Al Baha (, ) is a city in south western Saudi Arabia located in the Sarawat Mountains. It is the capital of Al Bahah Region, and is one of the Kingdom's prime tourist attractions. It enjoys a pleasant climate and is surrounded by more than forty forests, including Raghdan, Al-Zaraeb and Baidan. Al Baha is the headquarters of the Governor, local councils and branches of governmental departments. Receiving the state's special attention, the city of Al Baha abounds in educational, tourist and health institutions. It is considered the capital of the Ghamdi and Zahrani tribes in Saudi Arabia, and most of its inhabitants are from the native tribes.
The name "Pearl of Resorts" is the name given to Al-Baha by those acquainted with the city. The name "Garden of the Hejaz" () was the name given to it by the Sharif of Mecca.
Geography and location
Al-Baha City lies in the south west of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, between Makkah (which borders it from the north, west, and south west) and 'Asir (which borders it from the south-east). It is the smallest of the kingdom's provinces (). It is surrounded by a number of cities, including Taif on the north, Beesha on the east, and Al-Qunfuda on coast of the Red Sea in the west. This tourist city is situated in an area characterized by natural tree cover and agricultural plateaus. It consists of six towns, the most important of which are Beljarshy, Almandaq, and Almekhwah, in addition to the Baha city in the center of the province. The province comprises 31 administrative centres, and it has a population of 533,001.
The province is known for its beauty and has forests, wildlife areas, valleys and mountains that attract visitors from all parts of the kingdom and the Persian Gulf area. Some of these areas are the forests of Raghdan, Ghomsan, Fayk, and Aljabal, and many other historical and archaeological sites. It contains more than 53 forests.
Al-Baha is the homeland of the Ghamid and Zahran tribes and is divided geographically into three distinct parts: Sarah, which contains the high Hijaz mountains characterized by temperate weather and rich plant cover due to relatively high annual rainfall, the Tihamah which is the lowland coastal area to the west of the Hejaz, characterized by very hot and humid weather and very little rainfall average, and the eastern hills characterized by an altitude of above sea level with cool winters, hot summers and sparse plant cover. The largest city in the province, both in population and area, is Baljurashi, the second one is Al-Mandaq. In Tehama, there are two major cities: Qilwah and Al-Mikhwah. The number of tribes are 18, branching from the main ones, Ghamid and Zahran. The province has 13 settled tribes (working in trades and agriculture) and 5 nomadic tribes.
Climate
Al Bahah has a Subtropical Highland Climate (Koppen:Cwb) So it has a mild fresh weather, The climate is greatly affected by its varying geographic features. Generally speaking, the climate in Al-Baha is mild with temperatures ranging between . Due to its location at above sea level, Al Baha's climate is moderate in summer and cold in winter. The area attracts visitors looking for a moderate climate and pristine, scenic views.
In the Tehama area of the province, which is down on the coast, the climate is hot in the summer and warm in the winter. Humidity ranges from 52%–67%. While in the mountainous region, which is known as As-Sarah, the weather is cooler in summer and winter. Rainfall in the mountainous region lies in the range of . The average throughout the whole region is annually.
History
Post-World War 1, the village of El-Zafir () had been the administrative centre of what was known then as Belad Ghamid, but with the establishment of Saudi Arabian government, the Ghamid and Zahran were administered as a unit in 1925, and the seat of local government transferred to Baljurashi), a town situated south of El-Zafir. The tribes of Ghamid and Zahran are the indigenous people of Al Baha. Tribes in the region trace their origin to the ancient Arabian Mamlakat Saba' (possibly the Kingdom of Sheba), whose rule extended to areas presently known as Syria and Lebanon. Historians also report that they established the famous state of Axum, in Abyssinia. Prince Husam bin Saud has been the governor of the province since April 21, 2017.