Tabuk Travel Guide, Saudi Arabia

Tabuk, Saudi Arabia - Overview: Snowy Oasis Of The East

The city of Tabuk is basically an oasis, which is situated in the northwestern part of Saudi Arabia. It houses 350,000 inhabitants and is situated 690 meter above the sea level. The oasis runs for 70 odd kilometers. The city is basically the capital of Tabuk province, which has 650,000 inhabitants. The city of Tabuk is positioned in the mountains of Cordillera in the Kalinga province about 500 km from Manila. It takes about 12 hours to drive from the Philippine capital.

In its earliest days, Tabuk was placed inside a very rich oasis. Today, the tradition of the oasis does not exist anymore. Tabuk now has many small and big industries and is the fastest growing city in the entire kingdom. The largest employer in the city is the military force. Tabuk is very well connected to both the eastern urban centers and Amman in Jordan. An international airport also exists in the city.

The weather of the city is Mediterranean continental with mild winters and hot summers. In summers, temperature ranges from 27 to 45 degrees Celsius and in winters, it fluctuates between 4 and 18 degree Celsius. However, the temperature may even drop to -5 degree Celsius. Rainfall occurs in the winter season from November to March and precipitation ranges from 50 to 150 mm with some unexpected snow after a gap of 3-4 years.

The longest river of the city, the Chico River and its tributaries flows through the city. Luzon is a very popular spot for white water rafting. During the rainy season, the difficulty peaks at level 5. It also floods the rice fields and the entire province.

At the extreme edge of the city lies the Ottoman fort, which is a landmark of Tabuk. It dates back to the 17th century. The mosque of the prophet is also a building of great importance. It was remodeled in the early sixties. There also lies a railway station. Among other landmarks there is the Al-Bida, which is very famous for its archeology.

This highland city has nothing in common with the urban ones - no falls, no skyscrapers, no crowded highways and no malls. Against expectations, the province of Kalinga has a lot of natural, beautiful but not so popular ‘to be explored’ attractions. Tabuk acts as the gateway to explore those sites. This mountainous city has a very quiet life, which needs to be experienced.