Al-Majma'ah Governorate

Al-Majma'ah, formerly known as Sudeir region, is a governorate in Riyadh Province, located in the central part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is classified as a Category (A) governorate and covers an area of 30,000 km. According to the Saudi Census 2022, it has a population of 151,877 individuals. It is divided into thirty-eight administrative centers.

Al-Majma'ah Governorate is attributed to the city of al-Majma'ah, which serves as its major and largest city, as well as its administrative and commercial center. Situated approximately 180 km northwest of Riyadh, it is bordered by Thadiq Governorate to the south, Shaqra Governorate to the west, al-Ghat and Zulfi Governorates to the northwest, al-Qassim Governorate to the north, Hafar al-Batin Governorate to the northeast, al-Dahnaa Desert to the east, and Ramah Governorate to the southeast.

In Arabic, al-Majma'ah is defined as a gathering of people. The history of the city of al-Majma'ah dates back to 1417 when it was founded by Abdullah Bin Saif al-Shammary al-Maibar from the Shammar tribe and part of the entourage of Hussein Bin Mudlaj Bin Hussein, the leader of the town of Al-Tuwaim. When Hussein Bin Mudlaj passed away, Abdullah resorted to Ibrahim Bin Hussein in the village of Hirma and requested a plot of land for him and his sons to settle and cultivate. He was granted the village of al-Majma'ah. There, he established himself and attracted others to settle in the area. Many people gathered in the city and developed it, hence its name al-Majma'ah.

Other historical accounts suggest that the name, al-Majma'ah, came from the convergence of valleys in the area, specifically Wadi al-Mashqar and its tributaries, and Wadi al-Kalb.

Al-Majma'ah Governorate is home to Majmaah University, one of the higher education institutions in the Kingdom. It stands as one of the Kingdom's most recent universities, having been established in 2009 along with three other universities situated in the cities of Dammam, al-Kharj, and Shaqra. It was formed by merging nine existing colleges from different provinces and centers. These include the governorates of al-Majma'ah, al-Zulfi, al-Ghat, Rimah, and the center of Hautat Sudeir.

Majmaah University consists of the following thirteen colleges: College of Education in al-Majma'ah, College of Education in al-Zulfi, College of Science and Humanities in Hautat Sudeir, College of Applied Sciences, College of Science in al-Zulfi, College of Business Administration in al-Majma'ah, College of Applied Medical Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Science and Humanities in al-Ghat, College of Science and Humanities in Rimah, College of Dentistry in al-Zulfi, College of Medicine, and College of Computer Science and Information Technology.

In addition to the colleges and University Hospital, al-Majma'ah also houses several specialized institutes and centers, including the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, the Community Partnerships Center, the Institute of Studies and Consultancy Services, the Quality Initiatives Center, the Corporate Social Responsibility Observatory, Majmaah University International Center for Rehabilitation Technologies and Prosthetics, the University Medical Center, the Documents and Archives Center, CIFAL Center, and the Publishing and Translation Center.

Al-Majma'ah Governorate is home to another scientific institute, known as the Scientific Institute, founded in 1955. It was one of five institutes established in the same year. Initially, it featured a two-year preparatory department, granting a preliminary certificate that qualified students to study at the institute. However, this department was closed in 1961. The duration of study at the institute was five years since its establishment. In the 1971-1972 academic year, it transitioned into two stages of general education: the intermediate stage and the secondary stage.

Al-Majma'ah Governorate is home to numerous archaeological and tourist sites. Among the key sites are the Endowment of King Abdulaziz, Munikh Mountain Castle, al-Rabiah Archaeological Site (The Museum), Ghilan Archaeological Site, Qarasha Amphitheatre, al-Askar Palace, al-Awla Enclosure, Alia and Abu Zaid Caves, al-Hawshiya Enclosure, Ancient Old City Wall, and Hattaba Wells.

The key tourist sites include Rawdat al-Nazim, Rawdat al-Khashm (al-Artawiya), Rawdat al-Muzaira'a, Rawdat Hattaba, Rawdat Zabdah, Rawdat Bina, Rawdat al-Khafisa, Rawdat Matraba, and Rawdat Mutayriya.

Al-Majma'ah Governorate organizes and hosts several promotional and entertainment events. One of the most prominent among them is Sudeir Rally, which held its inaugural edition in 2022 under the supervision of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation. The rally featured the participation of sixty-three competitors representing ten countries, which are the Kingdom, Kuwait, Qatar, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Peru, and Lebanon.