Soudah (Arabic: ٱلسّوْدَة) is a mountainous area in the

Asir Province Asir, officially the Aseer Province, is a province of Saudi Arabia in southern Arabia. It has an area of , and an estimated population of 2,024,285 (in 2022). Asir is bounded by the Mecca Province to the north and west, al-Bahah Province to the ...

of Saudi Arabia. At 3,015 metres (9,893 ft) above sea level, it includes Saudi Arabia’s highest peak,

Jabal Soudah Jabal Soudah ( ', ) is a peak in the Soudah mountains in Saudi Arabia. Jabal Soudah is officially recognized by the Saudi authorities as the highest point in Saudi Arabia, with an elevation of . The village of Al-Soudah is located nearby. The ...

. The area is known for its dense juniper tree covered mountains.

Climate

The climate of Soudah is moderate throughout the year with temperatures rarely exceeding 25 °C (77 °F) in the summer and not rising to more than 15 °C (59 °F) in the winter. Due to Soudah's altitude, the climate is around 10 °C (18 °F) cooler than the rest of Saudi Arabia. Overall, the area enjoys a cool variation of semi-arid climate (BSk) that borders a regionally rare warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb) due to the presence of a brief yet unnoticeable wet season that lasts from February to April.

Tourism

The town is a tourist center, and has a

cable car Cable car most commonly refers to the following cable transportation systems: * Aerial lift, such as aerial tramways and gondola lifts, in which the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable ** Aerial tramway ** Chairlift ** Gondola lift *** ...

to the top of the

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

. Some people in the area claim to have seen snow fall in more than one season per year. On 25 September 2023, Saudi Crown Prince

Mohammed Bin Salman Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (; born 31 August 1985), also known as MBS or MbS, is the ''de facto'' ruler of the Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, formally serving as Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Sa ...

announced the Al Soudah Peaks project as part of

Saudi Vision 2030 Saudi Vision 2030 (, sometimes called Project 2030) is a government program launched by Saudi Arabia which aims to achieve the goal of increased diversification economically, socially, and culturally, in line with the vision of Saudi crown pri ...

. The Al Soudah Peaks project will seek to develop a luxury mountain tourism destination in the region worth a projected $7.732 billion to the country's

GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performance o ...

. The project aims to attract 2 million tourists throughout the year by 2033.

Culture

Soudah has a distinct culture, geography and its verdant nature that differs slightly from other parts of Saudi Arabia. The dress of the region is unique, traditionally women in Soudah have been known to wear colourful headbands and the men flower head wreaths.

References

{{reflist Populated places in 'Asir Province

Climate

Tourism

Culture

See also

References