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Saudi Arabia
Al Baha
Asir
Eastern Region
Hail
Jizan
Jouf
Madinah
Makkah
Najran
Northern Borders
Qassim
Riyadh
Tabuk
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A Profile of Al Jouf Province
Al Jouf Province forms a vital position of the North
Arabian and Syrian Desert. Enclosed by sandstone hills, its oasis have
played an important role in the contacts between the Arabs in the Peninsula
and the people of the Fertile Crescent (An area of
fertile land in the Middle East reaching from Israel to the Persian Gulf
and incorporating the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern Iraq).
Dumat Al Jandal (or shortly called Duma) has been the most
prominent oasis of Al Jouf in history.
Al Jouf was an extremely important center and a summer camping ground
for the nomads in ancient history. It was a confluence of various
cultures. A political and commercial
center of the early Arab tribes who were engaged in trade through Arabia
to Mesopotamia (ancient region located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern Iraq and Syria)
and Levant (former name for the region in
the eastern Mediterranean comprising modern-day Lebanon, Israel, and
parts of Syria and Turkey) almost 3000 years ago.
Dumat Al-Jandal was an important caravan town and agricultural oasis. At
the dawn of Islam it was under the control of prince Ukaidir ibn Abdul
Malik al-Sukuni of the tribe of Kinda. Several attempts were made by the
Muslims to bring back the tribes to Islam. At last Ukaidir was captured
by Khalid bin al-Walid in the year 630 AD.
It is recorded that there are more than 13 million olive trees in the
province in addition to new plantations. Al Jouf contributes some 5,000
tonnes of olive oil and 2,700 tonnes of table olive to the global olive
market. An Olive Festival is celebrated annually in Sakakah with its
first event held in 2007.
Sakaka, the capital city of the province, and Dumat Al Jandal are the
major cities of Al Jouf Province.
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