On the Sarawat edge
Al-Baha is the administrative capital of Al-Baha region, the seat of its emirate and its most populous city. It sits on the Hejaz section of the Sarawat Mountains with the Tihama plains to the west; Baljurashi lies to the south, Qilwah and Al-Makhwah to the west. The 2022 census counted 90,515 residents, about 26.7% of the region.
The climate is mild all year, which has made the city a summer destination. Humid air rising from Tihama brings cloud and fog and, in winter, frequent thunderstorms and heavy rain.
Forests and orchards
The region counts about forty forests, the best known being Raghadan, just west of the city. In the fields, pomegranates lead: about 700,000 trees on some 3,000 farms yield roughly 30,000 tonnes a year, alongside grapes, almonds, apricots and figs, while Dhi Ayn is known for its bananas.
Heritage close by
North of the city, in Bani Sar, Bin Raqoush Palace was begun in 1833. It was the seat of Rashid bin Jumaan bin Raqoush, leader of the Zahran tribes, who was quick to pledge allegiance to King Abdulaziz; King Saud visited in 1955. To the south, on the road to Baljurashi, stand the Twin Fortresses of Al-Malad.
In the city itself, the Al-Baha Regional Museum spreads over about 9,000 m² on four floors, with artefacts from the pre-Islamic to the Islamic periods.