Staying in the KSA – Qatiff and Hofuf

Qatif or Al-Qatif (Arabic: القطيف‎ Al-Qaṭīf) is a governorate and urban area located in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Dammam in the south, and from the Persian Gulf in the east to King Fahd International Airport in the west. This region has its own municipality and includes the Qatif downtown and many other smaller cities and towns.

Al-Hofuf (also Hofuf , Hofof' or Hufuf) (Arabic: الهفوف‎ al-Hufūf) is the major urban center in the Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

These two cities  It is located inland, southwest of Abqaiq and the Dhahran-Dammam-Al-Khobar metropolitan area on the road south to Haradh. It is the closest city to the famous Ghawar oil field, one of the world's largest conventional (land-based) fields.

These two cities are among the largest oasis is Saudi Arabia but majority of the population are Shi'ites

What attract me and some of my friends on these two locations. In Qatif there is a Thursday market. In this market you can get anything which you never get in other places.

On the way to the Thursday market (souq Al-Khamis) we passes through some places which are quite unique. One that attracted us was roof of a fuel station is decorated with cars. This something we seldom see anywhere else,of course there is non in Malaysia. 

While passing through the village I felt my self at home because houses, trees and a few other things just in we passed through some villages in Malaysia.

This market is just like 'pasar minggu' (weekly market) in Malaysia. There were vegetables, fruits, fresh fish, chicken, beef etc. There were also live animals from birds, hens, ducks, sheep and snakes, Cultural good, new and used also available. Carpets, textile, clothing also available. Almost anything that come across your mind was available. In Qatiff I had an opportunity to visit on of our friends and had lunch at his house. There we could we house Saudi people treat their guests.

What were there in Hofuf. It is another big oasis, even bigger than Qatif. Our target was a rock cave in Hofuf located outside of Hofuf city. From Jubail we passed Khobar, Abqaiq, then we can see Saudi Cement factory. While passing through Hofuf, again I feel like I was at Palm Oil estate in Malaysia. The area was full of dates trees, irrigation inside the plantations and it was cool.

After passing through the beautiful dates plantation we were heading for the cave (I don't remember the name of the cave)

Nearly asar we reached the cave. It was free of charge. At that hour only family can enter the cave. In Saudi Arabia family and singles are separated at all times. There is certain time only singles (man only) can enter and other time only families can enter (women, children accompanied by man of the family).

 

These rock shape like a camel, it is not a craft but due to erosion.

These are places that not many people can visit. For those who came here for umrah or haji we never have the opportunity to be here.