Al-Ahsa Oasis is one of the largest and most famous natural oases in the world, with over 3 million palm trees producing delicious dates. The place is widely considered to have the greenest and most fertile land in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
The region contains prominent archaeological and historical sites — some that date back to 6,000 B.C. — and has achieved three Arab and international accolades in the last four years.
In 2015, Al-Ahsa became the first Gulf city to be included in the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative Cities Network for crafts and folk art.
UNESCO designated Al-Ahsa as a World Heritage Site in 2018, becoming the fifth Saudi area to receive the accolade following Madain Saleh (2008), the Tarif neighborhood in Diriyah (2010), Al-Balad, Jeddah (2014) and the rock art in the Hail region (2015).
Moreover, Al-Ahsa was chosen as the Arab Tourism Capital for 2019 by the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism.
This photograph was taken by Abdullah Al-Sheikh as part of the Colors of Saudi competition.
