A fort on the rock
Za'abal Castle crowns a rocky mountain on the northern side of Sakaka, the capital of al-Jouf. It dates to the Nabataean era, between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, and four conical watchtowers rise from walls of stone and mud enclosing meeting halls and rooms.
It sheltered Sakaka's people in times of war and guarded the trade route between Iraq and the Levant. The castle has been renovated several times, most recently about 200 years ago, and ancient farms surround it.
Sakaka and its olives
Sakaka is home to about 236,669 people, according to the 2022 census. Nearby, the Rajajil stone pillars stand on a rocky rise, inscribed with Thamudic drawings and texts, and the historic Sisra Well is part of the city's heritage. For an older chapter of al-Jouf, see Dumat al-Jandal.
The surrounding region is olive country. By 2023 al-Jouf had about 25 million olive trees producing some 18,000 tonnes of oil a year, and in 2018 a farm there was registered by Guinness as the world's largest olive farm. An olive festival is held each year and runs for ten days.