Tabuk Province, also known as Tabuk Region ( '), is a

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

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 ...

, located along the northwestern coast of the country, facing

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

across the

Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

. It also borders

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

to the north.

History

The history of Tabuk province dates back to 5,000 years ago. The province is identified with the land of

Midian Midian (; ; , ''Madiam''; Taymanitic: 𐪃𐪕𐪚𐪌 ''MDYN''; ''Mīḏyān'') is a geographical region in West Asia, located in northwestern Saudi Arabia. mentioned in the Tanakh and Quran. William G. Dever states that biblical Midian was ...

. The province is traversed by the Hejaz railway, which was built during the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

under the Sultan

Abdul Hamid II Abdulhamid II or Abdul Hamid II (; ; 21 September 184210 February 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1876 to 1909, and the last sultan to exert effective control over the fracturing state. He oversaw a Decline and modernizati ...

and was a focus for attacks during the

Arab Revolt The Arab Revolt ( ), also known as the Great Arab Revolt ( ), was an armed uprising by the Hashemite-led Arabs of the Hejaz against the Ottoman Empire amidst the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. On the basis of the McMahon–Hussein Co ...

of 1916–1918. The province has traditionally been inhabited by the

Howeitat The Howeitat or Huwaitat ( ''al-Ḥuwayṭāt'', Northwest Arabian dialect: ''ál-Ḥwēṭāt'') are a large Hashemite tribe that inhabits areas of present-day southern Jordan, the Sinai Peninsula and Sharqia governate in Egypt, the Negev, an ...

tribe. In recent years, the province has received substantial media attention due to the Saudi government's planned

Neom Neom (styled NEOM; , ) is an arcology and planned city being built by Saudi Arabia in Tabuk Province. Launched in 2017 by crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, the site is at the northern tip of the Red Sea, due east of Egypt across the Gulf of A ...

City project in the province.

Population

Governorates

Economy

Tabuk is an active commercial center, serving pilgrims passing through towards Mecca. Due to its moderate climate, it's also the site of several dairy and poultry farms. The region (Astra) exports flowers to Europe, mainly lilies, statices and gladiolas. In the past, a

narrow-gauge railway A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter cur ...

(1,050 mm / 3 ft 511⁄32 in

track gauge In rail transport, track gauge is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have Wheelset (rail transport), wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many different track gauges ...

) ran from

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

through Tabuk. Remains of the railway can be found in Tabuk, where a large station was built. The station has since been restored.

Education

Tabuk has a range of educational institutions, including elementary, intermediate, and secondary schools operated by the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

throughout the province. Higher education is available for both men and women through several institutions, including the University of Tabuk, Fahd bin Sultan University, and a branch of the Saudi Electronic University. Technical and vocational education in the region is managed by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC). Colleges for male students include Umluj Technical College, Tabuk Technical College, Haql Technical College, Al-Wajh Technical College, and branches in Tayma and Duba. For female students, the Technical College for Girls in Tabuk offers vocational training.

Transportation

Air

Tabuk Province is served by several airports providing domestic and international connectivity: - Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport (IATA: TUU) in Tabuk City is a public and military airport offering domestic flights and limited international connections. It has experienced a 25% increase in flight operations, reflecting the region's growth and alignment with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 transportation goals. - Red Sea International Airport (IATA: RSI) near Hanak on the Red Sea coast began operations in 2023. It supports the Red Sea Project and is expected to handle up to one million passengers annually by 2030. - Neom Bay Airport (IATA: NUM) is located near Sharma and began limited operations in 2019. It serves as an initial air hub for the

development. - Amaala International Airport is an upcoming airport under construction to serve the luxury tourism destination of Amaala along the Red Sea coast. It is designed to handle up to one million passengers annually and is expected to open in the near future. - Al-Wajh Domestic Airport (IATA: EJH) serves Al-Wajh, providing regional air connectivity.

Border Crossings

Tabuk Province shares two international land border crossings with

, supporting both regional trade and religious tourism. The Durra Border Crossing connects Haql in Tabuk Province to

Aqaba Aqaba ( , ; , ) is the only coastal city in Jordan and the largest and most populous city on the Gulf of Aqaba. Situated in southernmost Jordan, Aqaba is the administrative center of the Aqaba Governorate. The city had a population of 148, ...

in Jordan. Established in 1966 and upgraded in 1988, it facilitates pedestrian and vehicular movement and offers full immigration and visa services. The Halat Ammar Border Crossing is located near the town of Halat Ammar, southwest of Tabuk city. It serves as a key point of entry for pilgrims traveling to

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

for

Hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...

and

Umrah The Umrah () is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, the holiest city for Muslims, located in the Hejazi region of Saudi Arabia. It can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to the '' Ḥajj'' (; "pilgrimage"), which has specific d ...

. It is operated by the Saudi General Directorate of Border Guard and the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority. In recent years, it has been upgraded as part of Saudi Vision 2030 to enhance logistical infrastructure.

List of governors

Destinations

Tabuk Castle Tabuk Castle () is an ancient castle in Tabuk, the capital city of Tabuk Province in northwestern Saudi Arabia, which dates back to 1559. The castle has been rehabilitated and transformed into a museum which is open to all visitors. History ...

* Red Sea destination * Amaala * The Birds Garden * The Park of Prince Fahd bin Sultan

References

External links

The-Saudi.net on Tabouk
* {{Authority control Provinces of Saudi Arabia