|
Al-Ula considered as one of fertile
agriculture areas in Saudi Arabia with arable lands, abundance
of fresh water resources and moderate climate. It is one of the
oldest areas settled by man because it has water and arable
lands; it has the common factor for settlement. Drawings and
inscriptions on rocks that spread in the city and its villages
indicate to trees, palms and animal rising. The whole area of
Al-Ula is fertile and all its villages and valleys have palms
and effects of the past civilizations starting from Thamud about
4000 years ago until now, which exercised in a way or another
agriculture and animal rising. There have been many springs;
some are still flowing, water canals existing in the old town
still representing one of the most important water installations
the world known before Christianity.
They were designed to get the underground water in a very
advanced way at that time where a canal was dug in a horizontal
slightly sloping from main well to the farms. Stones used to
maintain water lined the canal. Madain Saleh is one of the most
fertile lands in the region. It includes a model agricultural
plan and its farms become known at the level of Madinah region
for the quality of its fruits, citrus and vegetables including
mango, orange, apricot, lemon, papaya, grapes and all types of
mandarin in addition to all types of deluxe dates produced from
Madain Saleh farms. These products sold in Al-Ula, Madinah,
Tabuk and Hail local markets.
The Al-Jadida Village, which is one of the tributaries of Al-Jazel
Valley, produces all kinds of dates, fruits and vegetables
produced and sold in the markets of Madinah and Al-Ula. Al-Ula
is considered in general as one of the most important areas
producing the finest types of dates exported to various parts of
the world where most of region dates farms production is sold to
factories in Madinah where it is packed, processed and marketed
during the pilgrimage and Ramadan seasons to Madinah visitors
from all over the Islamic world. The rest exported all over the
world.
Most famous types of Al-Ula dates are Alberni, Al-Helwa and Al-Anberh.
As the first palm tree is the most important one for the
population, they give attention and care for its cultivation.
Palm tree has a long story with the population of Al-Ula, which
will present in detail in a special section. It is relevant to
the lives of the people in Al-Ula. Cultivation in Al-Ula
governed and organized by laws and customs in the past, the
Customary or Municipal Council established to regulate
agriculture and the fair distribution of water among farmers. It
enacted laws and regulations binding on the farmers, workers,
owners, and established penalties for offenders and the
mechanism for the implementation thereof.
In Old Town, there is the southeastern corner to the South
Friday Mosque and at the entrance of Ad-Darb Market, an obelisk
called Atantorah scheduling the water distribution. It
established for Tid’el spring water specifically. In addition,
farmers use it to know the dates of the four seasons of the year
and the astronomical agricultural gales. The last managers of
Atantorah, which are called by the local population “The
Teachers”, were Sheikh Musa ibn Muhammad ibn Abdurrahman, Sheikh
Lafi ibn Ali ibn Isa and Sheikh Mohammed ibn Qassim (may Allah
have mercy on them all).
After Ministry of Agriculture and Saudi Arabian Agricultural
Bank in Al-Ula established, the area has witnessed an
agricultural renaissance marked with expansion in new locations
such as Madain Saleh, Al-Jadida, Al- Khoshaibah, Abu Zaraeb and
Al-Jazel Valley as well as the development of old farms such as
Al-Ula, Al-Atheeb, Karaker, Therbah and Moghiraa.
Back to Al Ula
|