Tabuk. Coming from Jeddah, the greenery of Yanbu Royal Commission was refreshing. The Royal Commission was established in 1975 as a planned Industrial city. With clean and well-marked roads, lush green parks and meticulously aligned streets, that planning is worth seeing. We played football on feather beds of grass, enjoyed swimming in the blue waters of Yanbu beach. Outside the neatness of Royal Commission stood the colorless Yanbu city. Umluj, a village known for fresh seafood and pristine beaches, is 150 kilometers north of Yanbu Al Bahr. But we took a wrong turn and soon engulfed in a sand storm. We had to stop because of lack of
visibility. We crossed Al Wajh, another city known for fishing, by the evening. Crisscrossed hill road laid in front of us. It was past midnight when we reached Tabuk.
representatives performed their prayers during the inauguration of Tabuk station of Hijaz Railway in 1907. We played football at the park adjacent to the Hijaz Railway museum.
There are many farms in Tabuk. We visited one and came to know about modern organic farming methods. Tabuk war is well known in Islamic history. It represented the beginning of many Arab-Byzantine conflicts. We performed evening prayers at the same masjid where the Prophet (PBUH) led prayers many centuries back. It was in this same masjid, Turkish
It’s around 230 kilometers to Haql from Tabuk. You have to be there at night to enjoy the view. We left in the morning. The rock structures on both sides of the road were stunning. After traveling around 175 kilometers we reached AlSharaf and took deviation to Al Duba, a distance of around 70 kilometers. Madaen Shuaib, the city of Prophet Shuaib, is near Al Duba. Prophet Shuaib is the grandson of Prophet Ibrahim, who is revered by all Semitic religions. Ferries and ships from the port city, Al Duba, can reach ports of Egypt in three hours. Locals call Al Duba the Pearl of the Red Sea. Prophet Musa settled in Madian where Prophet Shuaib hosted him. An ancient well related to Prophet Musa is still there. Maqna Beach, at the tip of Gulf of Aqaba, is 60 kilometers from Al Duba. We were amazed at the beautiful settings of the beach and the Sinai Mountains in the background. We enjoyed swimming in the narrow stretch of blue waters that separates Asia and Africa. The maximum width of Gulf of Aqaba is just 24 kilometers. It was past eight in the evening when we reached Haql. The red sky, blue waters, the huge shadow of Sinai Mountains in the twilight created an enchanting view. DESTINATIONRYD.COM 83