Al-Ahsa Oasis (, ''al-ʾAhsā''), also known as al-Ḥasāʾ () or Hajar (), is an
oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment[historical region
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...]
in eastern Saudi Arabia.
Al-Ahsa Governorate
Al-Ahsa (, locally pronounced ''Al-Ḥasāʾ'' ()) also known as Hajar () is the largest Governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, Eastern Province, named after the Al-Ahsa Oasis. In Classical Arab ...
, which makes up much of the country's
Eastern Province, is named after it. The oasis is located about inland from the coast of the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
. Al-Ahsa Oasis comprises four main cities and 22 villages. The cities include
Al-Mubarraz and
Al-Hofuf, two of the largest cities in Saudi Arabia.
Description
With an area of around , Al-Ahsa Oasis is the largest oasis in the world. A large part of the oasis is located in the
Empty Quarter, also referred to as
Rub' al Khali in Arabic. This covers almost three-quarters of the land in the oasis, while residential areas constitute 18%.
There are more than 2.5 million
palm tree
The Arecaceae () is a family of perennial, flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are colloquially c ...
s including
date palm
''Phoenix dactylifera'', commonly known as the date palm, is a flowering-plant species in the palm family Arecaceae, cultivated for its edible sweet #Fruits, fruit called dates. The species is widely cultivated across North Africa, northern A ...
s in the oasis, which is fed from a huge underground
aquifer
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing material, consisting of permeability (Earth sciences), permeable or fractured rock, or of unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Aquifers vary greatly in their characteristics. The s ...
and irrigated by the flow of more than 280
artesian springs, allowing year-round agriculture in a region that is otherwise sand desert.
The oasis became a
World Heritage
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
site in 2018.
It has also been part of the
UNESCO Creative Cities Network since December 2015. According to one author, the oases of Al-Ahsa and
Al Ain
Al Ain () is a city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and the seat of the administrative division of the Al Ain Region. The city is Oman–United Arab Emirates border, bordered to the east by the Omani town of Al-Buraimi. Al A ...
(in the
U.A.E., on the border with
Oman
Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...
) are the most important in the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
region.
Etymology
Al-Ahsa is the plural form of "Al-Ḥisā" () which refers to a landscape of accumulated sand with an impermeable layer underneath. When rain falls onto such a landscape, the water soaks through the sand (which prevents it from evaporating) and is retained by the impermeable base layer, forming an aquifer. Wells drilled into the earth can then provide access to a cool spring.
The area used to be called ''Pit-Ardashir'' () by Assyrians and Persians.
History
Ancient history
Al-Ahsa a has been inhabited since prehistoric times because of its abundance of water in an otherwise arid region. Natural fresh-water springs have surfaced at oases in the region for millennia, encouraging human habitation and agricultural efforts (date palm cultivation especially) since prehistoric times.
The oasis region and specifically the name Hajar (also Hagar, Haǧar) may be related to the
Ancient Near East
The ancient Near East was home to many cradles of civilization, spanning Mesopotamia, Egypt, Iran (or Persia), Anatolia and the Armenian highlands, the Levant, and the Arabian Peninsula. As such, the fields of ancient Near East studies and Nea ...
toponym
Agarum, mentioned in
Dilmunite inscriptions as the original home of their chief deity
Inzak. If so, Agarum probably referred to the mainland area of Arabia lying opposite
Bahrain
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
. According to the hypothesis, the Dilmun civilization originated at the oases of Eastern Arabia, but later relocated to the isle of Bahrain. This interpretation is not without criticism, however, and other sources place Agarum on
the isle of Failaka.
Islamic times
Eastern Arabia was conquered by the emerging
Rashidun Caliphate
The Rashidun Caliphate () is a title given for the reigns of first caliphs (lit. "successors") — Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali collectively — believed to Political aspects of Islam, represent the perfect Islam and governance who led the ...
during the 7th century. It was later inherited by the
Umayyads and
Abbasids
The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes i ...
. In 899 the region came under the control of the
Qarmatian leader
Abu Tahir al-Jannabi and was declared independent from the Abbasid Caliphate of
Baghdad
Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
. Its capital was at al-Mu'miniya near modern
Hofuf. By circa 1000, Al-Ahsa became the ninth largest city worldwide supporting 100,000 inhabitants. In 1077, the Qarmatian state of Al-Ahsa was overthrown by the
Uyunids
The Uyunid dynasty () were an Arab dynasty that ruled Eastern Arabia for 163 years, from the 11th to the 13th centuries. Their sect is disputed; some sources mention they were Shia, others Sunni. They were, like the majority of the people of Ea ...
. Al-Ahsa subsequently fell under the rule of the
Bahrani dynasty of the
Usfurids, followed by their relatives, the
Jabrids, who became one of the most formidable powers in the region, retaking the islands of
Bahrain
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
from the princes of
Hormuz. The last Jabrid ruler of Bahrain was
Muqrin ibn Zamil.
In 1521, the
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...
conquered the Awal Islands (the islands that comprise present-day Bahrain) from the Jabrid ruler Muqrin ibn Zamil. The Jabrids struggled to maintain their position on the mainland in the face of the
Ottomans
Ottoman may refer to:
* Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire
* Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II"
* Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...
and their tribal allies, the
Muntafiq. In 1550, Al-Ahsa and nearby
Qatif came under the sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire with
Sultan
Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
Suleiman I.
Al-Ahsa was nominally the
Eyalet of Lahsa in the Ottoman administrative system and was usually a
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...
of the
Sublime Porte
The Sublime Porte, also known as the Ottoman Porte or High Porte ( or ''Babıali''; ), was a synecdoche or metaphor used to refer collectively to the central government of the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul. It is particularly referred to the buildi ...
. Qatif was later lost to the Portuguese. The Ottomans were expelled from Al-Ahsa in 1670,
and the region came under the
Banu Khalid Emirate.
Al-Ahsa, along with Qatif, was incorporated into the
Wahhabist Emirate of Diriyah in 1795 but returned to Ottoman control in 1818 with an invasion ordered by
Muhammad Ali of Egypt
Muhammad Ali (4 March 1769 – 2 August 1849) was the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Albanians, Albanian viceroy and governor who became the ''de facto'' ruler of History of Egypt under the Muhammad Ali dynasty, Egypt from 1805 to 1848, widely consi ...
. The Banu Khalid were again installed as rulers of the region but, in 1830 the
Emirate of Nejd
The second Saudi state (), officially known as the Emirate of Najd, was a state that existed between 1824 and 1891 in the Najd region of what is now Saudi Arabia. Saudi rule was restored to central (Najd) and Eastern Arabia after the first Sau ...
retook the region.
Direct Ottoman rule was restored in 1871,
and Al-Ahsa was placed first under
Baghdad Vilayet and with Baghdad's subdivision
Basra Vilayet in 1875. In 1913,
ibn Saud
Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted as 1876, although a few sources give it as 1880. According to British author Robert Lacey's book ''The Kingdom'', ...
, the founder of modern
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
,
annexed
Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held to ...
Al-Ahsa and Qatif into his domain of
Najd
Najd is a Historical region, historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes most of the central region of Saudi Arabia. It is roughly bounded by the Hejaz region to the west, the Nafud desert in Al-Jawf Province, al-Jawf to the north, ...
.
Saudi independence
On 2 December 1922,
Percy Cox
Major-general (United Kingdom), Major-General Sir Percy Zachariah Cox, (20 November 1864 – 20 February 1937) was a British Indian Army officer and Colonial Office administrator in the Middle East. He was one of the major figures in the creati ...
officially notified Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah that Kuwait's borders had been modified. Earlier that year, Major John More, the British representative in
Kuwait
Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
, had met with Ibn Saud to settle the border issue between Kuwait and Najd. The result of the meeting was the
Uqair Protocol of 1922, in which Britain recognized ibn Saud's sovereignty over territories claimed by the emir of Kuwait. Al-Ahsa was taken from the Ottomans in 1913, bringing the
Al Sauds control of the Persian Gulf coast and what would become Saudi Arabia's vast oil reserves.
Economy and infrastructure
Al-Ahsa is part of the region known historically for its high skill in tailoring, especially in making ''
bisht'', a traditional men's cloak. Al-Ahsa was one of the few areas in the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world.
Geographically, the ...
in which
rice was grown.
In 1938,
petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...
deposits were discovered near
Dammam,
resulting in the rapid modernization of the region. By the early 1960s, oil production levels reached per day. Today, Al-Ahsa is home to the largest conventional oil field in the world, the
Ghawar Field
Ghawar (Arabic: الغوار) is an oil field located in Al-Ahsa Governorate, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Measuring (some ), it is by far the largest conventional oil field in the world, and accounts for roughly a third of the cumulative ...
.
Al-Ahsa is known for its palm trees and date palms. Al-Ahsa has over 2.5 million palm trees which produce over 100,000 tons of dates every year.
The oasis is a popular tourist destination for Qatari nationals, who would make the 160-km cross-border drive to visit local attractions, as well as to find bargains for food, spices and clothing in Al-Ahsa's bazaars. Economic ties were severely disrupted by the
Qatar diplomatic crisis, which led to the closure of Saudi Arabia's land border with Qatar. With the crisis' resolution and border reopening in 2021, however, Qatari tourists have gradually returned to Al-Ahsa; albeit in smaller numbers, due to improved Qatari self-sufficiency in goods.
A
road
A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved.
Th ...
between
Oman
Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...
and Saudi Arabia,
through the vast Empty Quarter sand desert, was completed in September 2021.
Between long, it extends from Al-Ahsa to the Omani town of
Ibri. The Omani side of the road measures approximately , and the Saudi side .
Tourist sites
;

12 locations were defined as the Cultural Landscape of Al-Ahsa Oasis (the World Heritage site):
# Eastern Oasis ()
# Northern Oasis ()
# As-Seef ()
# Suq Al-Qaysariyah ()
#
Qasr Khuzam ()
# Qasr Sahood ()
#
Qasr Ibrahim ()
# Jawatha archaeological site ()
#
Jawatha Mosque ()
# Al-'Oyun village ()
#
Ain Qannas archaeological site ()
#
Al-Asfar lake ()
Climate
Al-Ahsa has a
hot desert climate
The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
(
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
: ''BWh''), with long, extremely hot summers and short, very mild winters. The oasis has a very low annual precipitation of , but receives a small amount of rain in winter and spring.
See also
*
List of World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia
*
Eastern Arabia
Eastern Arabia () is a region stretched from Basra to Khasab along the Persian Gulf coast and included parts of modern-day Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, Eastern Province), and the United Arab ...
*
Al-Qarah
*
Al-arba' Mountain
References
External links
*
In Arabic
Al-Ahsa municipality website* Tor Eigeland, 1970
''Saudi Aramco World''
* Jon Mandaville, 1974
''Saudi Aramco World''
{{Authority control
Arabian Peninsula
Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
Historical regions in Saudi Arabia
Oases of Saudi Arabia
World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia