Ha'il
Saudi Arabia · 915 m
Description
Ha'il lies between the Aja and Salma mountains at the southern edge of the Great Nafud, a caravan town on the old pilgrim road from Iraq and the seat of the Rashidi emirs who ruled central Arabia before the Al Saud. Its UNESCO listing is for rock art rather than buildings. The sandstone outcrops at Jubbah and Shuwaymis carry thousands of engraved human figures, cattle and hunting scenes, some of them ten thousand years old, from a period when this desert held lakes. In the city itself the A'arif fort and the Barzan market are what remain of the Rashidi capital.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: November – March
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Jubbah rock art and its Umm Sinman outcrop (UNESCO World Heritage)(Day trip)
- A'arif Fort above the city
- Barzan Souq
- Al Qishlah Palace, the mudbrick garrison
- Nafud dunes and desert camps
- Ha'il International Rally and the Dakar stage (January)
- Aja Mountains and their granite peaks
- Shuwaymis rock art panels (UNESCO World Heritage)(Day trip)
- Fayd, the Abbasid pilgrim station on the Darb Zubaydah(Day trip)
- Ha'il Regional Museum
Getting there
- Airports:
- HAS
- Train stations:
- Ha'il