After the Roman defeated the Nabataean Kingdom in 106 AD, the trade road turned to the Red Sea and Madain Saleh started to lose its importance as a major station on the trade road where goods are exchange and taxes are levy from convoy lords etc.

By the end of these advantages that had played a vital role in improving the economic conditions in the area, the people who were no longer merchants, tax collectors, guards for convoys or camel and men transferring the commodities started to abandon the area for good due to the lack of job opportunities and the requirements of well being stability.

Inscriptions point to the relationship between Nabataean kings and their people where a text dating back to the reign of King Rab El II (70-106 AD) indicates to his success in the eradication of the revolution led in Madain Saleh by a person named Demsi or Damasi with his followers’ people of Al-Hejaz. The revolution supported by northern Nabataean tribes. The revolution was one of the reasons why Rab El II transferred the capital from Petra to Bosra to secure the Nabataean throne from the tribe troubles in Hejaz (according to the book written by Dr.Al-Ansari and Dr. Abu Al-Hassan). The previous presentation shows the picture of Madain Saleh from the sixth century BC until the first century AD. The history of Madain Saleh and Al-Ula from the fall of the Nabataean State and its rule by the Romanian until the emergence of Islam when Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) passed by on his way to Tabuk remains unknown. Ibn Omar narrated that while the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) was passing by Thamud’s houses on his way to the battle of Tabuk, he stopped together with the people there.

The people fetched water from the wells from which the people of Thamud used to drink. They prepared their dough for baking and filled their water skins from the wells. The Prophet of Allah (PBUH) ordered them to empty the water skins and give the prepared dough to the camels.

Then he went away with them until they stopped at the well from which the she camel of Saleh used to drink. He warned them against entering upon the people that had punished saying, “I fear that you may be affected by what afflicted them; so do no enter upon them.” During Islamic Era, Madain Saleh had no importance, save as station where pilgrims provided with water and supplies and there are Muslim castles for the service of pilgrims and mail.

There was also the Hejaz Railway Line established by Sultan Abdul Hamid II together with the main station that was open for service in 1908. Hejaz Railway continued in operation until the year 1918 when it destroyed during World War I and stopped working until the present time. During that period, visits and observations made by a number of European Travelers took down many observations about it.

Except for the above, the region was no longer important economically or commercially. In 1925, it was subject to the rule of Al-Saud and interest in the area started to increase by the government, which started to the works of graves restoration and protection, train station maintenance and fencing the region to protect from haphazard entrants. It also been linked to Al-Ula by a paved road. After the establishment of the Tourism Authority in Saudi Arabia, Madain Saleh became a top priority in Authority plans.

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