Hofuf


Hofuf fort
Photo by: Pedronet, Creative Commons

In the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, there lies the major urban city at the center of the extensive land of Al-Ahsa Oasis. This district is called the Al-Hofuf, which is nearest region to one of the largest land-based fields in the world, the famous Ghawar oil field.

Al-Hofuf is one of the cities that uphold the country’s rich culture that it is considered as a cultural region. There are also a lot of academic institutions such as the King Faisal University located in the heart of this city that offer services in agriculture, animal resource and veterinary field. What’s more? The city is a home to schools that provide education on home economics, medicine and dentistry to women as well.

The main industries in Al-Hofuf include manufacturing of items such as copper and brass products and cloth. Residents could also make profits out of the oasis that bore crops when watered by many springs. Such produces include fruit rice, barley, dates and wheat. In this area, you could also find a famous camel market. Camels were used in the past as the primary mode of transportation; however, these animals are used primarily for racing these days.

Other economic activities given of high importance in this district include food processing and horse breeding. The people also benefit from the nearby oil fields of Shimanya.

The city is blessed with a tropical climate. It only has two seasons which range from hot and arid summer to cold and misty winter. Sometimes during winter, the city is lucky enough to experience rain. In summer, it could not escape the harsh, extreme humidity as it nestled far enough from the coast of the Arabian Gulf. Hence, high humidity during the summer time should be expected.

This city is also remembered in Saudi Arabia’s version of Romeo and Juliet. The burial place of Laila and Majinoon, the star-crossed lovers in the Arab and Muslim literature, is said to be located in this place. In another popular fiction, it has been said the Queen of Sheba has also come by from her empire in Yemen.

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