Ha'il

Ha'il is a city located in northwestern Saudi Arabia, on a high plain in the Nafud desert at about 1000m of altitude, 700km northwest of Riad. Ha'il is a convenient stopping point when travelling from Riyadh to Al Ula, and can serve as an access point to the petroglyphs are in Jubbah further north.
Ha'il has a long history dating back to ancient times. It was a major centre of the ancient Nabatean civilisation and was part of the Incense Route that connected southern Arabia to the Mediterranean region.
One of the most famous landmarks in Ha'il is the Qishlah palace, which was built in the 20th century. At the time of visiting the Qishlah palace was closed for restoration.
​The A'arif historic fortress is on a hill overlooking Ha'il, in the centre of the city. It is built with mud and clay, and is 40 meters long and 11 meters wide. Construction started at the end of the 11th century.
The Al-Rajhi mosque was opened in 2011 and covers an area of 32000 m² and has 56 domes and four 80-meter-high columns.
How to get to Ha'il
Ha'il can be easily reached by car or train and has an own airport with flights to the Middle East.
Accommodation
Ha'il has a number of hotels, bookable via the international booking portals.