Mahd adh-Dhahab Governorate

Mahd adh-Dhahab Governorate, also known as al-Mahd Governorate, is a governorate of al-Madinah al-Munawwarah Province, west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is a Category (B) governorate.

It extends along an overall area of 24,685 km. It comprises eighteen administrative centers, including seven Category (A) centers and eleven Category (B) centers.

Mahd adh-Dhahab Governorate has many precious metals, especially gold, after which the governorate was named. Mahd aah-Dhahab mine is the largest mine in the Middle East. It is a reserve of many precious metals and has an eventful history. Sources and archaeological proof trace gold extraction therefrom to ancient times, where large quantities were extracted in the first millennium BCE.

Between 1988 and 2020, the governorate produced around 5,989 million t of gold, silver, copper, and zinc concentrate.

Mahd adh-Dhahab Governorate is the fifth largest population center in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah Province, with 48,590 persons living in it, according to the 2022 Saudi Census.

The land of the governorate is known for its fertility. As a result, it became famous for the cultivation of palm trees and other agricultural crops, such as vegetables, fruits, and grains, namely in its western villages, such as al-Rweidh and its surrounding areas.

The governorate occupies the southern part of al-Madinah al-Munawwarah Province. It is located about 206 km southeast of al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, the seat of the emirate of the province. It is surrounded by Makkah al-Mukarramah Province to the south and west, Riyadh Province to the east, and the governorates of al-Hinakiyyah and Wadi al-Fara to the north.

Mahd adh-Dhahab Governorate is serviced by Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, the closest airport that is 195 km away. It is an international airport with a capacity ranging between five and fifteen million passengers per year.

Road fifteen passes through the western border of Mahd adh-Dhahab Governorate. It is a primary road that starts from al-Wadeeah Port in the south of the Kingdom and ends in the north in the Tabuk Province at the Saudi-Jordanian borders. It is also the main land transportation hub for traveling to and from Mahd adh-Dhahab.