​A mountain like no other in Saudi Arabia

The Jebel Al-Lawz, whose name means the almond mountain in Arabic, is one of the most mythical mountains of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Most people think that Saudi Arabia is just a vast extent of sand dunes but with its summit at 2 549 meters above sea level Jebel Al-Lawz is the highest mountain of Tabuk Province. Indeed, it is still lower than the 3000 meter Jebel Sawdah in Aseer Province and many other peaks in Bahah, Jizan, and Makkah Provinces that range between 2 600 and 3 000 meters. But the Jebel Al-Lawz has other assets.

First it really has a mountain shape with a high summit dominating the whole province, whereas many other higher peaks are in fact the highest point of a cliff along the Sarawat range. As an example, the highest point of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Jebel Sawdah, is in fact a low hill that lays on a plateau already 2 900 meters above sea level. On the contrary the majestic silhouette of the imposing Jebel Al-Lawz is visible dozens of kilometers away from all directions.

Secondly the Jebel Al-Lawz is probably the only place in Saudi Arabia where snow falls nearly every year. As surprising as it sounds Saudi Arabia does have regular snowfalls thanks to its many mountains above 2 500 meters. But as the Jebel Al-Lawz is the highest mountain in the north of the country and it is located beyond the northern tip of the Red Sea and its warm waters, this mountain is more exposed to low temperatures and sees snows more often than any other area of Saudi Arabia.

Jebel Al-Lawz is in the ancient land of Madyan where the Prophet Moses lived for ten years with his father-in-law the Prophet Shu'ayb and where he brought his people that fled Egypt. Some consider Jebel Al-Lawz to be the real Mount Sinai where Moses had a mythical experience with God, as mentioned in the Holy Quran.

​How to visit Jebel Al-Lawz

Jebel Al-Lawz is visible from many places but there is only one road that leads to the top. Unfortunately there is a military base that doesn’t allow access to the very top of the massif. The last viewpoint on the road is slightly below 2 100 meters and offers some stunning sights on eastern side of the massif over Jibal Hisma in the distance.

There are numerous valleys and tracks that lead towards the center of the massif but it is important to note that access through these tracks is restricted and local Bedouins may ask travellers without special permission to go back to the road.

The wells of Moses

Maqna is a charming coastal town located on the Gulf of Aqaba that faces Egypt and the Sinai mountains, clearly visible from it. But the town is famous for its wells that witnessed an important episode in the life of the Prophet Moses.

The territory bordering the eastern shore of the Gulf of Aqaba is the ancient land of Madyan (or Midian) whose capital was probably in today’s city of Al-Bada’, where monumental tombs were later sculpted by the Nabatean people. Madyan is the land where Moses spent ten years in voluntary exile after fleeing from Egypt following an altercation with an Egyptian that was beating an Israelite.

It is believed that Moses crossed the Red Sea and arrived in Maqna and went to a well called Bir Al-Sa’idani to drink. There he saw two girls collecting water for their cattle and he offered to help. The girls reported this gentle move to their father, the prophet Shu’ayb, who went to meet Moses, recognized his pure soul, and decided to marry one of his daughters to him. Thus, Moses settled in Madyan and lived there for ten years with his wife and father-in-law.

Later when Moses brought the people out of Egypt through the Red Sea, they are supposed to have reached the land of Madyan at Tayeb Al-Ism which is located just 15 kilometers north of Maqna, and also bears witness to him, as it is called the Valley of Moses.

During the first years of Islam an important event took place in Maqna as it was there the troops of the Prophet Mohammed signed a treaty with the people of Judham, the tribe controlling this area that converted to Islam.

How to visit Maqna

The ancient city of Madyan

For too long people have believed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is devoid of historical remains. But in 2015 the world was astounded to discover that Saudi Arabia hosts the second largest Nabatean city, Hegra (also known as Madain Saleh) as that year the ancient city was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But in fact Saudi Arabia doesn’t have only one major Nabatean city but at least three, with Dumat-al-Jandal in Al-Jawf Province and Al-Bada’ in Tabuk Province. The latter, also called Mugha’ir Shu’ayb, is still mostly unknown although it has some of the most beautiful monumental tombs typical of the architecture of the ancient Nabatean kingdom.

​History of the ancient oasis of Madyan

The importance of Al-Bada’ is due to its location in the Wadi ‘Afal, a wide, 50 kilometer long valley oriented north-south that connects the Levant (Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine) to the western shore of Arabia and its great seaports such as Aynuna and Loke Kome. Al-Bada’ is also connected to an east-west road that leads to the town of Maqna on the Gulf of Aqaba.

​Most scholars agree that Al-Bada’ is the ancient city of Madyan, although there is no formal proof yet, but we hope that the Saudi-French archeological mission that started in 2017 will confirm this hypothesis. Madyan, which refers to both a land and a city, probably dates back to the end of the 2^nd millennium BCE.

M​adyan is known for being the place where the Prophet Moses sought refuge after fleeing from Egypt. There he met the Prophet Shu'ayb who recognized in Moses a pure soul and gave him one of his daughters. Moses then lived for ten years with his wife and father-in-law in Madyan before returning to Egypt to free its people from the Pharaoh Ramses II. On his way back, his people crossed the Gulf of Aqaba at the location named Tayeb Al-Ism, also called the canyon of Moses.

The first collections of archeological material on the surface by explorers and scientists have shown signs of a long occupation of Al-Bada’ with remains from the main populations that reigned in the Middle-East. Coins have proven that the city was also active during the Hellenistic, Nabatean, Roman, and Islamic periods. It seems that the importance of Madyan declined from the 11^th century BCE but was never abandoned as it is still mentioned under the rule of ‘Umayyads, Fatimids, Mamelukes, and Ottomans.

​The archeological site

Madyan was a large and complex habitation area but two main zones are identifiable: the residential area of Al-Maliha that was probably fortified, and the Nabatean necropolis dug in the hillsides of the Jebel Mussalla.

How to visit ​Mugha’ir Shu’ayb