Sakakah

Northwestern Saudi city in Al-Jawf, surrounded by olive groves, rock inscriptions, and oasis ruins

Sakakah is the capital of the Al-Jawf region in the far northwest of Saudi Arabia, close to the Jordanian border. The city itself is modern and unremarkable, but the surrounding landscape is worth knowing about: the Al-Jawf region has extensive olive groves (one of the most productive olive-growing areas in the Arab world), ancient rock inscriptions, and ruins of the Nabataean trading town of Dumat al-Jandal, about 50km to the southwest.

On the northern edge of Sakakah itself, Zabal Castle sits on a volcanic rock outcrop with views over the surrounding oasis. Dumat al-Jandal has a well-preserved old mosque and a fort (Marid Castle) with views over a wide desert plain. It is one of the less-visited ancient sites in Saudi Arabia, which makes it all the more interesting.

Guide

Getting There

Al-Jawf Regional Airport (AJF) serves Sakakah with domestic flights from Riyadh, Jeddah, and occasionally other Saudi cities. Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) and flynas operate routes. Flight times are approximately two hours from Riyadh and around two and a half from Jeddah.

By road, Sakakah is around 1,100km from Riyadh via Highway 70. The drive is long but straightforward on well-maintained roads through the desert landscape of the northern Najd and Al-Jawf region. A car is essential for visiting the surrounding sites — Dumat al-Jandal and Zabal Castle are not accessible by public transport.

Guide

Things to Do

Sakakah itself is a modern administrative city, but the surrounding Al-Jawf region contains some of Saudi Arabia's least-visited ancient sites. The main draws are the ruins and fortress of Dumat al-Jandal, 50km to the southwest, and Zabal Castle on the northern edge of the city itself.