Al-Jouf Province[a] (Arabic: منطقة الجوف) is a province in northern Saudi Arabia on the border with Jordan. Its seat is Sakaka, and it is known for its agriculture, especially olives, as well as historic sites such as Dumat al-Jandal.
Al-Jouf Province
منطقة الجوف | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Map of Saudi Arabia with Al-Jouf highlighted | |
| Coordinates: 30°0′N 40°12′E / 30.000°N 40.200°E | |
| Country |  Saudi Arabia |
| Region | Badiyat al-Sham |
| Seat | Sakaka |
| Governorates | 3 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Body | Al-Jouf Municipality |
| • Governor | Faisal bin Nawaf |
| Area | |
• Total | 85,212 km2 (32,901 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | |
• Total | 595,822 |
| • Density | 6.9922/km2 (18.110/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 (SAST) |
| ISO 3166-2 | SA-12 |
| Area code | 014 |
Economy
editAl-Jouf Province’s economy is primarily based on agriculture and renewable energy. The province is one of Saudi Arabia’s largest agricultural producers and is particularly known for olive cultivation. The Al-Jouf Agricultural Development Company operates the world’s largest organic olive farm, which holds two Guinness World Records: one for the largest organic olive farm, covering an area of 6,453 hectares (64.53 km²), and another for the world’s largest modern olive farm.[1][2][3] Olive cultivation in Al-Jawf Province began on a small scale in 1980 and was scaled up dramatically following the 2007 introduction of intensive olive-farming methods. By 2023, the province contained approximately 25 million olive trees and produced around 18,000 tons of olives annually.[4]
The province is also home to the Dumat al-Jandal Wind Farm, the first and largest utility-scale wind power project in the Middle East. The wind farm has a capacity of 400 MW and can supply electricity to approximately 70,000 homes.[5]
Governorates
edit
The province consists of three governorates, with Sakaka serving as the seat of the province.
| Governorate | Category | Population (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Qurayyat | A | 195,016 |
| Dumat al-Jandal | A | 54,341 |
| Tabarjal | B | 109,796 |
Provincial government
editThe province is governed by a governor (Emir) appointed by the King of Saudi Arabia, assisted by a deputy governor.
| Governor | Term of Office | Monarch(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Office established | ||
| Assaf Al-Hussein | 1922 – 1924 | Abdulaziz |
| Abdullah bin Muhammad | 1924 – 1926 | |
| Turki bin Ahmed (1st Term) | 1926 – 1927 | |
| Abdulrahman bin Saeed | 1928 – 1929 | |
| Ibrahim bin Abdulrahman | 1929 – 1930 | |
| Turki bin Ahmed (2nd Term) | 1930 – 1932 | |
| Abdulaziz bin Ahmed | 1933 – 1938 | |
| Mohammed bin Ahmed | 1938 – 1943 | |
| Abdulrahman bin Ahmed | 1943 – 1989 | Abdulaziz, Saud, Faisal, Khalid, Fahd |
| Sultan bin Abdulrahman | 1989 – 1998 | Fahd |
| Abdul Elah bin Abdulaziz | 1998 – 2002 | |
| Fahd bin Badr | 31 October 2002 – 26 February 2018 | Fahd, Abdullah, Salman |
| Badr bin Sultan | 27 February 2018 – 27 December 2018 | Salman |
| Faisal bin Nawaf | 27 December 2018 – present | |
Transportation
editAir
editAl-Jouf is served by Al-Jouf International Airport.[6]
Rail
editThe province has two stations on the Riyadh–Qurayyat railway: Qurayyat station and Al-Jouf station. Qurayyat station is the northern terminus of the railway.[7][8]
Historical sites
editAl-Jouf Province has a long history, with archaeological and architectural remains found across the region, particularly in Dumat al-Jandal, one of its oldest settlements. These remains reflect successive historical periods, including the prehistoric era, as well as later civilizations such as the Canaanite, Nabataean, and Palmyrene periods. The region also contains evidence from the Rashidun, Umayyad, and Abbasid Islamic eras, in addition to remains from the Ottoman period.[9][10]
Historical sites in the province include (but are not limited to):
Columns of Rajajil – ancient standing stone pillars
Zabal Castle – a hilltop fortress overlooking Sakaka
Sisira Well – an ancient rock-carved well
Marid Castle – historic fortress in Dumat al-Jandal
Umar ibn al-Khattab Mosque – early Islamic mosque in Dumat al-Jandal
Dumat al-Jandal Wall – remains of the ancient defensive wall
See also
editNotes
edit- ↑ Al-Jouf is also transliterated as Al-Jawf or Al-Jowf; however, Al-Jouf is the official English rendering used by the Saudi government.
References
edit- ↑ "Agriculture in Saudi Arabia". SaudiPedia. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Largest organic olive farm". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Al-Jouf breaks Guinness records for modern, organic olive farms". Arab News. 7 November 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Olive Cultivation in Saudi Arabia". Saudipedia. Ministry of Media, Saudi Arabia. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
- ↑ "Saudi Arabia's first wind farm begins electricity production". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "New Al-Jouf International Airport begins operations with 1.6 million annual capacity". Saudi Gazette. 25 February 2026. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
- ↑ "Saudi Railways starts online ticket booking to Al-Qurayyat". Saudi Gazette. 21 March 2022.
- ↑ "Northern Train to start operating Al-Jouf station on Nov. 7". Argaam.
- ↑ Marid resisted and Al-Ablak stood proud Arab News
- ↑ Did archaeologists unveil the secret of the ‘man-like’ columns in Saudi Arabia? Al Arabiya English
External links
edit- A travel through the province of Al Jouf, Splendid Arabia: A travel site with photos and routes