The gateway to Al-Ahsa from the Arabian Gulf

Located 70 kilometers from Al-Hofuf in the Al-Ahsa region, the port of Uqair is testimony to the historical importance of the area as a gateway to the Al-Ahsa region from the Arabian Gulf. If the currently visible remains are more than 300 years old and were built during the Ottoman period, the occupation of Al-Uqair Bay as a port dates back at least to the Islamic era.

The complex of Al-Uqair is organised in three main ensembles: the port, the fort, and the accommodation. Al-Uqair is also a beach located 25 kilometers north of the fort.

The port and warehouse

The facilities of the port are fenced but still clearly visible.  They comprise the buildings that used to host the administration offices and the warehouse where goods were stored before being shipped out or sold to the nearby souq. The main building is finely decorated and is a good example of a mix Saudi and Ottoman architectural features.

The old fort and souq

The main fortification of Al-Uqair comprises buildings for accommodation and offices and also a large courtyard that is accessible via a gate and a passage that runs through the main building. Once past this gate visitors discover the 120 by 55 meter large courtyard surrounded by the protective walls.

Along the northwestern and northeastern walls are two ranges of columns where the shops of the old souq used to sell their products. The rooftop has today disappeared but dozens of columns still with capitals are create a beautiful gallery that helps the visitor imagine the merchants surrounded by their products, scents and spices of the orient.

The accomodation

Built in the same compound than the fort is a series of rooms and a mosque where the inhabitants of Uqair fort used to live and pray. It is in this part of the complex that we find the most beautifully decorated features, with mouldings of Arabic and Ottoman styles. Some of the doors are even crowned by colourful stained glass that is quite rare in the Arabian Peninsula.

Al-Uqair beach

25 kilometers north of the Fort is  Al-Uqair beach that presents an usual feature with Colosseum-like modern constructions that were built on the beach just 100 meters from the sea. These structures offer viewpoints and much needed shade when temperatures rise above 40°C. Small concrete fancy structures are also built along the shore in order to provide shade and privacy to the visitors. It is important to remember that as per local regulations strict dressing code is expected, even on a public beach.

How to visit Al-Uqair

Guides providing visits to Al-Uqair:

A port city that played a great role in History

Yanbu Al-Bahr, usually simply referred to as Yanbu, is a coastal town on the Red Sea, 300 kilometers north of the city of Jeddah and 140 km to the west of Madinah Al-Munawarah. Yanbu has benefited for millennia not only because of its location along the ancient maritime routes and as the natural port of the ancient oasis of Madinah but also from underground water available close to the surface. The beautiful style of old town Yanbu, which is being restored, testifies to the long human presence here.

Yanbu remained a small port town until 1975 when the Saudi government designated it as one of the country's two new industrial centers (the other being Al Jubayl on the Arabian Gulf). Since then, Yanbu Industrial City (Yanbu Al-Sina'iya) was created and large industrial petrochemical facilities were built along the shore.

A city with multiple faces

The Old Yanbu

If Jeddah is famous for its old town called Al-Balad it is not the only city in Saudi Arabia to host such a brilliant example of the unique Hejazi architecture style that is found along the Arabian coast of the Red Sea.

In old Yanbu visitors will find the same shaded narrow streets as in Jeddah and also an open square with an old mosque made of coral stones. The old market of the Old Yanbu is an indoor gallery that offers to visitors the authentic ambiance of the oriental souq while being protected from the sun.

On the sea side is a large esplanade where visitors can taste the delicious local specialties of sea food with fresh fish cooked and served with spiced rice.

The Old Yanbu has another secret: the house where Thomas E. Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia, lived between 1915 and 1916 when he supported the Great Arab Revolt. Old residents of Yanbu say the house has not been occupied since the departure of the famous British guest. Nobody dared to live in it even for one night because of rumors that evil spirits haunt the house.

Yanbu corniche

The city of Yanbu is split into two parts that are 20 kilometers away from each other. The northern part of the city hosts the old town and the southern one the industrial city. Modern resorts are found in the south, as well as the corniche were people can enjoy the view over the turquoise waters of the Red Sea and the green mangrove bushes grow along the shore.

Further south along the coast are the impressive facilities of the Yanbu Industrial City (Yanbu Al-Sina'iya) that are visible from the road but can't be visited.

How to visit Yanbu

The Saudi Titanic in the Gulf of Aqabah

The Gulf of Aqabah offers stunning views along the 170 kilometers it stretches from Ras Al-Sheikh Hameed in the south to the city of Aqabah in the north. On both sides, turquoise waters host vibrant marine life, colorful corals and ornate white sandy beaches that lay at the foot of imposing mountains. In some areas the mountains fall directly into the sea like at Tayeb Ism. From the Saudi side the peaks of the Sinai Mountains in Egypt are just 25 kilometers away and their impressive sharp silhouette is clearly visible, as in Maqna.

But 50 kilometers south of the city of Haql, a unexpected manmade feature lays on the coral reef near the beach - a shipwreck whose front still protrudes from the water. Its name 'Georgios G' can nearly be distinguished on the side of the wreck from the shore, but it is also known among locals as the Saudi Titanic or simply as 'Safinat Haql' which stands for the 'boat of Haql' in Arabic.

There are many stories and fairy tales about the 'Georgios G' but here is what we know as fact: this vessel was built in England after the end of the Second World War, it was launched in 1958 as a cargo liner and at the time of its doomed trip it was carrying a cargo of flour and was owned by the Saudi businessman Amer Mohamad al Sanousi who had purchased the vessel shortly before the accident.

Whatever happened that day of 1978, the 'Georgios G' ended up on the corals just 30 meters off a bay named Ras Al-Mashee that lays at the bottom of the Jebel Thaghb, a mountain that peaks at over 1900 meters. Shortly after the crash on the reef, the engine caught fire while the sailors were trying to restart it, giving the boat no chance to get out of trouble.

For more than four decades the silhouette of the Georgios G has imposed itself as an unavoidable feature that is fully part of the landscape of the Saudi Arabian coast. Locals who want to go to the beach come to this spot to enjoy the special view of the shipwreck which also offers unforgettable snorkeling experiences. Some people climb on the wreck and jump into the water from it but we don't advise this because of the sharp rusty edges that can cause serious injury.

​How to visit the Ras Al-Mashee

​The location of the shipwreck is available on Google Maps under the name 'Georgios G Shipwreck'.

Swimming is only allowed from the beach in the dedicated areas that are indicated by signposts. It is permissible to swim and snorkel by the shipwreck, bearing in mind that the Saudi dress code applies even there, so it is better to go with a swimming suit.

​Tours organizing trips in Haql

​Tour operators organizing trips of Ras Al-Sheikh Hamid

​Tours operators organizing trips to Tayeb Ism

​Tour operators organizing trips to Maqna