Hofuf
City in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
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Overview
The city proper has a population of 150,000 and is part of a larger populated oasis area of towns and villages, with a total population of around 600,000. It is located inland from the Persian Gulf, southwest of Abqaiq and the Dhahran–Dammam–Al-Khobar metropolitan area on the road south to Haradh. It is the closest city to the famous Ghawar oil field, one of the world's largest conventional (land-based) fields.
Legend places Hofuf as the burial place of Laila and Majnoon, the star-crossed pair of the most popular love story in the Arab and Muslim world. The Queen of Sheba is also fabled to have visited this city from her kingdom in South Arabia. German explorer Hermann Burchardt photographed the city in 1904.
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History
Hofuf was originally a Twelver Shi'a strongold, being majority Shi'ite and producing much, if not most of the Shi'ite scholarship of the Gulf. It also served as the headquarters of the Ottoman administration since 1871 when it was captured by the Ottoman Empire. It remained under Ottoman control until 1913, when it was captured by members of the Wahhabi movement, under Ibn Saud. In 1932, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded and the city took the name Hofuf, which has been among the kingdom's major cities since. Today, it remains only about half Shi'a, with the other half being Sunni Maliki, mostly from the same migrations as those to Bahrain and Kuwait.
Economy
Historically, Hofuf made textiles out of wool, silk, and cotton. The town was also renowned for its fruit of the date palm, the Arabs considering the khalasi variety of dates, locally grown in Hofuf, and also the fardh variety of Oman, among the best. As of 1920, the city was known for making coffee pots from silver and brass.
Climate
Al Hofuf has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) with long, very hot summers and mild, short winters.
Education
The faculties of agriculture, veterinary medicine and animal resources for King Faisal University are located in the city (the others being in Dammam). The Hofuf campus also has facilities where Saudi women can study medicine, dentistry and home economics.
Transportation
Airport
The city is mainly served by King Fahd International Airport which is 160 km away in Dammam. Hofuf is also home to a small airport of its own, Al-Ahsa International Airport, which mainly offers domestic flights and flights to Dubai. During Operation Desert Shield and the Gulf War in 1991, Al-Ahsa Airport also served as an air base for the French Air Force.
Railway
The city has a railway station connecting the city with the capital Riyadh to the west and Dammam to the north. All railways in Saudi Arabia are operated by Saudi Arabia Railways.
Notable people
- Samira Islam, pharmacologist and scholar
- Ibn Abi Jumhur al-Ahsa'i, Shi'a theologian
- Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i, Shi'a theologian
- Mohammed Al-Owais, Saudi footballer