attractions REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Asir Province and Abha Te mountainous Asir Province in the south enjoys a pleasing year-round
microclimate. Rich in wildlife and home to many ancient villages, as well as the highest point in the region, it is a popular site for exploration
An elevated yet fertile province, Asir sits 2,300 metres above sea level and its capital Abha has a population of 260,000. The area is served by a small airport, Abha Regional Airport, which is located east of the city.
RAIDAH PROTECTED AREA Asir is rich in wildlife and is one of the few remaining habitats in the Arabian Peninsula that is home to the Arabian leopard, Caracal lynx, mountain gazelle and Nubian ibex. It is also one of Saudi’s smallest wildlife reserves at 14 square kilometres with abundant food sources providing a wonderful natural habitat, home to various species of wolf
and the striped hyena. Of Saudi’s 10 indigenous species of birds, nine can be found in the park. Visitors would be wise to
tread carefully as the reserve is located on a steep slope below Jebel Sawdah, the kingdom’s highest peak at 2,910 metres.
Arrange a half-day tour Group size: up to 20 Go early before the animals take shelter from the heat and remember your binoculars
1 Te mountains of Asir
2 Men dancing on rock in Asir, Abha City
3 Rijal Al Ma’a village
AL MAQAR Located on the ridge of a cliff, this venue offers spectacular vistas of the Tihamah, the sandy bank in the Red Sea that runs
parallel with the Asir coast- line. The area is geared towards visitors with plenty of areas to explore, including restau- rants, museums and a zoo. Al Maqar is an ancient town
which is currently at the centre of archaeological investiga- tions following the discovery of remains indicating that horses were domesticated in the region 9,000 years ago. This is a significant discovery consid- ering previous evidence shows man using horses in Central Asia some 5,500 years ago.
Half-day tour Group size: up to 50 Best viewed in the afternoon
50
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