Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

This page is about the city. For the province, see Tabuk Province.

Not to be confused with Tobruk or Tabuk, Kalinga.

Short description: Provincial capital of Saudi Arabia

Tabuk

تبوك

City

Tabuk Castle

Snow in the Midian Mountains

Location of Tabuk within Tabuk Province

Tabuk

Location in Saudi Arabia

Show map of Saudi Arabia

Tabuk

Tabuk (Middle East)

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Tabuk

Tabuk (West and Central Asia)

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Coordinates:  [ ⚑ ] : 28°23′50″N 36°34′44″E﻿ / ﻿28.39722°N 36.57889°E﻿ / 28.39722; 36.57889
Country|  Saudi Arabia
Province| Tabuk Province
Region| Hejaz
Government

• Type| Municipality
• Body| Tabuk Municipality
Population

(2022 census)

• City| 594,350
• Metro

| 623,665 (administrative center)
GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)

• Year| 2023
• Total (Metro)| $29.6 billion[1]
• Per capita| $43,100
Time zone| UTC+03:00 (SAST)
Area code(s)| 014

Tabuk (Arabic: تَبُوْك Tabūk, ar) is the seat city of Tabuk Province in northwestern Saudi Arabia. It lies near the Jordan–Saudi Arabia border and houses the Second Air Force Base of Saudi Arabia.[2]

## Contents

* 1 History and prehistory
* 2 Education
* 2.1 University of Tabuk
* 2.2 Other Universities and Institutions
* 2.3 Technical and Vocational Education
* 2.4 General Education
* 3 Geography and climate
* 4 Transportation
* 4.1 Air
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 External links

## History and prehistory

The 1068 Near East earthquake, was a pair of major earthquakes that occurred in 1068; the first of which whose epicentre was in the area of Tabuk.[3]

Tabuk Province is rich in antiquities and archaeological sites such as petroglyphs, inscriptions, forts, palaces, sections of the Syrian and Egyptian pilgrimage (Hajj) routes, as well as remains of the Hejaz railway, an important station of which is located in Tabuk.

Hundreds of localities with rock art and inscriptions dating to different archaeological periods ranging from the Paleolithic to the Islamic period were recorded at Wadi Dam and the region west of Tabuk. A study of the art revealed rich stylistic variability with representations of both human and animal figures. Numerous sites in the area with Thamudic, Greek and Nabataean inscriptions have been found.

The ancient region of Midian roughly corresponds to what is now the Tabuk Province.[4] According to tradition, a fortified place belonging to the Aṣ-ḥāb al-Aykah ("Companions of the Wood"), the term used in the Quran for the Midianites,[5][6][7][8] is identified with Tabuk or even its fort, although the extant one is less than five centuries old.

Tabouk became famous for the Expedition of Tabuk in 630, during the period of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Since then, it remained a gateway to North Arabia.

Ain Sukkrah is an ancient ‘ayn (Arabic: عَيْن, romanized: spring) dating back to Pre-Islamic Arabia ("Era of Ignorance").[clarification needed] It is remembered that Muhammad camped for more than ten days near the spring during the expedition of Tabuk, and drank from its water.[9]

The 16th-century Ottoman Hajj fort

The Hajj fort of Tabuk we see today dates back to the 16th century, during the Ottoman period and has been restored many times since. Several forts and stations were built along the Syrian Hajj (pilgrimage) route, from Damascus to Medina, to welcome and protect the pilgrims performing the Hajj. The fort consists of two floors built around an open courtyard with a mosque, a well, and a stairway leading to the watch towers used by the guards. The Tabuk fort is considered a historical landmark of the region and is open to visitors.

Tabuk was visited by Charles Montagu Doughty in 1877.

Tabuk was captured by the Arab forces in 1918, three weeks after the British capture of Damascus.[10]

## Education

### University of Tabuk

The University of Tabuk (UT) was established in 2006 as part of a national effort to expand higher-education access across the Kingdom. Since its founding, the university has grown to include multiple colleges and specialized research centers, offering undergraduate and graduate programs in fields such as Medicine, Engineering, Business Administration, Computer Science, and Education.[11]

UT also operates several branch campuses across the province, including in Umluj, Haql, Tayma, and Duba, providing educational opportunities to students outside the city of Tabuk.

### Other Universities and Institutions

Tabuk is home to additional higher-education institutions, most notably Fahd bin Sultan University (FBSU), a private university offering programs in Engineering, Business, Computer Science, and Humanities.[12] The province also hosts a branch of the Saudi Electronic University, offering flexible online and on-campus bachelor’s and graduate programs.[13]

### Technical and Vocational Education

Technical and vocational training in Tabuk Province is overseen by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC). Institutions for male students include Tabuk Technical College, Umluj Technical College, Haql Technical College, Al-Wajh Technical College, and branches in Tayma and Duba. For female students, the Technical College for Girls in Tabuk provides diploma programs and vocational training in a range of technical and administrative fields.

### General Education

Public schools in Tabuk—covering elementary, intermediate, and secondary levels—operate under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, serving communities throughout the province.

## Geography and climate

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## Transportation

### Air

Prince Sultan International Airport serves as the primary airport for the city, offering both domestic and international flights that connect Tabuk to major destinations across Saudi Arabia and abroad.[17][18]

## See also

* Provinces of Saudi Arabia
* List of governorates of Saudi Arabia
* List of cities and towns in Saudi Arabia
* Hejaz Mountains

## References

1. ↑ "TelluBase—Saudi Arabia Fact Sheet (Tellusant Public Service Series)". Tellusant. https://tellusant.com/repo/tb/tellubase_factsheet_sau.pdf.
2. ↑ Mackey, Sandra (2002), The Saudis: Inside the Desert Kingdom, New York: W.W. Norton and Company, p. 234, ISBN 0-393-32417-6 Updated Edition. Norton Paperback. First edition: 1987; Pbk.
3. ↑ Ambraseys, N. N.; Melville, C. P.; Adams, R. D. (2005). The Seismicity of Egypt, Arabia and the Red Sea: A Historical Review. Cambridge University Press. pp. 30–32; 101. ISBN 978-0-521-02025-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=fxnnk2inWT0C&pg=PA31.
4. ↑ Edwards, Grace (2023-12-19). "6: Tabuk and Medina Provinces". Saudi Arabia. Bradt Travel Guides. pp. 188–246. ISBN 978-1-7847-7933-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=Z9PrEAAAQBAJ.
5. ↑ Quran 15:78-79
6. ↑ Quran 26:176-189
7. ↑ Quran 38:13-15
8. ↑ Quran 50:12-14
9. ↑ Book of hadith of Sahih Muslim
10. ↑ Saunders, Nicholas J. (2020-08-12) (in en). Desert Insurgency: Archaeology, T. E. Lawrence, and the Arab Revolt. Oxford University Press. p. 683. ISBN 978-0-19-103071-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=v771DwAAQBAJ.
11. ↑ "University of Tabuk". https://www.ut.edu.sa.
12. ↑ "Fahd bin Sultan University". https://www.fbsu.edu.sa.
13. ↑ "Saudi Electronic University". https://www.seu.edu.sa.
14. ↑ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020". World Meteorological Organization. https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/SaudiArabia/CSV/Tabuk_40375.csv.
15. ↑ "Climate Data for Saudi Arabia". Jeddah Regional Climate Center. http://jrcc.sa/reports_files/1985_2010Reports/Tabuk.RTF.
16. ↑ "Klimatafel von Tabuk / Saudi-Arabien". Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. https://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_403750_kt.pdf.
17. ↑ "HZ-AAK Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19720710-0.
18. ↑ DoD Flight Information Publication (Enroute) – Supplement Europe, North Africa and Middle East. St. Louis, Missouri, United States: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2021. pp. B-419–B-420.

## External links

* Tabouk - Saudi Arabia
* Tabuk City on Saudi Tourism Site

Template:Saudi cities Template:Ottoman Hajj Routes

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