Khulays Governorate

Khulays Governorate is a Category (B) governorate of Makkah al-Mukarramah Province, located west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It has nine administrative centers: Sitara, adh-Dhabyah, al-Jumaa, Wadi Qadid, Wadi al-Khawr, Umm al-Jurm, al-Barazah, Hashash, and al-Sahm.

It is one of the eight least populated governorates of Makkah al-Mukarramah Province, where only 0.6 percent of the province's residents live, estimated at around 51,338 persons.

It is located northwest of Makkah al-Mukarramah and covers an area of 4,277 km. It is situated 120 km from the city of Makkah al-Mukarramah, the seat of the emirate of the province.

Khulays Governorate has a mesmerizing environment. Notable sites include Wadi Ghran, running from al-Barazah Center, and neighboring various lakes covering vast areas to the east of the center, located around 120 km from Jeddah. It includes more than one hundred farms fed by surface wells. Wadi Ghran passes through Asfan Center and Khulays Governorate.

Khulays Governorate has a major historical value. It is the location of many significant sites, most notably Jabal Jumdan, visited by the Prophet peace be upon him (PBUH) during migration (Hijra). It was mentioned in a Hadith for Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) who reported that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) was traveling along the path leading to Makkah al-Mukarramah when he happened to pass by a mountain called Jumdan. He said: Proceed on, it is Jumdan, Mufarridun have gone ahead. They said: Allah's Messenger, who are the Mufarridun? He said: Those men and women who frequently celebrate the remembrance of Allah.

Khulays is also known for its castle, Khulays Castle, a fortress located on the northern side of the Hijra route, extending along the governorate, on the summit of a mountain overlooking Khulays. It represents a stone squared structure featuring remains of pillars placed in a circular manner. This fortress is part of the archaeological remains of the Abbasid state and was built to secure pilgrims and travelers.

Historical sites of the governorate also include Madid Castle, which is a castle completely made of stone connected together with mortar and clay. It forms a 30 m x30 m parallelogram. In addition to Wadi Ghran, Khulays Governorate features many tourist sites, including several large valleys, such as Wadi Khulays, Wadi Sitara, and Wadi Qadid. It also has many historical archaeological sites, such as the pilgrimage route and Umm Maabad site.

Khulays Governorate hosts several tourism and entertainment events, including the Agricultural, Tourism, and Entertainment Festival, launched in 2018, and featuring a show for purebred Arabian horses, theatrical performances, traditional games, cultural seminars, poetry evenings, and training sessions in many fields, including first aid, agricultural activities, beekeeping, several conferences, and sports contests, such as al-Barazah Center Playstation Tournament.

Residents and visitors of Khulays Governorate use King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, the nearest airport, located eighty-five km away. It is an international airport with a capacity of around 7.5 million passengers annually.

The governorate can be accessed via the main Road fifteen, which begins at al-Wadeeah crossing point south of the Kingdom, at the borders with the Republic of Yemen, and ends at Tabuk Province at the Saudi-Jordanian borders. The road is considered the center of land transportation to access and travel from and into Khulays.