AL AHSA CITY
Geographical Location:
Al Ahsa city is located
at the Southern Eastern corner of the Saudi Kingdom
, it is occupied the Southern part of the Eastern
Province between 17-26 longitude – 48-55 latitude ,
Al Ahsa Province covers wide area of land , about
530 Sqkm. , form % 68 of the Eastern Province area ,
and % 24 of the Kingdom area , but this area
includes the non – inhabited area , called the Empty
Quarter , so the inhabited area is % 18 of Al Ahsa
area , but the oasis which include % 92.3 of the
inhabitant in addition to the effective economical
activities , its area is 860 Sqkm , it extended on
an axle toward the north with 30 kilometers which
includes the capital of Al Ahsa ( Hufuf and Al
Mbaraz cites ) and four main cities in addition to
22 villages , the oasis is 40 kilometers from the
Arabian Gulf , 150 Km south of Dammam , 320 kms East
of Riyadh . Al Ahsa is distinguished by its location
at the Kingdom Eastern and South- East borders ,
its is the nearest region to the GCC , it bordering
Qatar , United Arab Emirates and Oman , in addition
to its location at the Arabian Gulf in its coastal
parts between Al Aqeer and Salwa.
Al Ahsa is one of the Eastern
Province ten provinces , AlAhasa is formed of ( 19
) centers ; Al Uyoun , Salwa , Harad , Khurais , Al
Udhailyah , Anbak , Al Khun , Al Ghwaibah , Yabreen
, Al Hafayer , Nadgan, Joudah , Arairah , Um Rabia,
Al Batha , Fidalah, Al Zaydeyah , Um Alurad and Al
Edaid each is affiliated by numbers of villages
and Hajars
Al
Ahsa is divided into three main topographic relief
:
Plateaus: Al Dabdabah plateau , Al Samman and Al Jafoura
, and the rocky areas at Salwa and Al Aqeer area,
its area formed % 45.6 of the province total area ,
its height range between 100-400 m above the sea
level .
Deserts:
Empty Quarter with 640 thousand
Sqkm, Al Dahna 80 thousand Sqkm , deserts form %40
of the province area .
Coastal
Plane: At the
Arabian Gulf , extended from Al Aqeer ( North ) to
Salwa
( South ) with 150 Km long and
between 6-16 Km width it is %12 of the province
area in addition salinas and valleys , the
province height ranged between700- Zero m above the
sea level , the province generally is flatted and
slope to the East direction .
Al Ahsa oasis topography , it
is plane and slope to the East at an average of 15
meters for each 15 kms , and to the North –East at
an average of 30 meters for each 20 kms , the oasis
is 150 ms above the sea level .
Population:
Population Growth Average during the last 20 years
not apart from the Kingdom population growth or the
Eastern Province , as Al Ahsa recorded a high
population growth percentage during the same period
which lead to an increasing in Al Ahsa population
percentage compared to the Kingdom population more
than in 1394 H.
Al Ahsa population in 1394 H is
273.045 then raised to 551.455 as per the estimation
of the Ministry of Planning 1405 H with % 102
increase during 11 years , the province population
increased during the following 8 years to reach
729.000 in1413 H this showed that the annual
combined population growth since the official
census till the last official census indicators
reached %5.3 , the population according to the
social economical survey which carried by Al Ahsa
municipality in 1415 H reached 790.000 with %4
growth average , as per the official census in 1394
H the population of Al Ahsa province , about %36 of
the Eastern Province population to reach % 28 ,
then again started in growth as of 1413 H this form
% 4.5 of the Kingdom population.
Climate:
Al Ahsa has a continental climate as temperature
increase and decrease extremely same as such
prevailing in most of the Kingdom regions .
Al Ahsa climate has a long summer
starts from April and continue up to November ,
temperatures averages reach up to 44 C in July and
August , in the winter the temperature decrease to
reach 15.5 C in January , it may decrease till the
frost appeared in the early morning hours , the
annual temperature average is 26.5 C , the daily
sun shining average is 6.4 hours during January
to 11 hours in June and increases to 12 hours in
July , this means an increase in evaporation
average under this climate circumstances the
climate daily average range from 3 mm in winter to
12 mm in summer , so the annual evaporation average
reaches 2600 mm, this form a significant a net loss
of water .
Al Ahas is located
within the winter hurricane rains
- Al jafoora
drainage basin , the rain annual average is 75 mm
for the period 1395 –1404 H and raised to reach
more than 250 mm as occurred in 1403 H , the falling
concentrated in winter , %73 while during the
spring reaches %22 , no rain fall recorded during
the summer season , it is observed that the rain
decreased towards south yabreen , also it is
observed that the number of the rainy days reaches
47 days , the higher monthly rain fall is
recorded in February 1993 as it reached 73.5 mm, 29
mm of which in one day , it is bigger than the
standard figure which recorded in one of January
days 1969 as it reached 27.7 mm , Regarding the
winds in Al Ahsa it is a Northern winds , it is % 50
of the wind blow on the province and called AlSHIMAL
, normally it is dry cold wind in winter and
moderate during summer , in winter may blow a
southern winds accompanied with a rise in humidity
percentage.
Commercial Markets
Al Qaisaryah Market:
It is the oldest
known market in the East of the Arabian Peninsula ,
it is the a big indicator for Al Ahsa commercial
position as it is a connecting circle between the
Gulf coast and the interior cities through Al
Aqeer port , this market was built during 1918
–1923, pursuant to the order of King Abdulaziz it
includes of 300 commercial shops forming a huge
commercial shop displaying items of goods under one
roof in a unique architectural building which is
still remaining as a vital proof of this position ,
visited by many inhabitants , located at the center
of Hufuf city with its unique building and crowded
shops which display different kinds of goods , such
as clothes , perfumes , Mashaleh and Abas etc .
Monuments
in Al Ahsa :
Al Ahsa
with its important historical presence in the
Arabian Peninsula, it is still has many palaces and
castles forming an important part of the province
historical background , its architectural
Characteristics , these palaces and castles have had
maintenance campaigns and continues care by the
concerned authorities to maintain the historical
wealth which is an important qualitative additive
for the tourism sources in the province , the most
important castles are :
Khuzam
Palace
This palace was
built at the Southern – Western Hufuf entrance at
Al Nathil quarter , beyond this location there is
a military idea to protect the Bedouins camps
settling at that location during certain seasons
every year, as nomads come to Al Ahsa to buy their
needs , the castle was built 1207 –1212 H , it is
smaller than Ibrahem Palace as the wall dimensions
are 70 x 80 ms , It was constructed during the era
of King Abdulaziz , this palace witness the presence
of King Abdulaziz in the 5th night of
Jumada 1331 H so as to conquer Al Ahsa as it the
first forest to be at his wit’s end , the palace
consists of a small mosque and water well .
Agriculture:
More than 10 thousand Hectares
belonged to more than 30 thousand farmers forming Al
Ahsa agricultural deep – rooted historical reality ,
Al Ahsa is an agricultural oasis due to location
nature and water abundance which coded from its name
, there are more than million palm trees producing
the world best types of dates such as Al Khulasa
, Al Razeez, Al Shishi , Alghur , Al Khunaizi ,Alzamili
and others.
This in addition to high quality
of cedar trees ,Alhasawi ,
many fruits and vegetables , so the Saudi state
constructed irrigation project in Al Ahsa to
regulate the water distribute the water among
farmers in the oasis in a scientific basses. The
Council of Ministers resolution of 1392 H ( 1972 )
issued for executing the project to benefit from
the natural spring waters in the oasis , concert
channels were constructed with 500 kms long in
accordance to the engineering studies which prepared
in accordance to the high international
specifications , agricultural road are paved 200 kms
long , to serve the framers and irrigation channels
maintenance and distribution in a permanent form ,
the irrigation authority has interests in serving
the agriculture sector in Al Ahsa , in addition to
the agricultural guidance and framers service .
Finally the Dates
Packing Factory which constructed in Al Ahsa to
support its farmers as the factory designed to
produce 21 thousand tons of the packaged dates
which being purchased from the farmers from
different regions of the Kingdom with encouraging
price , SR 3 / Kilo , these dates distributed within
the Kingdom contribution in the World Food Program ,
add to that there is a grate interesting in
veterinary and animal, as the authority supervise
the Veterinary Training Center and Animal
Production , which graduate qualified technician in
assistant veterinary medicine to support this
important sector in the Kingdom , it the only
center type in the Kingdom , this in addition to the
services provided by the Ministry of Agriculture
and Water to support the farmers and providing them
with the necessary services such as guidance and
advertisements , also the Ministry have
previously distributed agricultural lands in Al Ahsa
to numbers of investors which form a chain of the
productive agricultural land.
