Arar

This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. For other uses, see Arar (disambiguation).

Arar (Arabic: عرعر‎ 'Ar'ar) is the capital of Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah (The Northern Border) province in Saudi Arabia. It has a population of 145,237 (2004 census).

Arar is located to the north-east of Saudi Arabia on the Iraqi border. It is known for its fertile pasturelands^{[citation needed]} which lends itself well to its principal occupation of sheep and camel herding.^{[citation needed]} The population of the city, according to the latest official government statistics is 240,000 in the city itself.^{[citation needed]} The population of the region, including the cities of Rafha, Toriaf and Alaoiqilah and suburban villages and their inhabitants is 890,000.^{[citation needed]}

Arar serves as a significant supply stop for travelers on Saudi Arabian highway 85.

History

The city of Arar was founded in 1951 (1375 AH), after the construction of the Aramco oil pipeline (Tapline) was completed. It was initially an oil pumping station with a health centre and worker housing. Workers at Arar were primarily from the regions of Al-Ahsa, Ha'il, Yanbu and Al Wajh. Ar'ar got its name from the original oil field that existed before the town, "Field RR", one of many in the country, were it was known by the locals as "R.R." which later became Ar'ar.

Geographical location and geological formation

Arar is located in the north of Saudi Arabia, at Latitude: 30° 54' 21 N, Longitude: 41° 8' 20 E, in the heart of a vast rocky limestone plain. It lies about 1100 kilometers northwest of Riyadh, and about 60 kilometers from the Iraqi border.

Climate

Arar's climate is continental, with hot summers, and cold winters with temperatures below freezing. Winds generally blow from the east or west, rarely from the south. It is noteworthy that the rainfall in the region has declined gradually over recent years. It is also noted that snow is not uncommon, falling on average every two to three years.^{[citation needed]}

Foundings

In 1968, the remains of an ancient city were unearthed 30 kilometres from the city of Arar. The site yielded numerous sculptures of fish, turtles and other aquatic animals.

Important events in the history of Arar

• An airplane, Iraqi Airways Flight 163, crashed near the Arar airport.
• A summit meeting between King Saud and King of Jordan took place in Arar during the time of King Hussein.

References

Coordinates: 30°59′N 41°01′E / 30.983°N 41.017°E / 30.983; 41.017