Al Soudah
Soudah
ٱلسّوْدَة | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Soudah | |
| Coordinates: 18°16′19.2″N 42°22′19.2″E / 18.272000°N 42.372000°E / 18.272000; 42.372000 | |
| Country |  Saudi Arabia |
| Province | 'Asir |
| Government | |
| • Prince | Faisal bin Khalid bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud |
| • Deputy Prince | Turki bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud |
| Elevation | 2,800 m (9,200 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| Website | soudah.sa/en |
Soudah (Arabic: ٱلسّوْدَة) is a mountainous area in the Asir region of Saudi Arabia. At 3,015 metres (9,893 ft) above sea level, it includes Saudi Arabia’s highest peak, Jabal Soudah. The area is known for its dense juniper tree covered mountains.
The area is currently experiencing sustainable development undertaken by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) owned Soudah Development Company (SDC). SDC aims to drive the development of Soudah and parts of Rijal Alma’a Governate to create a luxury mountain destination through investment in the infrastructure, advancing the entertainment, residential and commercial sectors, while increasing access to its unique culture, national treasures and heritage sites.
Climate
The climate of Soudah is moderate throughout the year with temperatures rarely exceeding 25 °C (77 °F) in the summer and not rising to more than 15 °C (59 °F) in the winter. Due to Soudah's altitude, the climate is around 10 °C (18 °F) cooler than the rest of Saudi Arabia.
Overall, the area enjoys a cool variation of semi-arid climate (BSk) that borders a regionally rare warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb) due to the presence of a brief yet unnoticeable wet season that lasts from February to April.
| Climate data for Sawda (2946 m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 14.8 (58.6) |
16.1 (61.0) |
18.0 (64.4) |
20.2 (68.4) |
22.8 (73.0) |
25.9 (78.6) |
24.8 (76.6) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.0 (75.2) |
20.0 (68.0) |
17.0 (62.6) |
15.2 (59.4) |
20.3 (68.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 8.2 (46.8) |
9.4 (48.9) |
11.5 (52.7) |
13.3 (55.9) |
15.7 (60.3) |
18.2 (64.8) |
18.3 (64.9) |
18.2 (64.8) |
16.3 (61.3) |
12.6 (54.7) |
9.8 (49.6) |
8.2 (46.8) |
13.3 (55.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) |
2.7 (36.9) |
5.1 (41.2) |
6.5 (43.7) |
8.6 (47.5) |
10.5 (50.9) |
11.8 (53.2) |
12.0 (53.6) |
8.6 (47.5) |
5.2 (41.4) |
2.7 (36.9) |
1.2 (34.2) |
6.4 (43.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 18 (0.7) |
40 (1.6) |
63 (2.5) |
70 (2.8) |
28 (1.1) |
7 (0.3) |
29 (1.1) |
46 (1.8) |
8 (0.3) |
4 (0.2) |
10 (0.4) |
9 (0.4) |
332 (13.1) |
| Source: Climate-data.org | |||||||||||||
Tourism
The town is a tourist center, and has a cable car[1] to the top of the mountain.[2] Some people in the area claim to have seen snow fall in more than one season per year.
Culture
Soudah has a distinct culture, geography and its verdant nature that differs slightly from other parts of Saudi Arabia. The dress of the region is unique, traditionally women in Soudah have been known to wear colourful headbands and the men flower head wreaths.
Soudah Peaks
On 25 September, 2023, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman announced Soudah Peaks Project. Al Soudah Peaks is a luxury mountain tourism destination 3,015 meters above sea level. The project is part of Saudi Vision 2030 and is expected to contribute $7.732 billion to Saudi's GDP and generate thousands of jobs. The project aims to attract 2 million tourists throughout the year by 2033.[3]
Soudah Season
Soudah Season is a part of the Saudi Seasons initiative. In 2019, Soudah Season took place in July and its activities were implemented in the Soudah highlands, forests and cultural and historical places.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "Habla draws adventure lovers in droves". Abha: Saudi Gazette. 2018-07-18. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
- ^ Trip
- ^ "Saudi crown prince launches 'Soudah Peaks' masterplan". Arab News. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "Saudi festival seasons for Taif and Soudah launched at the double". Arab News. 2019-07-07. Retrieved 2019-07-10.