Khamis Mushait

History

Until the 1970s, Khamis Mushayt was a small town of less than 50,000 servicing the surrounding mild-climate agricultural region. Since then its population has grown dramatically to reach over 1,200,000. The city is surrounded by farms producing agricultural crops.

King Khalid Air Base (KMX) has a 12,400 ft (3,780 m) paved runway without customs facilities. The base was designed and built by US Army and Air Force engineers in the 1960s and 70s and has F-15 service facilities. During the Gulf War in 1991, the US Air Force had a base here from which they launched bombers on Baghdad.

Khamis Mushayt was known by that name since the 1760s, it has been named after the family name of Al-Mushayt, referring to a man called Mushayt who protected this city and like deem Mushayt, Mushayt it has been referred to MushaYt Ibn Salem the head of Shahran tribe and the guardian of the market.