Al-Bad'


Al-Badʿ is a city and governorate in the Tabuk Province of Saudi Arabia. It is part of the Hejaz region and historically part of southern Midian. The governorate lies near the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, and its coastal areas are known for their natural coral reef formations.

History

In 1995, 2 people at Al-Bad' died during the Gulf of Aqaba earthquake.

Geography

To the east of the governorate lie the Sarawat Mountains, forming the northern end of the Hejaz Mountains. The area is noted for Neolithic petroglyphs carved into the arid volcanic rock. Northeast of the governorate is Jabal al-Lawz, which, at 2,500 meters, is among the highest peaks in Saudi Arabia. South of Jabal al-Lawz is the 2,300-meter Jabal Maqla, a volcanic peak capped with black basalt. The surrounding volcanic region consists largely of granite, with sparse grassland vegetation and occasional trees.

Administrative divisions

  • Makna
  • Qiyal
  • Al-Aseelah
  • Abu Rummanah

    Religious significance

The governorate of Al-Bad' is located within the traditional Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia, and its population is predominantly Muslim.
Approximately two kilometers south of Al-Bad' are caves known locally as "Maghā'ir Shuʿayb". Modern archaeologists consider these structures to be 1st-century AD Nabatean tombs.
Local tradition also holds that "Bir al-Saidni," located in the nearby coastal town of Makna, is the well from which Moses rolled away the stone to draw water for the flocks of Jethro's daughters. The town of Makna lies on the Red Sea coast southwest of Al-Bad'. A Jewish community is known to have existed there from at least the 9th century AD.
Some Evangelical writers, including Bob Cornuke, Ron Wyatt, and Lennart Möller, have proposed that Jabal al-Lawz is the real biblical Mount Sinai.

Transportation

Air

Al-Bad' does not have its own airport. Air travel for the governorate is primarily served by the Prince Sultan International Airport in Tabuk City, the province’s main airport.