Aqabat al-Kurr

Aqabat al-Kurr, also known as al-Hada Road and Tal'at Karra, is the mountain road crossed by the road connecting Makkah al-Mukarramah City and Taif Governorate to the west, through al-Hada Mountain, which reaches a height of about 2,177 m above sea level. Al-Hada Road is the only one in Makkah al-Mukarramah Province where trucks and large buses are prohibited from traveling throughout the year.

The history of Aqabat al-Kurr, also known as al-Hada Road, stretches back over one thousand years. The route was used for transportation between Makkah al-Mukarramah and Taif via the camel path, a stone-paved road specifically designed for camel caravans. The idea of establishing a paved road for cars in Aqabat al-Kurr dates back to 1955, during King Saud Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's visit to Taif Governorate. The idea was proposed and its implementation began in 1958.

The task of constructing the road was entrusted to the Ministry of Transport (currently the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services). In 1978, a decree was issued to initiate the first expansion of al-Hada Road during the reign of King Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The second expansion of the road was carried out under the reign of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, at a total cost exceeding SAR198 million. The project was completed in 2008.

The total length of Aqabat al-Kurr of al-Hada Road is eighty-seven km. It is divided into: Twenty-one km from Makkah al-Mukarramah City to Arafat, twenty-three km from Arafat to Kara, which is the beginning of al-Hada Mountains, another twenty-three km from Kara to the peak of al-Hada Mountains, and an additional twenty km from al-Hada to the city of Taif.

Aqabat al-Kurr consists of a two-lane road separated by concrete barriers. There are retaining walls and protections against falling rocks, as well as roadside areas for stopping, and several U-turns that allow drivers to return in the opposite direction.

Al-Hada Road is one of the roads most frequently subject to temporary closures in the Kingdom, especially when fog forms overhead and during rainy weather – which sometimes causes rockfall. There's also al-Sayl Road connecting the city of Makkah al-Mukarramah and Taif Governorate, which is less challenging than Aqabat al-Kurr.