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Al-Baha

City of Al Baha
مَدِيْنةُ الْبَاحَة
Flag of City of Al Baha
Flag
Coat of arms of City of Al Baha
Coat of arms
Coordinates: 20°00′N 41°27′E / 20.000°N 41.450°E / 20.000; 41.450Coordinates: 20°00′N 41°27′E / 20.000°N 41.450°E / 20.000; 41.450
Country Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia
Region Al Bahah
Established 1600
Government
 • City Governor Mishari bin Saud
 • Provincial Governor Mishari bin Saud
Elevation 2,155 m (7,070 ft)
Population (2010)
 • Total 104,266
  Al Baha Municipality estimate
Time zone EAT (UTC+3)
 • Summer (DST) EAT (UTC+3)
Area code(s) +966-17
Website www.al-baha.net

Al Bahah (Arabic: الباحة‎‎ Al Bāḥa) is a city in the south west of Saudi Arabia. It is the capital of Al Bahah Region nestled between the resorts of Mecca and Abha, Al Baha 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 "Pearl of Resorts" is the name given to Al Baha by those acquainted with the city. The "Garden of Hijaz" (Arabic translation: حديقه الحجاز) was the name given to Al Baha by the Sharif of Mecca.

Al Baha City (BC) lies in the south-west of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia between Mecca and Aseer. It is the smallest of the kingdom's provinces (11,000 square km). It is surrounded by a number of cities, including Taif on the north, Beesha on the east, Abha on the south and the Red Sea coast city of Al Qunfuda on 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 centers and 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 archeological 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 mountains characterized by temperate weather and rich plant cover due to relatively high annual rainfall, Tehama which is the lowland coastal area to the west of the Sarah characterized by very hot and humid weather and very little rainfall average, and the eastern hills characterized by an altitude of 1550 to 1900 meters 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 (it was the first capital for the province), the second one is Almandaq. 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.


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