I have to admit I had completely missed the 2017 diplomatic conflict between Saudi-Arabia and Qatar. What I assumed was a 3 hour bustrip between Doha and Al-Hofuf turned out to be an international flight between Doha and Riyadh followed by a two hour train journey between Riyadh and Al-Hofuf on the 1980s Damman-Riyadh line.

Dammam–Riyadh line

I came to Al-Hofuf to see the Al Ahsa oasis, since 2018 protected as a cultural landscape by UNESCO. With 2,5 million date palm trees it is the largest oasis in the world. I had hoped to study the water management a bit, but there was no time for this. I just had one day. The oasis is so big you have to take taxis to go from one location to the other.

Al-Qarah Mountain جَبَل ٱلْقَارَة Jabal Al-Qārah

Within the oasis is Al-Qarah Mountain, which is a mesa of about 75 metres high, which has caves formed by, mostly water, erosion. The inside temperatures are very pleasant and for this reason the caves were inhabited since ancient times. Now the caves have been turned into a tourist attraction called The Land of Civilisation. I was the only visitor that morning.

Before the caves were open I bought some dates for breakfast. I love the practice of replacing the pits with an almond. I was never a bit fan of dates but after having eaten dates in Saudi-Arabia I have become a fan. You just need to buy quality dates.

People inside Al-Qarah Mountain, 1924 A.D.

Before entering the caves I was led through a small exhibition about the history of islam. This is Saudi-Arabia flexing its soft power muscle. The host spoke perfect English and at the end I was handed a bag with some gift items: two paper cups with Arabic coffee and dates (these came in very handy as breakfast in my hotel room), an English translation of the Quran and some Vision 2030 leaflets.

Al Khalifa Heritage Museum متحف الخليفة التراثي

Once upon a time the oasis was the only place in Saudi-Arabia where rice was grown. But in 1938 petroleum was discovered near Dammam. Today the largest oil field - Ghawar Field - is located in Al-Ahsa Governorate, resulting in the rapid modernization of the region. The tiny Al Khalifa Heritage Museum is a testament to that process. I was the only visitor that day.

The oasis has a total of 2,5 million date palm trees. I understand the date farms are privately owned and the total production is 100 thousand tons of dates per year. After visiting Al-Qarah Mountain and the heritage museum I spent the rest of the day roaming through the date farms. Those palm trees are quite beautiful.

Source: Analyzing the Spatial Correspondence between Different Date Fruit Cultivars and Farms’ Cultivated Areas, Case Study: Al-Ahsa Oasis, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/11/5728

I had planned to go to the barber during my trip. Still, the choice of this particular barber was quite random. I took a taxi ride to a كبسة kabsah restaurant but when I arrived it was take-away only. I started walking feeling a bit lost when I walked past a barber. Without thinking I walked in and discovered they didn’t speak English, or Arabic. They were Turkish. I did understand they were advising me to paint my graying beard black and from that moment I just nodded at every suggestion. The whole process took one and a half hours and half way I even looked like a smurf. I paid 100 riyals which wasn’t too bad for the amount of time they spent on me.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

This was not my most environmentally friendly journey. To get from Al-Hofuf to Jeddah I had to backtrack by train to Riyadh and had to choose between a 14 hour bus ride or a one and a half hour flight. Of course the train station is located in the south of Riyad and the airport in the north, so I had to take the 50 kilometre taxi ride again. I did reach my hotel in Jeddah before 4 pm the same day.

EMD SD50 diesel locomotive on the Dammam–Riyadh line. The line was opened. in 1981. There is also a second Dammam–Riyadh line via Haradh, which is only used for freight.