Saif al-Arab
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Last time I was in Saudiya, it's been a while and my brother lives in Damaam and after we did the Omra (AlHamdulilah) and left Makkah and went to Medinah and after we ended the trip in Jeddah, the last pic in the last post reminded me of that and I'll never forget my favorite part was later in the evening when the streets are bustling with people and everyone is just walking and shopping from the hundreds of thousands of incredible stores filled with the top of the line electronics to the best watches to anything you can imagine. Just walking, sipping on mango juice and looking at all the things in the storefronts with the family was so enjoyable and unforgettable. Not too many places with that kind of feel.
Nice share (as usual) brother. You are most welcome and I hope that you will visit other parts of KSA (size of Western Europe) one day. Hopefully when KSA fully opens up to tourism, builds the needed infrastructure and changes some of the mostly recent (25-30 year old) moronic laws. One can only hope.
Do you know there are over 1000 islands in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has 1285 islands in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. (supplied)
Mohammed al-Harbi, Al Arabiya.net
Tuesday, 2 May 2017
When we think of Saudi Arabia, what comes to mind is vast oceans of sand dunes and enchanting deserts. However, did you know that the Kingdom also has 1285 islands in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf?
The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba alone host 1150 islands making 89 percent of their total number, while the remaining 135 islands in the Arabian Gulf constitute 11 percent of them.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has 1285 islands in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulfs. (Supplied)
These islands are considered major tourist attractions because of the diverse nature of their geology. Whether they are coral, sandy or volcanic, the islands have shores that vary between soft sands and high rocky mountains.
The largest Saudi islands
Farasan Island is the largest island of the archipelago, which has more than 200 islands one of which is dedicated to diving explorations. Farasan is spread across 380 square kilometers and is the biggest.
The island of Sajid comes second in terms of size with an area of 150 square kilometer while Abu Ali Island in the Arabian Gulf has an area of 59 square kilometers followed by the island of Batinah, 33 square kilometers. Tarot Island stretches 20 square kilometers.
The island of Farsan has an ecologically diverse marine life that can only be found on a few islands in the world. (Supplied)
The island of Farasan has an ecologically diverse marine life that can only be found on a few islands across the world. There are multiple kinds of birds, coral reefs and rare marine life.
Raw amber is abundant and is a main source of income for many inhabitants of the island. Farsan is also rich with coastal mangrove trees. In addition, the water in this part of the island also contains unusual coral reefs, flowering plants and seagrass.
Turtles and seabirds are found on the island's beaches in large groups at specific times of the year. Other islands include Amna, Kadmil, Kamah Island, Damask, Zafaf, Dushk, Safeed and Kira. Among the islands of the Red Sea are “Sanafir and Tiran”, which are located near the Gulf of Aqaba.
The Arabian Gulf islands
The Arabian Gulf is home to 150 islands including Abu Ali in north of Jubail, the largest of the Arabian islands in the Gulf. The Arabian Gulf also harbors well-known Saudi Arabian islands, including Batinah, Qarmah, Jannah, Musallamah, Al-Jarid, Daghina, Karan and Harkos.
Turtles and seabirds are nestled as well on the island's beaches in large groups at specific times of the year. (Supplied)
“Harkos” is one of the most important Saudi islands as a natural habitat for many kinds of birds and turtles dwelling in the Arabian Gulf. Alarabiya is the Kingdom’s farthest island within the Arabian Gulf. It is located 50 nautical miles away from the Saudi coasts.
The most significant three Saudi islands in the south of the Arabian Gulf can be found near the entrance of Khor al-Adid north of Ras Abu Qamis, and they are Hawisat, Huthba and Sayad.
The Arabian Gulf is home to 150 islands including Abu Ali in north of Jubail. (Supplied)
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/li.../2017/05/02/Saudi-Arabia-s-1000-islands-.html
Saudi Arabian soldiers patrolling the beach of Al-Khafji during the First Gulf War. Almost 30 years ago.
Nice article about surfing in KSA:
http://www.blueabaya.com/2017/05/surfing-in-saudi-arabia.html