Buraidah

Buraydah (Arabic: بريدة‎ Burayda) is the capital of Al-Qassim Region in northcentral Saudi Arabia in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula. Buraydah lies equidistant from the Red Sea to the west and the Persian Gulf to the east. It has a population of 614,093 (2010 census).

Buraydah, the regional capital of Al-Qassim Region, is located on the edge of the Wadi Al-Rummah. Buraydah has a typical desert climate, with hot summers, cold winters and low humidity.

In Buraydah, agriculture is still the cornerstone of the economy. The traditional oasis products of dates, lemon, orange and other fruits are still important. Modern introduction of wheat production has become so successful that Buraydah is one of the largest producers in the kingdom, important in making Saudi Arabia a net exporter of cereal.

In 1987 Sandra Mackey, author of The Saudis: Inside the Desert Kingdom, said that Buraydah was "a hotbed of fundamentalism even in the most normal of circumstances."

Notable landmarks