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Overview
Makkah Region is one of the thirteen administrative regions; the city of Makkah is its administrative capital and the seat of its emirate. It borders Riyadh Region to the east, Madinah to the north, Asir and Al-Bahah to the south and the Red Sea to the west. [1]
It contains the Masjid al-Haram and the Kaaba, the qibla of Muslims, as well as the headquarters of the Muslim World League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. [1]
Administration
The region has 16 governorates and 128 centres; four governorates lie on the Red Sea coast and Taif is the largest by area. [1]
The governorates are Jeddah, Taif, Al-Qunfudhah, Al-Lith, Rabigh, Khulais, Al-Khurmah, Ranyah, Turabah, Al-Jumum, Al-Kamil, Maysan, Al-Muwayh, Adham, Al-Ardiyat and Bahrah. [1]
Geography, population and climate
The region covers about 137,000 km², the fourth largest by area and the second most populous after Riyadh in the 2022 census; most residents live in Makkah city and Jeddah. [1]
Its climate is transitional between Mediterranean and monsoon influences. Makkah is warmer than Jeddah and Taif, and Taif records the region's highest rainfall. [1]
Historic sites
The region includes Historic Jeddah, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and Taif, home of Souq Okaz, which dates to around 500 CE and was one of the Arabian Peninsula's major cultural gatherings. [1]
Makkah has kept its oldest boundary, the limits of the Haram, marked by boundary stones on all four sides. [1]
Historic sites and museums
- HistoricHistoric JeddahHistoric Jeddah, or Al-Balad, is an urban core on the Red Sea shaped by maritime trade and pilgrimage, with houses distinguished by projecting wooden windows.
- HistoricSouq OkazAn archaeological site in Taif, one of the oldest Arab markets before and after Islam and a meeting place for trade, poetry and alliances, dating to about 501 CE.
Economy and transport
King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh, established in 2005, and King Abdullah Port lie on the region's coast. King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah is the main air gateway, and since 2018 the Haramain railway has linked Makkah, Jeddah, King Abdullah Economic City and Madinah. [1]
Administration after unification
After the founding of the Kingdom the region was administered for 34 years by Faisal bin Abdulaziz, first as viceroy for the founding king and later as crown prince under King Saud. [1]
Related people
- Kings of Saudi ArabiaKing Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al SaudThe third Saudi king, Faisal brought extensive experience in foreign affairs and government. His reign included educational expansion, development planning and Saudi participation in the 1973 oil crisis.
- PersonTalal MaddahA Saudi singer and composer from Makkah (1940–2000), known as 'the Voice of the Earth', who carried Saudi song to Arab and international audiences.
- PersonRashed Al-MajedRashed Al-Majed is a singer and artist who performed the operettas of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture (Al-Janadriyah) in nine editions from 1426 AH/2005 CE to 1440 AH/2018 CE, alongside the National Day operetta in the Makkah Region and his work in the Saudi seasons.
- PersonAbdulmajeed AbdullahAbdulmajeed Abdullah is a Saudi artist who performed national operettas at the National Festival for Heritage and Culture and at National Day celebrations, performed a tableau before the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques at the celebration of the people of the Tabuk Region, and attended cultural events including Souq Okaz and the “Lahn Al-Mamlakah” festival. His documented participation extends from 1426 AH/2005 CE to 1445 AH/2023 CE, most notably his receipt of the “Honorary Entertainment Makers Award”.
- PersonPrince Sultan bin SalmanPrince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is the first Muslim Arab astronaut, having taken part in the scientific mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985.[1] He is a Special Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques at the rank of minister, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Non-Profit King Salman Foundation, and founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Non-Profit Heritage Foundation; he chaired the Saudi Space Agency and headed the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities and then the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage.[2][4][5][6][13]
- PersonPrince Khalid Al-FaisalPrince Khalid bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is a Saudi prince who served as governor of Asir Province, then as governor of Makkah Province, then took charge of the Ministry of Education, and in 2015 became Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of Makkah Province.
Tourism and nature
Related topics
- HistoricDarb ZubaydahThe Kufa pilgrimage road linking Iraq to Makkah through five Saudi regions, used since before Islam and named after the spring dug by Zubaydah bint Ja'far.
- 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.
- EventTreaty of Jeddah (1927)The Treaty of Jeddah is an agreement signed in 1927 between King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud and Britain. In it Britain recognized Abdulaziz as King of the Hijaz and Najd, affirmed his right to conclude treaties with other states, and brought the Treaty of Darin to an end.
- HistoricMasjid Al-QiblataynMasjid Al-Qiblatayn is a historic mosque in Madinah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that witnessed the change of the qiblah from Al-Aqsa Mosque to the Sacred Mosque in the second year of the Hijri calendar. The site now hosts the Al-Qiblatayn Civilizational Center Project, which raises its capacity and improves services for its worshippers and visitors.
- HistoricAl-Tayebat MuseumAl-Tayebat Museum is a heritage museum in the city of Jeddah, in the west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, located in Al-Faisaliyyah district on an area of 10,000 square meters and comprising 12 heritage buildings. It was founded in 1989 and opened to visitors in 1999, and holds more than 365 exhibition halls and a library of more than 200,000 books and references, alongside wings documenting the unification of the Kingdom and Islamic civilization.
- HistoricCave of HiraThe Cave of Hira is a rock cavity at the top of Jabal An-Noor in Makkah, northeast of the Grand Mosque, and the place where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to retreat in worship before the Revelation, where the first verse of the Holy Quran was revealed: "Read in the name of your Lord who created."
- EventBattle of Rawdat MuhannaThe Battle of Rawdat Muhanna was fought at Rawdat Muhanna in the Qassim region between the forces of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud and the forces of the Emirate of Al Rashid. It was followed by King Abdulaziz's consolidation of his authority over Qassim, the official Ottoman recognition of him as King over Najd, Qassim and Al-Ahsa, and the subsequent unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- EventBattle of TurabahThe Battle of Turabah was a confrontation that took place around the town of Turabah in the southwest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a town belonging to the Makkah Region and holding a strategic position on the trade and pilgrimage caravan routes between Najd and Hejaz. The battle came at a stage in which relations between Najd and Hejaz were marked by tension between King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud and Sharif Hussein bin Ali.
- MuseumKhuzam Palace MuseumKhuzam Palace Museum is a Saudi museum housed in the historic Khuzam Palace in the Al-Nuzlah Al-Yamaniyah district, southeast of the city of Jeddah in the Makkah Region. King Abdulaziz ordered the construction of the palace in 1928 and it was completed in 1932; it witnessed the signing of the first oil exploration agreement in 1933, and it was later converted into a museum that opened in March 1995.
- HistoricShubra Palace MuseumShubra Palace Museum is a Saudi museum in the historic Shubra Palace in the city of Taif, in the Makkah Region, and is a prominent historic landmark distinguished by the elegance of its design and the grandeur of its traditional architecture. The palace was built in 1905, consists of four floors containing about 150 rooms, and was converted into a museum in 1408 AH/1986.
- HistoricJeddah SeasonJeddah Season is a Saudi entertainment season held in the city of Jeddah on the Red Sea coast, and one of the seasons of the Saudi Seasons 2019 initiative announced on 27 February 2019. Its events are held across several zones in Jeddah and include artistic, theatrical, and marine shows, concerts, and exhibitions, and its editions continued in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
- RegionJeddah CityJeddah City is a Saudi city that is a gateway to the Two Holy Mosques and a station through which cultures have passed. Its history spans more than 1,400 years, and it is home to Historic Jeddah, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2014, alongside modern development projects, most notably the Jeddah Central Project.
- HistoricHarrat RahatHarrat Rahat is a vast volcanic field in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia whose lava flows extend from the north of Makkah to Madinah, and it contains lavas formed over widely separated periods, running from millions of years ago to the last volcanic eruption in 654 AH. Its recent volcanic activity is concentrated in its northern part, along the southern and eastern edges of Madinah.
- HistoricThe Grand Mosque (Al-Masjid Al-Haram)The Grand Mosque (Al-Masjid Al-Haram) is the mosque at the centre of which stands the Kaaba in Makkah, and successive states and restorations followed upon its construction across the ages. In the Saudi era it witnessed major expansions and construction works, most notably the Third Saudi Expansion and the raising of the capacity of the Mataf and the courtyards.
- RegionTaif CityTaif City is a Saudi city in the west of the Kingdom, known as the “City of Roses and Bride of Saudi Summer Resorts” for its moderate summer climate and its natural views in Al-Shafa and Al-Hada. It contains more than 700 rose farms, farms of seasonal fruits, and cultural and historical landmarks including Souq Okaz and Shubra Palace.
- EventThe Houthi Attack on MakkahThe Houthi attack on Makkah refers to two hostile attempts against the Holy Capital, intercepted and destroyed by the Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces before they reached Makkah: a ballistic missile on 27 July 2017, and a hostile drone on 15 September 2026. Both attempts ended in failure, and the Kingdom reaffirmed that the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the Guests of the Most Merciful is a red line.
- RegionMakkah CityMakkah City is a Saudi city in the west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, home to the Grand Mosque and the qibla of Muslims, with a history of more than four thousand years. The city and the Holy Sites are seeing continuous development to raise the standard of services provided to pilgrims and Umrah performers under Saudi Vision 2030.
- EventEgyptian Hajj RouteThe Egyptian Hajj Route is one of the seven most important pilgrimage and trade routes that linked the Islamic world to the Arabian Peninsula, and was taken by pilgrims from Egypt, the Maghreb, Al-Andalus and West Africa from the beginning of the Islamic era. It combines a coastal land path across Sinai with stations as far as Makkah and a sea route through the port of Aydhab.
- EventKingdom of HejazThe Kingdom of Hejaz is an official name borne by the Saudi State at a stage of its formation after the annexation of the Hejaz, and it is associated with the successive titles of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal Al Saud up to the naming of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1351 AH/1932.
- TopicNational Renewable Energy ProgramThe National Renewable Energy Program is a national program supervised by the Ministry of Energy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to raise the share of renewable energy sources in the energy mix used for electricity generation. It was announced in February 2017 as part of the drive to diversify energy sources and support Saudi Vision 2030, and it aims for the share of gas and renewable energy in the electricity generation mix to reach about 50% by 2030.
- TopicNational Transport and Logistics StrategyThe National Transport and Logistics Strategy is a sectoral strategy launched by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in mid-2021 to develop the transport and logistics sector and raise its efficiency. It rests on four pillars and seeks to raise the Kingdom's ranking among the world's top 10 countries on the Logistics Performance Index by 2030.
- HistoricCave of ThawrCave of Thawr is a landmark of the Prophet's biography at the summit of Mount Thawr in the Makkah Province, 4 kilometers from the Grand Mosque. It is a prominent station of the Prophetic Migration, where the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companion Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq stayed for three days before heading for Madinah.
- HistoricMakkah Clock TowerThe Makkah Clock Tower is a prominent landmark in the Holy City, topped by the largest clock in the world and counted as the highest prayer room in the world. It stands within the Clock Towers complex adjoining the Grand Mosque, which belongs to the King Abdulaziz Endowment in Makkah.
- EventBattle of BadrThe Battle of Badr is the first decisive battle fought by the Muslims. It took place on the seventeenth of Ramadan in the second year of the Hijrah between Makkah and Madinah, and its day was named the Day of the Criterion. It ended in the defeat of the polytheists, and its site in Badr Governorate preserves its landmarks and its historic route.
- HistoricNabati PoetryNabati poetry is a popular literary art rooted in the Arabian Peninsula that reflects the language of everyday life and addresses different groups of society, and it holds a central role in shaping literary and sung culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf states. It is an extension of Arabic poetry in its reliance on transmission by hearing.
- 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.