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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.

In addition to it, historical, geographical, anthropological and geological terms that appeared in this site have also been added to help those who are new to the subject.

Adummatu

Ancient name of Dumat Al-Jandal that was known through Assyrians

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

Assyrian

A member of an ancient Semitic kingdom and people of Mesopotamia

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.

Hajj

Annual pilgrimage to Makkah. Hajj is performed in the twelfth month of the Islamic Calendar and is an obligation once in a lifetime for those who are physically and financially able to perform it.

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, Hijaz 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. Islamic Calendar (or Hijri Calendar) begins from this date.

Ibn or Bin

Son of

Jebal (pl Jibal)

Mountain

Ka'bah

Ka'bah is the Sacred House. The first house built on earth to worship Allah (the God Almighty) by the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail (Ishmael) by the command of God. It is a black square building (14 meter in height) in the central courtyard of Masjid Al Haram. Muslims all over the world turn towards Ka'bah during Prayer.

Kabsa

It is a rice dish made of long-grain Basmati with a mixture of spices, vegetables and meat. It is considered as a national dish of Saudi Arabia.

Levant

former name for the region in the eastern Mediterranean comprising modern-day Lebanon, Israel, and parts of Syria and Turkey.

Mandi

A long-grain Basmati rice dish made of meat (especially lamb or chicken) with a mixture of spices. Though a traditional Yemeni dish, it is widely consumed in Saudi Arabia.

Masjid

Mosque

Mesopotamia

ancient region located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern Iraq and Syria.

Najd (Nejd)

Central Saudi Arabia. A vast plateau. Najd means highland or plateau. Riyadh, the capital city, lies in the region of Najd

nomad (nomadic, adj)

Literally means wanderer.
Somebody who belongs to a group of people who move from place to place seasonally in search of pasture for their herds or food and water. A gypsy.

Qasr

Palace

Qiblah

Place Muslims turn towards when they pray. Qiblah of the Muslims is Ka'bah in Makkah

Rowdah (pl Riyadh)

Garden

Sha'ib

Wide Valley

Tihamah

Refers to the coastal plains along the Red Sea, which extend from Yanbu in the north to Najran in the south. It is so called because of its severe heat and lack of wind, from the word At-Taham which refers to extreme heat and lack of wind

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

A Lexicon of Tourist Terms, both in English and Arabic, by the Supreme Commission for Tourism can be downloaded here.