Al-Jouf Province

Al-Jouf Province (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.

Economy

Al-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 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. 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.

The province is also home to the , 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.

Governorates

The province consists of three governorates, with Sakaka serving as the seat of the province.

Governorate Category Population (2022) Qurayyat A 195,016 A 54,341 Tabarjal B 109,796

Provincial government The 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

Air Al-Jouf is served by Al-Jouf International Airport.

Rail The province has two stations on the Riyadh–Qurayyat railway: Qurayyat station and Al-Jouf station. Qurayyat station is the northern terminus of the railway.

Historical sites Al-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.Marid resisted and Al-Ablak stood proud Arab NewsDid archaeologists unveil the secret of the ‘man-like’ columns in Saudi Arabia? Al Arabiya English

Historical sites in the province include (but are not limited to):

Al-Jouf Province

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