Hafar Al-Batin


Hafar Al-Batin, also frequently spelled Hafr Al-Batin, is a Saudi Arabian city in the Eastern Province. It is located 430 km north of Riyadh, 94.2 km from the Kuwait border, and about 74.3 from the Iraq border. The city lies in the dry valley of the Wadi al-Batin, which is part of the longer valley of the river Wadi al-Rummah, which leads inland toward Medina and formerly emptied into the Persian Gulf.

History

In the 1st century after hijrah or 638 CE, Hafar Al-Batin was just a route in the desert that pilgrims passed through traveling to Mecca for Hajj. At that time, there was no water available in this land, so the pilgrims travelled from Iraq to Mecca on a long route without water. During the reign of Uthman, many pilgrims complained about the lack of water, and Abu-Musa al-Asha'ari, a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad responded by digging new wells along the route in the Al-Batin valley. The name of Hafar Al-Batin is derived from this.

Population

In 2010, Hafar Al-Batin, had more than 35 villages in its suburban area and the total population reached 400,993 to 600,000

Airport

For full international service, the city is served by King Fahd International Airport with driving distance of 450 km.
Nonetheless, Hafar Al-Batin has two airports: One with limited domestic flights airport about 20 km in the southeast, and one for military use only about 70 km in the southwest.

Roads

All the downtown roads of Hafar Al-Batin are paved. It is connected with an international network of roads, connecting Saudi Arabia with Kuwait in the East and connecting the North with the Eastern Province.

Districts

The weather in Hafar Al-Batin ranges from in winter nights to during summer days. The climate in general is hot and dry, and it rains only during winter months.
Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as hot desert.

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