Hofuf

Riyadh in Saudi Arabia is a major city offering a perfect place for vacationing. If you are planning on going sightseeing to Riyadh in your next vacation, you are in for a lot of adventure and thrills. A visit to this exotic desert land with the rich culture of Riyadh and interesting eventful history (history of Riyadh) will be a memorable experience for you. Also while you are here you can pay a visit to the popular destinations near Riyadh including Abha, Dammam, Dhahran, Hofuf, and so on.

Hofuf near Riyadh is the major urban center of the huge Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland, southwest of Abqaiq and the Dammam-Daharan-Khobar Area on the road south to Haradh. Hofuf is the closest city to the famous Ghawar oil field, one of the largest conventional (land based) fields in the world.

Hofuf is one of the major cultural centers of Shiite Islam in the nation. The city is also home to faculties of agriculture, veterinary medicine, and animal resources for King Faisal University, the other faculties being located in Dammam. Hofuf has a campus with facilities for Saudi women can study medicine, dentistry, and home economics.

Legend has it that Hofuf is the burial place of Laila and Majnun, the romantic pair of the most popular love story in the Arab and Muslim world. Stories also tell tales of the legendary Queen of Sheba visiting this city from her kingdom in Yemen.

When the Ottoman Turks seized eastern Arabia, they chose Hofuf as their head-quarters from 1871. It was taken over from the Turks in 1913 by Abdul Aziz bin Saud (Ibn Saud), who controlled it until it merged with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While in Hofuf you can pay a visit to the early 19th century mosque of Ibrahim Pasha.

Dhahran, Al Khobar, and Dammam are an hour and half away from Hofuf, while Riyadh is two and a half hours away. A visit to this city is an enthralling experience with its rich history and cultures, and make sure to include it in your itinerary on your course of Riyadh Tourism.