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"Travel in the land and see what was the end of those before
(you)!"
Holy Qur'an (30:42)
Trekking in the Kingdom
Trekking Terminologies
Travel Terminologies
How to Prepare?
Checklist for Trekking
Weather in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian Travel Terminologies
Below are some of the commonly used words that a traveler come across in Saudi Arabia mostly with respect to place names. These terminologies will be useful for a better understanding of the situation.
A Lexicon of Tourist Terms, both in English and Arabic, by the Supreme Commission for Tourism is made available for download.
| Al Hasa (Hassa or Al Ahsa) | Usually referred as "the great oasis of Al Hasa" is located in the desert in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The Eastern Province had been known as Al Hasa under Ottoman rule. The name Hasa is also given to the biggest city in the Al Hasa oasis, known also as Hofuf. |
| Al-Hijr | Old name for Mada'in Salih |
| Bedouin | A nomadic Arab of the desert regions of Arabia |
| Dadan or Dedan | Old name for Al-Ula |
| Darb | Route or Way |
| Escarpment | A steep slope or cliff that mark the boundary of a flat or gently slopping upland area such as a plateau |
| 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. The ancient Babylonian, Sumerian, Assyrian, Phoenician, and Hebrew civilizations started here. |
| Hayy | Quarter, District |
| Hijaz (Hejaz) | Northwestern Saudi Arabia, on the Gulf of Aqaba and Red Sea. Makkah and Madinah lies in this region. In 1916, Hejaz was proclaimed independent by Husayn ibn Ali, the sherif of Makkah, who with the aid of T. E. Lawrence destroyed Turkish authority. |
| Hijrah | Emigration of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) from Makkah to Madinah |
| Ibn or Bin | Son of |
| Jebal (pl Jibal) | Mountain |
| Najd (Nejd) | Central Saudi Arabia. A vast plateau. Riyadh, the capital city, lies in the region of Najd |
| Qasr | Palace |
| Qiblah | Place Muslims turn towards when they pray. Qiblah of the Muslims is Makkah |
| Rowdah (pl Riyadh) | Garden |
| Sha'ib | Wide Valley |
| Wadi | In English speaking world, wadi is known by different terms like, valleys, gorges, ravines and Gullies |
| Yathrib | Name of the city of Madinah in pre-Islamic times |
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