Jeddah

Jeddah (sometimes spelled Jiddah or Jedda ; English pronunciation: /ˈdʒɛdə/; Arabic: جدة‎ Jiddah or Jaddah, IPA: [ˈdʒedda, ˈdʒidda]) is a city in the Hijaz Tihamah region on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. With a population currently at 3.4 million people, Jeddah is an important commercial hub in Saudi Arabia.

Jeddah is the principal gateway to Mecca, Islam's holiest city, which able-bodied Muslims are required to visit at least once in their lifetime. It is also a gateway to Medina, the second holiest place in Islam.

Economically, Jeddah is focusing on further developing capital investment in scientific and engineering leadership within Saudi Arabia, and the Middle East. Jeddah was independently ranked fourth in the Africa – Mid-East region in terms of innovation in 2009 in the Innovation Cities Index.

Ar Ru'ays

Ar Ru'ays (Arabic: اَلرُّؤَيْس‎), also spelled Al Ruwais, is a port town in the municipality of Madinat ash Shamal in Qatar. It is a birdwatching spot.

History

A British survey conducted on the area in 1890 describes Ar Ru'ays as "a small town on the mainland, 2 ½ miles south of Ras Rakan; it has four towers on the fort, which is the first thing seen from the northward when making the land. They have many boats, which run in over the reef, and anchor in shelter close to the beach. The fort is visible 6 or 7 miles".

At the start of the 20th century, Ar Ru'ays was described as such in J.G. Lorimer's Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf:

Ar Ru'ays became the second settlement outside of the capital Doha to construct a formal school in 1954.

References

External links

Al Ruwais travel guide from Wikivoyage