Qatif, Saudi Arabia

Al-Qatif القطيف
Coordinates: 26°56′N 50°01′E / 26.933, 50.017
Province	Ash Sharqiyah
Population (2004)
- City
Time zone	+3 GMT (UTC)

Qatif or Al-Qatif (also spelled Qateef or Al-Qateef; Arabic: القطيف Al-Qaṭīf) is a historic, coastal oasis region located on the western shore of the Persian Gulf in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Dammam in the south. It covers a large area that includes the town of Qatif as well many smaller towns and villages such as Saihat, Anak, Safwa, Awamiya, Awjam, Qudaih, Khuwailidiya, Jaroodiya, Al-Jish, Umm Al-Hamam, as well as Tarout Island (which includes the districts of Sanabis and Darin).

Blessed with abundant fresh-water springs, the oasis is famous for its dates, especially the khlass, khunaizi, maji, hallao, and khsab al-asfour varieties. Agricultural products also include limes, bananas, grapes, pomegranates, figs, and vegetables, especially tomatoes, okra, radishes, and onions.

Qatif enjoys a continental climate with temperatures approaching 50 degrees Celsius (120 F) in the summer and an average humidity of 90%. In winter, temperatures range between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius. During the months of May and June, warm seasonal winds called albwarh affect the region. The rest of the year, the moist southern winds, or alcos, bring humidity. There is little rainfall.

The Qatif coastline is rich with shrimp and many varieties of fish, espcially the safi (Siganus species), kan`ad (Scomberomorus commerson), hamoor (grouper), shi`ri, badeh, and mayd varieties. It has the largest fish market in the kingdom and the gulf region.

Qatif is well-known for its traditional markets (suqs) such as the weekly Thursday Market "Suq Alkhamees" and "Suq Waqif".

The Qatif region is the largest center of Shia Islam in Saudi Arabia. The community celebrates Ashura and other Shia days of remembrance in open, lively seasons. However, the community has lived in somewhat precarious relations with the Sunni government and the larger, more powerful Sunni community of the kingdom, and has many times suffered from discrimination.^[1]

Qatif enjoys excellent connections with other Saudi urban centres by highway; it is also close to the causeway that connects the kingdom with the nation of Bahrain. Air service is provided at the near by King Fahd International Airport.

History

The historic oasis area shows its first archeological evidence of settlement beginning about 3500 BC. It was known by other names, such as Al-Khatt (Arabic: الخَطّ), immortalized in the poetry of `Antara ibn Shaddad, Tarafa ibn Al-`Abd, Bashar ibn Burd (in his famous Ba'yya), and others. The word "Khatty" became the preferred "kenning" for "spear" in traditional poetic writing until the dawn of the modern era, supposedly because the reason was famous for spear making, just as "muhannad" ("of India") was the preferred kenning for "sword". The older name also survives as the eponym of several well-known local families ("Al-Khatti", spelled variously in English).

Qatif functioned for centuries as the main town and port in this region of the Gulf. In fact, it was called Cateus by the Greeks, and some early European maps even labeled the entire present-day Persian Gulf as the "Sea of El Catif". Qatif oasis and the nearby island of Tarout are some of the most interesting tourist and archeological sites in the Kingdom, which reflects the importance of the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula in the past.

Until 1521 and Ottoman rule, Qatif belonged to the historical region known as the Province of Bahrain, along with Al-Hasa and the present-day Bahrain islands. Qatif itself (as well as Al-Hasa) were conquered by the Saudis in 1914 from the Ottoman Empire.

Economy

Traditionally reliant on agriculture, Qatif has become famous in the oil industry recently, mainly due to the giant Qatif project, which produces 800,000 barrels of oil each day, making Qatif possibly the most oil-producing city in the world. Other petroleum industries within the city include gas separator plants and pipeline facilities.

In addition to its involvement in the oil industry and commerce, the Qatif region has a thriving agricultural sector, producing a wide range of crops, including dates, cereals, vegetables, fruit and poultry. Qatif is also the main supplier of fish to the kingdom as well as the largest fishing center in the gulf region.

Population

As of 2004, the total population of Qatif was 474,573 [1]; ranking as one of the ten most populated counties in Saudi Arabia. Qatif has one of the lowest numbers of non-Saudi residents in the kingdom (only 59,808).

Districts

- List of towns and villages forming Qatif county: - *Qatif City - *Tarout Island - *Saihat - *Safwa - *Al-Awamiyah - *Al-Jish - *Al-Qudaih - *Al-Jaroudiya - *Umm Al-Hamam - *Al-Taubi - *Al-Khuwailidiya - *Hellat-Muhaish - *Enak - *Al-Awjam - *Al-Malahha

References

1. ^ International Crisis Group. The Shiite Question in Saudi Arabia, Middle East Report N°45, 19 September 2005.

External links

• Geography of Qatif
• Qatif Oasis
• Google satellite view of Qatif
• Qatif travel guide at World66
• Qatif photos
• Pictures of Old Qatif
• Qatif traditional markets

Saudi Arabian Cities	List of main Saudi Arabian cities
	`Afif | `Ar`ar | Abha | Abqaiq | Al-Bahah | Buraidah | Ad Dammam | Dhahran | Ad Dir`iyah | Duba | Ha'il | Al Hufuf | Al Jawf | Jeddah | Jizan | Al Jubayl | Khamis Mushayt | Al-Kharj | Khobar | Al Majma'ah | Mecca (Makkah) | Medina | Najran | Bisha | Al-Qatif | Ras Tanura | Al-Khafji | Riyadh (National Capital) | At Ta'if | Tabuk | `Unayzah | Yanbu' al Bahr | Hafar Al-Batin

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