Najran Region

Najran is a region of Saudi Arabia, located in the south of the country along the border with Yemen. It has an area of 149,511 km². Its capital is Najran.Najran is inhabited by the powerful Yam tribe, who have lived in the region for hundreds of years.Mishaal bin Abdullah was the governor from 2009 to 22 December 2013. The former governor was Mishaal bin Saud but he was relieved in 2008. This move was closely related to the region's unique characteristics since the majority of people in this region are Shia Ismaili. 400,000 Ismailis reside in the region. The current governor of the region is Prince Jalawi Bin Abdul-Aziz Bin Mosaad.EtymologyThe name of Najran means "the piece of wood in which the hinge of the door goes around". The word "Najran" also means thirsty. Another explanation is that the name was attributed to Najran Ibn Zaidan Ibn Sabaa Ibn Yashgab Ibn Yareb Ibn Qahtan because he was the first person to come to Najran and inhabit it.GeographyNajran contains three geographical areas. First, the flat area which lies in the middle of Najran. It has several valleys, the most famous of them being Najran’s valley. Second, the mountainous area which is in the west and the north. There the weather is moderate in summer. It has several beautiful parks shaded by nabk trees. It has important governorate centers: Habuna governorate, Badr El-Junoob governorate and Yadmah governorate; the latter governorate won King Fahd’s attention because it has mineral wealth. The most important of all is the gold area where much gold was mined that lies in El-Johns area, which follows Safah center. Many of the mountains are distinguished by granite rocks, where marble and granite are quarried, providing a large part of the Kingdom’s needs. Third, the sandy area which lies in the east and is a part of the Empty Quarter. It is extremely rich in oil.