Al-Bad'

This article is about the governorate in Tabuk. For the governorate with a similar name in Al-Qassim, see Al-Badai'.

Al-Bad' Governorate محافظة البدع
City and Governorate
Mount Jabal Maqla
Map Showing the Governorate’s Location within Tabuk Province
Al-Bad' Governorate Location of Al-Bad' within Saudi Arabia
Coordinates: 28°28′29″N 35°00′53″E / 28.47472°N 35.01472°E / 28.47472; 35.01472
Country	Saudi Arabia
Province	Tabuk Province
Region	Hejaz
Seat	Al-Bad' City
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Body	Al-Bad' Municipality
Area
• City and Governorate	4,000 km^2 (1,500 sq mi)
Highest elevation (Jabal Maqla)	2,326 m (7,631 ft)
Population  (2022)
• Metro	17,973 (Al-Bad' Governorate)
Time zone	UTC+03:00 (SAST)
Area code	014

Al-Badʿ (Arabic: البدع [alˈbadʕ]) is a city and governorate in the Tabuk Province of Saudi Arabia. It is part of the Hejaz region and historically part of southern Midian. The governorate lies near the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, and its coastal areas are known for their natural coral reef formations.^[1][2]

History

In 1995, 2 people at Al-Bad' died during the Gulf of Aqaba earthquake.^[3]

Geography

To the east of the governorate lie the Sarawat Mountains, forming the northern end of the Hejaz Mountains. The area is noted for Neolithic petroglyphs^[4] carved into the arid volcanic rock. Northeast of the governorate is Jabal al-Lawz (Arabic: جبل اللوز), which, at 2,500 meters, is among the highest peaks in Saudi Arabia.^[5] South of Jabal al-Lawz is the 2,300-meter Jabal Maqla, a volcanic peak capped with black basalt. The surrounding volcanic region consists largely of granite, with sparse grassland vegetation and occasional trees.

Administrative divisions

• Makna
• Qiyal
• Al-Aseelah
• Abu Rummanah

Religious significance

The governorate of Al-Bad' is located within the traditional Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia, and its population is predominantly Muslim. Approximately two kilometers south of Al-Bad' are caves known locally as "Maghā'ir Shuʿayb" (the Caves of Jethro). Modern archaeologists consider these structures to be 1st-century AD Nabatean tombs.^[6]

Local tradition also holds that "Bir al-Saidni," located in the nearby coastal town of Makna,^[7] is the well from which Moses rolled away the stone to draw water for the flocks of Jethro's daughters. The town of Makna (or Magna) lies on the Red Sea coast southwest of Al-Bad'. A Jewish community is known to have existed there from at least the 9th century AD.

Some Evangelical writers, including Bob Cornuke, Ron Wyatt, and Lennart Möller, have proposed that Jabal al-Lawz is the real biblical Mount Sinai.

Transportation

Air

Al-Bad' does not have its own airport. Air travel for the governorate is primarily served by the Prince Sultan International Airport in Tabuk City, the province’s main airport.^[8]

See also

• Saudi Arabia portal

• Provinces of Saudi Arabia
• List of governorates of Saudi Arabia
• List of cities and towns in Saudi Arabia
• List of mountains in Saudi Arabia
• List of islands of Saudi Arabia

References

1. Charloux, Guillaume; Ahmed Sahlah, Samer; Badaiwi, Waleed Ali (January 2021). "Madian revealed? Assessing the history and archaeology of the oasis of al-Badʿ in northwestern Arabia". Semitica et Classica. 14: 97–141. doi:10.1484/j.sec.5.129522. ISSN 2031-5937.
2. "Al-Badʿ - Archéologie". archeologie.culture.gouv.fr. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
3. Significant earthquakes of the World, 1995 Archived 2011-06-08 at the Wayback Machine.
4. Khan, M. 1991. Recent Rock Art and Epigraphic Investigations in Saudi Arabia. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 21: 113–118.
5. Jabal Lawz.
6. "Al-Bad' Archaeological Site". Saudipedia. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
7. "MAKNA city map, MAKNA city road map, MAKNA city Guide, Latest News from Makna, Saudi Arabia". newstrackindia.com. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
8. "Tabuk Airport". tabuk-airport.com. Retrieved 2025-12-03.