Rabigh رَابِغ Al-Juḥfah ٱلْجُحْفَة | |
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  Rabigh Location in Saudi Arabia Show map of Saudi Arabia Rabigh Rabigh (Middle East) Show map of Middle East Rabigh Rabigh (West and Central Asia) Show map of West and Central Asia | |
| Coordinates:22°48′N39°02′E / 22.800°N 39.033°E /22.800; 39.033 | |
| Country |  Saudi Arabia |
| Province | Makkah |
| Governorate | Rabigh |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Khalid al-Ghanmi |
| Area | |
| • Governorate | 6,679.03 km2 (2,578.79 sq mi) |
| • Municipality | 1,400 km2 (540 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 13 m (43 ft) |
| Population (1435AH) | |
• Total | 104,621 |
• Estimate (2014)[2] | 180,352 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (AST) |
| Website | www |
Rabigh (Arabic:رَابِغ,romanized: Rābigh) is a city and governorate in theProvince of Makkah of the Kingdom ofSaudi Arabia, situated on thecoast of theRed Sea, around 208 km (129 miles) northwest ofMecca in the historicHejazi region. The city had an estimated population of 180,352 in 2014[3] and is situated at an elevation of 13 m (43 ft) above sea level,[4] close to the border with theMadinah Province. The city dates back to theera before the advent of Islam in the7th centuryC.E., and up to the 17th century, was known asAl-Juhfah, orAl-Johfah (Arabic:ٱلْجُحْفَة,romanized: Al-Juḥfah).[5]
Due to the strategic location of Rabigh on the Red Sea, it has been the site of several high-profile projects such as theKing Abdullah University of Science and Technology,Petro Rabigh andKing Abdullah Economic City.[5] The Rabigh Governorate is divided into 5marākiz (مَرَاكِز, centres), Rabigh, Nuweiba,Abwa',Mastoura and al-Qadimah. It is governed by Governor Khalid al-Ghanmi.
The historical importance of the city is driven by the fact that it was a stopover forHajj andUmrah pilgrims coming fromEgypt and theLevant, as defined by theIslamic prophetMuhammad. The city was also located along pre-Islamic caravan routes betweenYemen and theLevant. As a coastal town, fishing was the main source of income for the people of Rabigh, until the discovery of oil.[5]
Rabigh is known to have existed before the advent of Islam. Even up to the 17th century, the area in and around the city was known by its old name, al-Juhfah, also spelt al-Johfah.[5] During the time of Muhammad, Rabigh was a frequent site of raids by Muslims on the Meccan caravans that passed through the region.[6] It has been recordedSahih Bukhari that Muhammad definedAl-Juhfah as themiqat for pilgrims arriving forHajj andUmrah fromEgypt and theLevant.[7][8]
According to Islamic historical sources, in April 623CE,Muhammad sentUbaydah ibn al-Harith with a party of sixty armedMuhajirun to thebaṭn (Arabic:بَطْن,lit. 'valley') of Rabigh. They expected to intercept aQurayshi caravan that was returning fromAsh-Shaam, under the protection ofAbu Sufyan ibn Harb and 200 armed riders.[9][10][11][12][13] The Muslim party travelled as far as the wells at Thanyat al-Murra,[9][12] whereUbaydah ibn al-Harith shot an arrow at theQuraysh. This is known as the first arrow of Islam.[14][15] Despite this surprise attack, "they did not unsheath a sword or approach one another," and the Muslims returned empty-handed;[10][11][12] however, two Meccan traders left their caravan, became Muslim, and went with the expedition back toMedina.[14]
With the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia and the completion of the East–West pipeline, Saudi Aramco chose Rabigh to be the site of their new refinery and port. Construction on the Rabigh refinery began in 1981, during the reign ofKing Fahd. The joint venture betweenSaudi Aramco and Japan'sSumitomo Chemical, the $10-billionRabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company, also known as Petro Rabigh, was founded in 2005. It is currently the second-largest integratedoil refinery andpetrochemical production facility in Saudi Arabia.[16]
Most other projects in and around Rabigh were built underKing Abdullah and are thus named for him, such as theKing Abdullah University of Science and Technology, aninternational,graduate-levelresearchuniversity. Founded in 2009, it is the firstco-educational university campus in Saudi Arabia; and theKing Abdullah Economic City, facilitated by theSaudi Arabian General Investment Authority, construction of which began in 2005. The project is being developed byEmaar, aTadawul-listed company first established to develop KAEC. TheKing Abdullah Port, one Saudi Arabia's largest ports, is situated in the city, and was inaugurated on 11 February 2019.[17]
On January 6th 2025 a tornado struck the region, which was reported byGulf News to be the strongest ever recorded in the coastal region of Saudi Arabia. The National Centre of Meteorology discussed plans to further research the tornado.
Highway 5, Saudi Arabia's westernmost north-south highway, runs through Rabigh, providing access toYanbu,Umluj,Duba (a ferry toEgypt is available at the port of Duba),Tabuk, andJordan; andJeddah,Mecca,Abha andJizan in the south. A connection toHighway 60 near Yanbu connects Rabigh toMedina.Riyadh and theQassim Province.[18]Highway 40 is accessible through Jeddah, providing connections to Mecca,Riyadh andDammam.
The nearest major airport to Rabigh is theKing Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, 148 km (92 mi) to the south. TheHaramain high-speed railway stops at King Abdullah Economic City, providing high-speed rail connections to Jeddah, Mecca and Medina.
TheRed Sea hosts manycoral reefs, and is thus the site of several marine sanctuaries, many of which are situated close to the coast. The Five Corals Reef is one such reef situated approximately 15 km (9 mi) south west of Rabigh.
TheAl Entesar Club is a football club from Rabigh playing in theSaudi Second Division.
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