeAn introduction to Farasan's reefs, coasts and terrestrial habitats, their relationship with island communities, and the archipelago's inclusion in UNESCO's biosphere reserve network in 2021.
- NatureSarawat MountainsThe Kingdom's highest mountain range, running from the Yemeni border to north of Taif, with its highest peaks such as Al-Sawda and its richest land biodiversity.
Related people
- PersonMohammed AbdoMohammed Abdo is a Saudi singer and composer from Ad-Darb Governorate in the Jazan Region, known as the “Artist of the Arabs”. He began singing in the 1960s and received the Cultural Personality of the Year award in 2025.
- PersonKhalid AbdulrahmanKhalid Abdulrahman is a Saudi artist who took part in the operetta "Izzuna fi 'Izziha", which formed part of the opening ceremony of the Jazan Winter Festival for 1439 AH/2018. He performed it alongside the artists Mohammed Abdo, Abdullah Rashad and Abdulaziz Al-Ma'na, to words by the poet Mohammed bin Ibrahim Yaqub.
- PersonImam Muhammad bin Abdul WahhabImam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab was a Saudi reformer who lived and taught in Diriyah and called for the oneness of God and a return to what the Prophet, peace be upon him, brought; his call became tied to the Saudi family, and from Diriyah the influence of the First Saudi State spread.
Related topics
- EventUnification of Saudi ArabiaKing Abdulaziz's path from the recovery of Riyadh in 1902 to the proclamation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 23 September 1932, now National Day.
- HistoricWadi LajabWadi Lajab is a fault gorge in the eastern part of Jabal al-Qahr in Al-Rayth governorate, Jazan Region. It extends about 11 kilometers and holds hanging gardens of tall palms, freshwater springs and a rock resembling a human head, making it one of the most prominent natural and tourist landmarks in northern Jazan Region and among the Kingdom's leading destinations.
- 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.
- HistoricJabal FifaJabal Fifa is a mountain in Fifa Governorate, east of the Jazan Region in south-western Saudi Arabia. It consists of a chain of peaks of varying elevation rising more than two thousand metres above sea level, the highest of them Al-Absiyah Peak, and it holds cylindrical stone houses and agricultural terraces, is known for coffee and honey, and has seen successive development works and roads since 1398 AH.
- HistoricKhawlani CoffeeKhawlani Coffee is a variety of coffee cultivated in the mountain highlands of the southwestern part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and its cultivation is centred on Jazan Region, led by Ad-Dayer Governorate. The knowledge and skills associated with its cultivation are inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO.
- RegionJazan CityJazan City is a Saudi city in the southwest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the administrative capital of the Jazan Region and the seat of its governorship and centre of development. Its regional port and international airport strengthen its connection with the regions of the Kingdom and with the world.
- 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.
- RegionAl Qunfudhah GovernorateAl Qunfudhah Governorate is one of the governorates of Makkah Region, and Wadi Hali lies in its southern part with its environmental and agricultural potential. The governorate holds historic and heritage landmarks, among them the historic mill on its coast and the Bani Isa popular market, and it is among the highest-producing governorates of the Kingdom for mangoes.