Tabuk - Saudi Arabia

Hisma Mountains

The deep red and otherworldly Hisma Mountains in Tabuk province are among the most spectacular landscapes in Saudi Arabia and will exceed your wildest dreams. In the rock walls, archaeologists have discovered Arabic inscriptions that are over 2,600 years old. Tabuk breathes history. 

Wadi Disah

Wadi Disah is a paradise for adventurers and nature lovers. With a little imagination you can imagine yourself with one foot in the American Grand Canyon and with the other in Monument Valley. In between grows a green carpet of meter-high date palms and reed collars.

The deep red Hisma Mountains in Tabuk province are among the most spectacular landscapes in Saudi Arabia. Yet there is little to be found about them on the internet. Even Google Maps cannot give you the exact location. To get a better idea of the scale and beauty of Tabuk and its surroundings, it is advisable to open a satellite map. Start in the city of Tabuk and follow Highway 15 north with your eyes, then Highway 394 west, until you come to a bright red strip.

Its fiery red color is the result of a unique composition of minerals with which both the soil and rocks are blessed. The jagged, blackened Hisma Mountains in Tabuk province will exceed your wildest expectations. The silence is deafening, the landscape otherworldly.

In the rock walls, archaeologists discovered Arabic inscriptions left by the Thamud and other ancient peoples some 2,600 years ago. Traversed by an important trade route, the Hisma Mountains were known even then for their unusual rock formations that were thought to resemble out-sized boats. Packed and laden, and in long caravans, the traders moved with their camels through narrow gorges.

Forewarned is forearmed

Al Mafraq, the gateway to the Hisma Mountains, does not yet offer accommodation options. So book a hotel in Tabuk or along Highway 15 and get up early to visit it. For a real adventure, arrange camping gear and a (rooftop) tent. A guide and driver are not a luxury in these remote parts. The area comes alive as soon as the sun rises, like a bird spreading its colorful wings.

If possible, plan your visit to the mountains in winter. Although the night temperature then hovers around freezing, during the day it doesn't get warmer than 25°C. A big difference from the 45°C you may encounter in summer.

Water sources and fertile soil in the Tabuk region

The diversity of the desert landscape of the Tabuk region can be seen in southern Wadi Disah , which merges into the larger Mohammad bin Salman Nature Reserve . With a little imagination, you can imagine yourself with one foot in the American Grand Canyon and the other in the American Monument Valley. But there is one obvious difference: between the rocks in the Tabuk region grows a green carpet of meter-high date palms and reed beds.

Under the surface of Wadi Disah, water springs are abundant. The fertile and water-retaining properties of the area did not go unnoticed by the Nabataeans either. For centuries, they used Wadi Disah as a stopping place during their trading missions to the south. As a thank-you, they left writings in the rock walls. If you look carefully, or let a guide show you the way, you can see the letters in Kufic, an early Arabic alphabet developed by the Nabataeans in Iraq, with your own eyes.

Wadi Disah is an adventurer's paradise. There are few facilities and the nearest hotel is over two hours away. For a feeling of being alone in the world, visit Wadi Disah in the early morning or late afternoon and avoid the weekends when local 'tourists' visit Wadi Disah. The Tabuk region is considered one of the most beautiful natural highlights in Saudi Arabia .