Al-Ahsa Oasis

Al-Ahsa is an oasis of around two and a half million date palms fed by artesian springs in the Eastern Province, generally described as the largest oasis in the world by that measure, cultivated continuously for several thousand years and supporting the towns of Hofuf and Mubarraz. It was inscribed as World Heritage in 2018 as an evolving cultural landscape, the property comprising gardens, canals, springs, wells, a drainage lake, historic buildings and archaeological sites. Qasr Ibrahim, an Ottoman-period fort with a domed mosque, stands in Hofuf, along with Qasr Sahood, the Jawatha mosque site, one of the earliest in the peninsula, and the Qaisariya souq.

What you actually see

• The palm gardens - the millions of date palms and their irrigation.
• Qasr Ibrahim - the Ottoman fort and mosque in Hofuf.
• Jawatha mosque - the early mosque site outside the town.
• Qaisariya souq - the covered market in Hofuf.

When to go

November to March; Eastern Province summers combine extreme heat with humidity. The date harvest in late summer is when the gardens are busiest. Mornings are best for the gardens.

Honest expectations

The property is a landscape spread over a large area, not a single site, and a car is needed to see it. Spring flow has declined and many traditional channels are dry. Qaisariya souq was rebuilt after a fire. Interpretation is limited in places.

Nearby

Jabal Al-Qarah lies within the oasis; Dammam is northeast.