TheQassim Province (Arabic:منطقة القصيمMinṭaqat al-Qaṣīm[alqɑˈsˤiːm],Najdi Arabic:[elgəˈsˤiːm]), also known as theQassim Region, is one of the 13provinces of Saudi Arabia. Located at the heart of the country near the geographic center of theArabian Peninsula, it has a population of 1,336,179 and an area of 58,046 km2. It is considered one of the "bread baskets" of the country for its agricultural tradition and assets.[1]
Al-Qassim has the lowest share of population living below localpoverty line in Saudi Arabia.[2] It is the seventh most populated region in the country afterJizan and the fifth most densely populated. It has more than 400 cities, towns, villages, and Bedouin settlements, ten of which are recognized as governorates. Its capital city isBuraydah, which is inhabited by approximately 50% of the region's total population. The governor of the province from 1992 to 29 January 2015 wasPrince Faisal bin Bandar, succeeded byPrince Faisal bin Mishaal.
Al Qassim also "Al Gassim" "Gassim" derived from the word "Qassimah" (Arabic:قصيمة), a reference to قصائم الغضا, meaning the region's sanddunes from which thewhite saxaul trees grow.[3] The region has a large population ofCalligonum comosum plants, a woody shrub known asarta.[citation needed]
The province is located in the center ofSaudi Arabia approximately 400 km (250 mi) northwest ofRiyadh, the capital. It is bordered byRiyadh Region to the south and east, byHa'il Region to the north, and byAl Madinah Region to the west. The region is connected to almost every part of Saudi Arabia by a very complicated network of highways. The regional airport,Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Regional Airport, connects Al Qassim (Gassim) to the other provinces of the country.
A current photo of, what is said to be,Antarah's Rock inAlJiwa
There isn't much information known about Al Qassim the province in the times ofPre-Islamic Arabia.Unaizah was repeatedly mentioned as a desert watering hole in the poems ofImru Al Qais (the famousArabianpoet). Moreover,AlJiwa, which is about 60 km north of Unaizah, was mentioned by the heroicAbsi poetAntarah bin Shaddad.
Al Qassim Province had some important foyers on the road ofpilgrims andtraders coming from the east (mainly Persia and Iraq) in the era of theAbbasid Empire.
The Zubeida road was a long pilgrims road that started from the city ofKufa inIraq and ran toMecca inArabia. The road was constructed in the reign ofHarun Al-Rashid and was named after his wifeZubaidah. It had pilgrims foyers in many of the region's cities includingUnaizah.
The Al Abu Olayan - dynasty from theBanu Tamim tribe established theemirate of Buraydah in the late 16th century by its leader, Rashid Al Duraiby. He builtBuraydah and made it the province's capital. However,Unaizah was ruled byAl Sulaim dynasty from theSubay tribe. Theemirate of Buraydah was later captured by Muhanna bin Salih bin Hussein Abaalkhail from theAnazzah tribe. In 1890, theRashidi dynasty based inHa'il annexed the province. In 1904, the Abaalkhail recaptured the province. In 1907, the province was integrated under theKingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Economy and Trade Era "Al Aqilat (late 1850 and early 1900)"
They represent a civilized tribes and families fromNajd, specifically from Al Qassim inSaudi Arabia. Among most important families of the Aqilat are “Aba Alkhail, Al Rumaih, Al Arfaj, Al Sugair, Al Rebdi, Al Fuzan Alsabig, Al Jarbou, Al Otaishan, Al Rawaf, Al Bati, Al Musalam, Al Sharidah, Al Assaf and Al Tuwajiri”. They were famous for trading primarily gold, horses especiallyArabian horses,camels, clothing and food from acrossArabian Peninsula. They traded inKuwait,Iraq, Sham "now known Jordan, Syria" and others. This nickname was unique because of their distinctiveness in wearing theAqal and their unique uniforms from the rest of the people. they were deeply known around the people of theArabian Peninsula and the Arab world for their courage, generosity, honesty and patience over the hardships of distant travels, as they had a great impact in flourishing of economics and business around the region. They have known as they are heroes of Arabian region as they were first ambassador of His MajestyKing Abdul Aziz. As the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, said that Al Aqilat are the best and first ambassadors to the Arabian nations inKingdom of Saudi Arabia. Moreover, CrownPrince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz praised the men of Al Aqilat, as he said that they were the first to bring trade to the Kingdom ofSaudi Arabia.
It is the heart of theNajd region and the centre of theSalafi movement. The province is regarded as one of the key support bases of theAl Saud family, along withAl Riyadh Province,Ha'il province andAl Jawf province. This province has also contributed many notable Salafi ulema and sheikhs.[4]
Al Qassim province is divided by theWadi Al-Rummah (Rummah Valley).The valley crosses the entire region from the west to the northeast. It is the longest valley in the wholeArabian Peninsula, it stretches for about 600 km (370 mi) from nearMedina, to the Thuayrat Dunes in the east, and northeast of the region.The land's height in Qassim is about 600–750 meters above sea level, and it glides from west to east in general.
Al-Qassim region hosts more than eight million palm trees, making it one of the Middle East’s largest producers of dates, producing an annual amount of 205 thousand tons of various types of luxury dates, which gives the region a high economic value by exporting large amounts of dates nationally and internationally, especially in the GCC region. Multi cities in the region market their dates production with dates festivals that mostly start in September, althoughBuraydah (the capital of the province) hosts the largest festival in the world, at which a lot of people come from all over theWorld to buy their yearly requirement of dates.
Along withtourism,agriculture is still the cornerstone of the region's economy. Although the region has been known for its agricultural assets for a long time,[citation needed] it wasn't until recently that wheat production has been introduced to the local agricultural industry, makingSaudi Arabia a net exporter of cereal. The region also producesdates,grapes,lemons, grapefruits,mandarin oranges,oranges,pomegranates, and a large group ofvegetables. The region also hosts one of the biggest camel market in the world, due to its central location, surrounded by Aldahna and alnfound deserts.
Agriculture in general is considered to be a very important part of the region's natives culture, with special vegetables being linked to every city, for example eatingleeks (kurrat) is associated with the people ofUnaizah, while addingchili peppers to meals is associated with the people of the city ofRass.
Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Regional Airport (IATA: ELQ, ICAO: OEGS), The airport is an International airport, serving destinations to GCC, Egypt and Turkey. Formerly Qassim Regional Airport and widely known in the air-travel industry as "Gassim" (from Al-Qassim Province). The airport was established in 1964 and it is owned and operated by theGeneral Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). The airport is in the city of Al-Mulieda, which is 30 km West ofBuraidah and 40 km North West ofUnaizah. According to (GACA), the number of travelers has increased from 595,170 travelers in 2011 to 1,150,000 travelers in 2014.
The North South Railway Line is a 2,750 kilometres (1,709 mi) railway line, built by Saudi Railway Company (SAR) in Saudi Arabia. Operation on 1,392 kilometres (865 mi) long Connecting Al Jawf Region, Northern Borders Region, Ha'il Region, Al-Qassim Region, Riyadh Region .
Al Qassim Railway Station located at East Buraydah 10 km at King Fahad Road.
Station facilities :ATM, Business Lounge, Baggage trolleys, Cafes, Customer Service, Lost property, Mosque, Prayer room, Restaurants, Seated area, Shops, Car parking, Baby change, Toilets and Wi-Fi.
Timetable : 9 July – 23 September 2017
Riyadh to Qassim (Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri) from 10:00 To 12:26 passing Majmaah Station .Riyadh to Qassim (Thu, Sat) from 17:30 To 20:00 passing Majmaah Station .
Qassim to Riyadh (Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri) from 17:45 To 20:16 passing Majmaah Station .Qassim to Riyadh (Thu, Sat) from 21:00 To 23:26 passing Majmaah Station .
The region is served byschools in every city and town for all three educational levels (primary, intermediate, and secondary), and includes various types of school (public,private,Koranic,international), with international and private schools.
The region has 263,379 Female and Male Students, 33,061 Female & Male Teachers and 2,533 Schools.[16]
Qassim University was established in 2004 by merging two Qassim branches of Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University and King Saud University. Since the establishment of the university, it has experienced a growth in enrollment and a significant expansion of faculty and its administrative staff. The number of male and female students registered at university during 2010-11 approached 50,000 and number of faculty members and staff reached well over 4,000, At present the university encompasses 28 colleges both for male and female students.[17]
As part of the new TVET paradigm for Technical & Vocational Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Qassim has a number of technical colleges which are operated by International Training Providers (ITP's) and these are located in Unaizah, Ar Rass and Buraydah. Hertfordshire London Colleges operate the male and female colleges in Unaizah and they provide a foundation year where students learn to communicate and understand English and IT being taught by Native English speakers from the United Kingdom. The second and third years enables students to specialize in a wide range of technical & vocational subjects which include Automotive, Electronics, Mechatronics, Manufacturing, Business, IT and Retail leading to a diploma qualification. Students will also be allowed to continue their studies to achieve a Degree qualification whilst they are working.
TheTechnical and Vocational Training Corporation has colleges located in Buraidah, Onizah, Ar Rass and Al Badayea. Colleges prepare and train students to be skilled and ready for employment in different sectors (industrial, agricultural, commercial and public services), with a focus on fields of science and technology and offers different specialization's in computer science, electronics, welding, electricity, mechanics, refrigeration and air conditioning, motor vehicles, chemistry, technical and administrative, communications, space management, plumbing, carpentry, photography, marketing, architectural construction, printing, plumbing and paint.
Colleges of Excellence, the international subsidiary of TVTC has opened a new government sponsored college in Buraydah. The College is a vocational college focusing in Business, Technology and Electronics as majors and career fields.
Buraydah is the official capital of the region, the largest city in the province, and more than the half of the province’s population lives in it. The palace of the province' prince is located in the city, along with other governmental centers. Buraydah hosts the most important cultural, sports, artistic and official events that occur in the province. It is the seventh largest city (by population) in the country with a total population of 609,000 (2010 census).
Ar Rass is the third city in Al Qassim Province by population, total population of 133,000 (2010 census). It is also thought to be the largest city in Al Qassim Province by area. It has an area of about 60 km2
There are also other nearby rural towns includingDulay Rasheed, Almethnab, Al-Bukairiyah, Badaya'a, Riyadh Al-Khabra, Al-Khabra, and Nabhaniya.
Al-Qassim has many hospitals in the region that provide medical services to citizens and visitors to the region, hospitals are under the management of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Defense, and also includes many privately managed hospitals:
King Fahd Specialist Hospital, Buraidah - over 500 beds
King Saud Hospital, Onaizah - 310 beds
Children's Hospital, Buraidah - 245 beds
Buraidah Central Hospital, Buraidah - 400 beds
Al Flaiw Medical Center, Buraydah
Mental Health Hospital, Buraidah - 145 beds
Prince Sultan Cardiac Center PSCCQ - 50 beds
Prince Faisal Cancer Centre PFCCQ
Prince Faisal Bin Mishaal Fertility Center
Ar Rass General Hospital، Ar Rass - 250 beds
Al Badayea General Hospital, Al Badayea 130 beds
Al Mothnab General Hospital, Al Mothnab - 130 beds
Al Bukairiyah General Hospital, Al Bukairiyah - 130 beds
Uyun Al jiwa General Hospital, Uyun Al jiwa - 50 beds
Al-Quwarah General Hospital, Al-Quwarah - 50 beds
Al Assiyah General Hospital, Al Assiyah 50 beds
Riyadh Al Khabra General Hospital, Riyadh Al Khabra - 50 beds
King Abdullah Sport City Stadium is the major stadium in Al-Qassim Region, located in the capital city ofBuraidah. The stadium capacity is 25,000 and it hosts different sport and entertainment events. It is also the home ground forAl-Raed andAl-Taawon FC.
Al-Raed is the first sport club established in Al-Qassim Region and the 12'th club inSaudi Arabia, established in 1954. Al-Raed is currently playing in theSaudi Professional League, which is the highest football competition in the country.
Al-Taawon FC is the second sport club established in Al-Qassim Region and the 14th inSaudi Arabia, established in 1956. Al-Taawon FC is first team from AL-Qassim to play in the AFC champions league, which is the highest football competition in Asia, their first appearance is in the 2017 version. They are also currently playing in theSaudi Professional League, which is the highest football competition in the country.
Many clubs from Al-Qassim have made good results in the first league, the clubs that have played in theSaudi Professional League or previously the (First League) are: Al-Raed, Al-Taoun, Al-Najmah, Al-Arabi and Al-Hazem.
The following is a list of all clubs in Al-Qassim region.
According to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), Al-Qassim has been recognized as the number one province in the Kingdom in organizing festivals and events, with an annual number of 173 events in 2014. Al-Qassim Province is rich in heritage, nature, and traditional handicrafts, and its geographical location makes it the hub of diverse cultures and various festivals. Each season in Qassim has a certain festival and a specific occasion that highlights the prominent features of that season. During summer vacation, for nearly a month, various events and festivals are organized in Qassim and its governorates and are held in the markets, museums, public parks, and other locations as per the nature of the event. Such festivals are popular with the entire community,[citation needed] and are attended by women, men and children. The most famous events hosted in Qassim are the Buraidah Recreational Festival, Unaizah Tourism Festival, and the Al-Mithnib Summer Festival.
In addition, date festivals are held in Qassim to highlight that the Province is distinguished for its farms and dates. Shopping at the Qassim date market is a unique experience, especially during the harvest season during August and September. Al-Qassim's desert parks become more favorable during the winter and spring seasons, attracting desert lovers as well as the locals and visitors who seek rejuvenation and enjoyment in the open spaces and natural environment. These parks host the spring festivals that are usually organized during the mid-year vacation periods. The festival feature multiple activities and events that highlight the festival's nature and location.
In Al-Qassim, a number of festivals are organized in various places during different periods to recognize the city's heritage. The most prominent festivals include Al-Khelija and Traditional Products Festival in Buraidah, Entajee Festival in Unaizah, Al-Musawkaf Traditional Festival in Unaizah, Eid Al-Khabra Festival, Reef Al-Awshaziyah Festival, and Al-Russ Heritage Festival.[18]
The region hosts many hotels, apartments and resorts for its year around visitors, such as the Mövenpick Hotel in Buraidah, Golden Tulip in Buraidah and Unaizah, Radisson blue in Buraidah, Boudl Resort and Apartments in Buraidah and Unaizah, and the Ramada Hotel in Al-Bukairiyah. Although variety of resorts and chalets and farm are offered such as Al-Malfa Rural Resorts in Unaizah.
