Al-ʽArish, Qatar

Al-Arish is an abandoned village in Qatar, in the municipality of Al Shamal. It lies one mile south-west of the coastal village of Al Khuwayr.

Etymology

Arish is an Arabic term that refers to "palm trees"; it was named so after palm trees growing in the area which shaded the entire village.

History

Al Arish was among the villages occupied by Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani's forces in July 1937 during the 1937 Qatari–Bahraini conflict, in which he led a military expedition against the Al Jabor faction of the Al Naim tribe of Zubarah and its supporters, whom he considered to be defectors to Bahrain.

Geography

To the south-west is Sabkhat Al-Arish, a sabkha whose elevation is close to sea level. Due to the high level of salinity, few trees grow there.

Power station

Inaugurated in 1975 with a power production capacity of 8.5 megawatts, the Al Arish Power Station was constructed to serve as an energy source for Qatar's northern area.