A small town with an old soul.

During Winter: 20 °- 40° C

Hail is an ancient place. Appearing in One Thousand and One Nights as the home to the famous poet Hatem Taey and located as an important stopover for traders throughout time, the amount of history and generosity found in such a relatively small area is truly astounding.

Historic Jubbah City
Lying on an ancient caravan stop around 90km from the city of Hail lies Jubbah, a historic site that dates back to the Stone Age. With inscriptions, petroglyphs, and rock art on the surfaces of surrounding mountains, history here is unavoidable.

Al Naif Museum
With over 2,000 artifacts on display, the Al Naif Palace Museum features such historical oddities used in textiles to archeological finds, weapons, and vast assortments of utensils and tools.

Hail Flea Market
East of the city center near King Abdullah Road, you’ll find one of Saudi Arabia’s largest flea markets. With all your classic bazaar rugs to antiques, a must-visit!

DKSA Tip:
Stores and street vendors can be seen in the mornings and after maghrib, with Friday being the busiest day.

Dakar Saudi Arabia 2021 route
(stop through Hail in January)
Gearheads across the Kingdom know Hail not as a cradle of civilization, but as the home of motor rallying. The annual rally is the major event of the Kingdom’s entire community. In January this year, the 43rd annual Dakar rally’s participants will have their rest day in Hail.

A Royal Tour de Hail

• Airaf Fort
  Resting atop a mountain peak, it is said that this fortress can be seen from anywhere in Hail. Built in the 1600s using mud and clay, the fortress is now used to spot the Ramadan moon.

• Barzan Palace
  Built in the 1800s and largely razed in 1921, one impressive tower of the historic Barzan Palace remains. Initially, however, this palace was massive, whopping 300’000 sqm2.

• Qishlah Palace
  Built in the 1940s, this mud-brick palace exemplifies the traditional architecture before the introduction of more modern buildings. Be sure to stop by before heading to the city center’s souq.

• A Tale of Two Twin Peaks
  Jabal Aja and Jabal Hatem are two mountains that provide views and stories of the local environment. Jabal Aja overlooks the vast desert surrounding the land whereas Jabal Hatem is named after the famous pre-Islamic poet Hatem Taey, who reportedly resided in Hail.

EAT THIS

• Al Turathi
  is part-restaurant, part-museum. Full of antiques and artifacts, this traditional house serves local Najdi cuisine.
  Mob: +966-16-5310000

• Marsaai
  provides an assortment of grilled meat options and a locally approved quality of seafood dishes (in the middle of the desert!). Mob: +966-13-8945858