Duba

Duba is a small city on the northern Red Sea coast, of Saudi Arabia. It is in Tabuk Province. Local citizens describe it as The Pearl of the Red Sea. The population of Duba is about 22,000.HistoryThe first reference to Duba, under this name, is from 1203. However, the Valley of Salma and Valley of Kafafah were already known many centuries before.The ancient Greek scholar Ptolemy mentioned a trade route leading from Kafafah to Lihyan (today's Al-`Ula). Sheikh Abdulghani Al Nabulsi wrote about Duba in 1790, in his account of going to Mecca for the Hajj.Historically it is part of Madian; the city is mentioned in Islamic scriptures. According to the Quran, Prophet Moussa settled in Madian (the region starts from Jordan river and extends to the town of Duba) where Prophet Shoaib hosted him. The town of Prophet Shoaib as it is called is said to be located near Maqna where an ancient well can still be seen. The well is said to be the one where Moussa fed Shoaib's flock.The Ottoman Turks fortified the city, protecting the route from Egypt to Arabia.