Al-Ahsa: A Magical Oasis Rich in Natural and Cultural Heritage

Saudi Arabia is located on the Arabian Peninsula in southwest Asia. It shares land borders with Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen; and maritime borders with Bahrain, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, and Sudan. Its geography is dominated by Rub’ al Khali (also known as the Empty Quarter), the world’s largest continuous sand desert.

Location of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on a globe

Saudi Arabia is the 13th largest nation in terms of land area. The Kingdom is four times the size of France, western Europe’s largest country.

On a geological timescale, the Arabian Peninsula is young. It separated from the main African continent approximately 25 million years ago, creating the Red Sea. It is no surprise that Saudi Arabia’s desert has much in common with the Sahara. Indeed, the sands have the same orange coloration due to the presence of iron oxides.

I explored the Kingdom for three months last year with the purpose of writing about and photographing its natural beauty, history, and splendor. It was a rich and beguiling experience. Saudi Arabia is complicated, but fascinating and intriguing with its unique and special architecture, traditions, landscapes, and people. It is at once everything you have heard it to be and absolutely nothing like you have heard it to be.

map of saudi arabia with the eastern province highlighted in red

Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. Image: Wikimedia Commons.

I spent some of my time staying on the beach in Al Aziziya in the Gulf.

sky turning orange over water with palm tree silhouettes in the foreground

Early morning is my favorite time. Watching the sun rise over the waters of the Gulf was never disappointing.

My friend Ahmed Almubarak and I went on a road trip to visit his family and explore Al-Ahsa.

Ahmed Almubarak and I en route to Al-Ahsa.

map of the Arabian Peninsula highlighting the location of Al-Ahsa

limestone cliffs on the roadside seen through a car window

Al-Ahsa is known for its natural limestone. Limestone is used to make cement.

Continue reading »

Among the Clouds in Taif: City of Roses

In 2019, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia began issuing tourist visas. Through its Vision 2030 development plan it has made significant investments to develop infrastructure and promote its diverse collection of mountains, beaches, coral reefs, grasslands, and forests, let alone the largest sand sea in the world! Tourism and travel bridge people, time, and cultures, leading to deeper understanding.

Location of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on a globe

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is approximately the size of France, Spain, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom (twice), Greece, and Portugal combined. In reference to the United States, its land area is roughly equal to all states east of the Mississippi River. Saudi Arabia is more than 3 times the size of the state of Texas.

Saudi Arabia shares land borders with seven countries: Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Across a 16 miles (25 kilometer) causeway in the Gulf lies the island kingdom of Bahrain.

With over 35 million inhabitants, Saudi Arabia has 13 provinces all united by the Arabic language, but each with unique dialects, traditions, cuisines, landscapes, and heritage.

One cannot help but be moved by the imposing contours and beauty of the seemingly endless, ever-changing, windswept Arabian dunes, the sand-washed ancient cities, and the sparkling waters of the Red Sea and the Gulf.

Taif is different.

map of Saudi Arabia with several cities labeled and Taif highlighted

Continue reading »

Pivot or Remain in Place? Examining the U.S. Military Presence in Arabia and the Gulf

On June 29, 2023, the National Council convened an online briefing program “Pivot or Remain in Place? Examining the U.S. Military Presence in Arabia and the Gulf.” The conversation analyzed the military and economic dimensions, geopolitical implications, and knock-on effects of the proclaimed American pivot to Asia.

 

 

Joining the program were:

Featured Specialists:

  • Sheikh Nawaf Al-Thani, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Distinguished International Defense Affairs Fellow; former Defense Attaché of Qatar to the United States; former Official Spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Defense
  • Ms. Kirsten Fontenrose, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Senior Gulf Affairs Fellow; President of Red Six International, an advisory firm providing U.S. government approved technical expertise to partner nations on defeating drones
  • Colonel (Ret.) Abbas Dahouk, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Board of Directors Member; Former Senior Military Advisor to U.S. Department of State; Former U.S. Defense and Army Attaché to Saudi Arabia; HyphenPoint LLC Principal

Moderator and Discussant:

  • Colonel (Ret.) David Des Roches, U.S. Department of Defense National Defense University Near East/South Asia Center for Strategic Studies Associate Professor; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Senior International Affairs Fellow

Context Provider:

  • Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO

A video recording of the program is available above.

Celebrating Community in Asir: A Home for Shabana

عربی AR

beach with palm trees at sunset or sunrise

Al Aziziya beach on the Gulf.

 

The music of my morning was the birds singing on the beach in Al Aziziya.

The earth has music for those who listen.
Reginald Vincent Holmes

Location of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on a globe

The Arabian Peninsula sits on its own tectonic plate – the Arabian Plate – that broke from the African plate approximately 25 million years ago. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia occupies 80% of the Arabian Peninsula. The rift between the the Arabian Plate and the African Plate created the Red Sea, which forms much of Saudi Arabia’s western border.

Saudi Arabia shares land borders with seven countries: Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Its geography is dominated by Rub’ al Khali (also known as the Empty Quarter), the world’s largest continuous sand desert.

There are no permanent rivers or lakes in the Kingdom. Its population is over 35 million. There is evidence of human habitation on the Arabian Peninsula as far back as 130,000 years ago.

Saudi Arabia’s land area is approximately three times larger than the state of Texas in the United States.

saudi arabia relief map

Relief map of Saudi Arabia

The area of modern-day Saudi Arabia formerly consisted of four distinct historical regions: Hejaz, Najd, Alhasa, and Asir. The Asir Mountain Range runs north and south parallel to the Red Sea on the southwestern coast of Saudi Arabia.

Asir means ‘difficult’ in Arabic, reflecting the challenge involved in crossing the area’s mountains.

Administrative divisions of Saudi Arabia

The Asir Region

Asir has a short border with Yemen and a coastline on the Red Sea. It is the fourth largest region in Saudi Arabia and encompasses four thousand villages. There are more than 2.2 million residents. The Asir Region is the size of Austria.

The Asir Region has the highest average rainfall in Saudi Arabia.

Flying from the Eastern Province into Abha Airport in the Asir Region.

Continue reading »

الإحتفاء بالحياة المجتمعية في عسير: منزل لشعبانة

English

beach with palm trees at sunset or sunrise

شاطىء العزيزية الخليجي

 

وقد كانت تطربني تغاريد العصافير في الصباح على شاطئ العزيزية.

الأرض لديها موسيقاها لأولئك الذين يستمعون
ريجينالد فينسينت هولمز

Location of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on a globe

تقع شبه الجزيرة العربية على صفيحة تكتونية خاصة بها – الصفيحة العربية – التي انفصلت عن الصفيحة الأفريقية منذ حوالي 25 مليون سنة. تحتل المملكة العربية السعودية 80٪ من شبه الجزيرة العربية. حيث تكّون البحر الأحمر نتيجة الصدع بين الصفيحة العربية والصفيحة الأفريقية، والذي يشكل جزءاً كبيراً من الحدود الغربية للمملكة العربية السعودية.

سبع دول تتشارك الحدود البرية مع المملكة العربية السعودية: العراق والأردن والكويت وعمان وقطر والإمارات العربية المتحدة واليمن. حيث يهيمن على جغرافيتها الربع الخالي (المعروف أيضاً باسم الربع الخالي)، وهي أكبر صحراء رملية متصلة في العالم.

لا توجد أنهار و بحيرات دائمة في المملكة. يبلغ عدد سكانها أكثر من 35 مليون نسمة. هناك أدلة على وجود البشر في شبه الجزيرة العربية لفترة تعود إلى تاريخ 130,000 سنة مضت.

تُعد مساحة المملكة العربية السعودية أكبر بثلاث مرات تقريباً من مساحة ولاية تكساس في الولايات المتحدة.

saudi arabia relief map

خريطة المملكة العربية السعودية

كانت منطقة المملكة العربية السعودية الحديثة في السابق تتكون من أربع مناطق تاريخية متميزة: الحجاز ونجد والأحساء وعسير. تمتد سلسلة جبال عسير شمالاً وجنوباً بموازاة البحر الأحمر على الساحل الجنوبي الغربي للمملكة العربية السعودية.

عسير تعني “صعب” باللغة العربية ، دلالة على التحدي الذي ينطوي عليه عبور جبال المنطقة.

Administrative divisions of Saudi Arabia

منطقة عسير

عسير لها حدود قصيرة مع اليمن وساحل على البحر الأحمر. وهي رابع أكبر منطقة في المملكة العربية السعودية وتضم أربعة آلاف قرية. هناك أكثر من 2.2 مليون نسمة. تُعادل مساحة منطقة عسير مساحة النمسا. لدى منطقة عسير أعلى متوسط هطول للأمطار في المملكة العربية السعودية.

رحلة جوية من المنطقة الشرقية إلى مطار أبها بمنطقة عسير.

Continue reading »

Carolinas Committee on U.S.-Arab Relations Spring 2023 “NEWSLINES”

Cover of the Spring 2023 NEWSLINES newsletterThe Carolinas Committee on U.S.-Arab Relations (CCUSAR), with Dr. Joe P. Dunn serving as Director, is an initiative of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. Dr. Dunn is an alumnus of the Council’s Malone Fellowship in Arab and Islamic Studies Program, the coordinator of the Southeast Model Arab League conference, and the faculty advisor heading the Converse College Youth Leadership Development / Model Arab League program.

CCUSAR recently published its Spring 2023 “NEWSLINES” newsletter, available for download through the link below.

The issue features:

  • Powerful illustrations and testimonials from participants in the National Council’s Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League, sharing how the program impacted them; along with
  • Highlights from the 2023 National University and Southeast Regional Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League conferences; and also
  • A story about interfaith dialogue in Spartanburg, South Carolina; together with
  • A book review of They Call Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl’s Fight for Freedom by Ahed Tamimi and Dena Takruri.

DOWNLOAD “CCUSAR NEWSLINES (Spring 2023)” [PDF]

Energy Trends and Their Implications for the U.S. and Arab Region

On April 14, 2023, the National Council convened an online briefing program “Peering Over The Horizon: Examining Future Energy Trends And Their Implications For The U.S. And Arab Region.” The discussion examined current and future energy dynamics.

As the structure of energy demand changes, with the importance of fossil fuels predicted to decline in the decades to come, how can energy production and delivery systems incorporate a growing share of renewable energy and manage increased electrification? Will the transition to a low-carbon world require a range of other energy sources and technologies, including low-carbon hydrogen, modern bioenergy, and carbon capture, use, and storage? What factors are most critical in shaping regional and global energy dynamics, and how might they shift in the years ahead? This National Council program explores these questions and more.

 

 

Joining the program were:

Featured Specialists:

  • Dr. Shihab Kuran, Leader of renewable energy projects in Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere; Power Edison Founder, President, and CEO
  • Mr. Phillip Cornell, Economist Impact Principal for Energy and Sustainability; Atlantic Council Senior Fellow; former Saudi Aramco, International Energy Agency, and World Bank Group Advisor

Moderator:

  • Mr. Colby Connelly, Energy Intelligence Senior Research Analyst; Middle East Institute Program on Economics and Energy Non-Resident Scholar.

Audio and video recordings of the program are available above and below, and on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and elsewhere.

“Energy Trends and Their Implications for the U.S. and Arab Region” podcast (.mp3)

The Impact of Growing Military and Civil Instability in the Middle East and North Africa Region

On March 14, 2023, the National Council hosted an online briefing program examining Center for Strategic and International Studies Emeritus Chair in Strategy Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman’s recent report, “The Changing Strategic Importance of the Middle East and North Africa (Volume Two): The Impact of Growing Military and Civil Instability in the MENA Region.” Dr. Cordesman highlighted some of the data in the report, and discussed key issues shaping regional security and stability.

 

 

Joining the program were:

Context Provider:

  • Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO; Author, inter alia, of Arab States of The Lower Gulf: People, Politics, Petroleum.

Featured Specialist:

  • Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman, Center for Strategic and International Studies Emeritus Chair in Strategy; Formerly Served the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, and State, and the White House National Security Council

Moderator:

  • Mr. David Des Roches, U.S. Department of Defense National Defense University Near East/South Asia Center for Strategic Studies Associate Professor; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Senior International Affairs Fellow.

Audio and video recordings of the program are available above and below, and on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and elsewhere.

“The Impact of Growing Military and Civil Instability in the Middle East and North Africa Region” podcast (.mp3)