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

thumb|center|Map of Al-Jouf Province

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

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"

! # !! Governorate !! 2010 Census !! 2022 Census

|-

| – || style="background-color: silver; font-weight:bold;"| Sakaka || – || 241,669

|-

| 1 || style="background-color: #cedff2;"| Qurayyat || – || 190,016

|-

| 2 || style="background-color: #cedff2;"| || – || 54,341

|-

| 3 || style="background-color: #FBCEB1;"| Tabarjal || – || 109,796

|}

Provincial government

The province is governed by a governor (Emir) appointed by the King of Saudi Arabia, assisted by a deputy governor.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Governor !! Term of Office !! Monarch(s)

|-

| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | Office established

|-

| Assaf Al-Hussein || 1922 – 1924 || rowspan="8" | 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 || rowspan="2" | 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 || rowspan="2" | 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.

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

<gallery mode="packed" heights="160px">

File:أعمدة الرجاجيل 2.jpg|Columns of Rajajil – ancient standing stone pillars

File:Zabalcastle1.jpg|Zabal Castle – a hilltop fortress overlooking Sakaka

File:Sisra well.jpg|Sisira Well – an ancient rock-carved well

File:قلعة مارد الأثرية.jpg|Marid Castle – historic fortress in Dumat al-Jandal

File:مسجد عمر بن الخطاب بدومة الجندل 1.jpg|Umar ibn al-Khattab Mosque – early Islamic mosque in Dumat al-Jandal

File:سور-دومة-الجندل.jpg|Dumat al-Jandal Wall – remains of the ancient defensive wall

</gallery>

See also

  • Provinces of Saudi Arabia
  • List of governorates of Saudi Arabia
  • List of cities and towns in Saudi Arabia

Notes

References

  • A travel through the province of Al Jouf, Splendid Arabia: A travel site with photos and routes