From Makkah and Madinah to Jeddah and Neom, the origins and meanings of 12 Saudi city names

Some were named after the fertile ground from which they grew, while others hold links to maritime history or sheltering mountains

The cosmopolitan coastal city of Jeddah has always been defined by the Red Sea. Getty Images

Spirituality, geography and historical tradition trace the meanings behind the names of Saudi Arabia’s most well-known cities.

Some were named after the fertile ground from which they grew, while others hold links to maritime history or to mountains that were shelters and protectors. Together they reveal how a kingdom, in the middle of continuous transformation, continues to leap forward while not forgetting its past.

With Saudi National Day celebrated on September 23, here are the meanings behind 12 cities in the kingdom.

1. Riyadh

Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, takes its name from the Arabic word rawdah, meaning garden or meadow. Getty Images

The Saudi capital takes its name from the gardens that once defined it. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the word stems from rawdah – Arabic for garden or meadow – with Riyadh being the plural form, reflecting the green spaces and valleys of early settlements. The name was already in use by the 17th century, marking this oasis in the Najd desert.

2. Jeddah

Al Balad, the historic district of Jeddah, is a Unesco World Heritage Site founded in the seventh century. Reem Mohammed / The National

The cosmopolitan coastal city of Jeddah has always been defined by the Red Sea. That geography, according to government site Saudipedia, shaped its earliest names such as Juddah, meaning seashore. Local newspaper Okaz acknowledges this maritime origin but notes an alternative reading: Jaddah (grandmother), linked to the Islamic tradition that Eve, mother of humanity, lies buried here.

3. Makkah

Muslim worshippers gather at the Grand Mosque in Makkah for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. AFP

The holy city’s name is tied to its spiritual role, with meanings linked to effacing sins and hearts being drawn together in faith. Saudipedia records historical variants such as Makraba, while Greek and Syriac sources mention forms like Makrabo and Maka, all carrying the meaning of “holy city.”

4. Madinah

Saudi Arabia's second holiest city after Makkah, Madinah draws millions of pilgrims annually to the Prophet's Mosque. Getty Images

In the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, the city is also known by the full name Al Madinah Al Munawwarah, meaning "the Enlightened City". In pre-Islamic poetry and early spiritual texts it was called Yathrib, a name also mentioned in the Quran. After the Prophet Mohammed’s migration from Makkah in 622 CE, the city came to be known simply as Al Madinah, "the city," marking its role as the first capital of the Muslim community.

5. AlUla

Al Farid, the rock-cut tomb at AlUla, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Reem Mohammed / The National

Described as a living museum by Visit Saudi, AlUla's name comes from an Arabic root word that mean "highness" or "loftiness," very much fitting for its elevation above the Wadi Al Qura valley in the north-west, as Saudipedia notes. The oasis has long been home to dramatic rock formations and archaeological sites, including Hegra, the kingdom's first Unesco World Heritage Site.

6. Neom

Sindalah Island is part of Neom in Saudi Arabia's north-west. Photo: Neom

Billed as one of the world’s most futuristic cities, Neom's official site says its name combines neo (Greek for “new”) with the Arabic letter M, which stands for mustaqbal (“future”). That “new future” is already beginning to take shape with Sindalah, the luxury island resort that’s now operational, and The Line, the linear city now in its early construction phase with excavation works underway.

7. Dammam

View of Dammam from Murjan Island, Saudi Arabia. Getty Images

Straddling the Arabian Gulf, Dammam’s maritime heritage is echoed in its name. Saudi historian Mohammed Al Raies explains that it comes from al dammam, the drummer whose steady rhythms guided and welcomed pearl divers and fishing fleets home.

8. Dhahran

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran, which hosts exhibitions and performances. Getty Images

Before being transformed by oil into a modern energy centre, Dhahran was named for a defining physical landmark that still stands today. According to Saudipedia, it takes its name from a limestone ridge called Dhahir, meaning “back” or “spine” – a pale stone hill that once served as a navigation point for desert travellers. The city is also home to one of Saudi Arabia’s key cultural organisations, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, known as Ithra, which hosts exhibitions and performances.

9. Al Khobar

Morning view of the Corniche in the city of Al Khobar. Getty Images

In the Eastern Province, Al Khobar was developed in the 20th century to house workers of Saudi Aramco, the world's top oil-exporting company, with its headquarters in nearby Dhahran. According to the Saudipedia, the city grew from a fishing village into a commercial centre. Cultural sources, including Ithra (also known as the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture) suggest its name may have come from khabr, a brook linked to native sidr trees, or from akhbar (news), reflecting its past as a port where information arrived with its human cargo.

10. Taif

A bustling market street in Taif, Saudi Arabia. Getty Images

With its mountains forming some of the highest peaks of the kingdom, Taif’s name is linked to its mountainous interior that fortified the city. The name comes from the Arabic word for “encirclement", giving it the sense of a place of shelter and defence.

11. Abha

Green Mountain illuminates Abha's skyline in Asir Province, Saudi Arabia. Getty Images

In the Asir highlands on the edge of the Sarawat mountains in southwestern Saudi Arabia, Abha wears its beauty in its landscapes, from the mountain ridges to the valleys below. Saudipedia says the city’s is directly named after the Arabic superlative, “most beautiful".

12. Tabuk

The Atiq bin Salem Al Dhifi Mosque, a model for mosque design in Saudi Arabia, Tabuk. Getty Images

The north-western city holds different origin stories. Mr Al Raies connects it to the Arabic tabawwuk, “drawing water with a stick", in reference to the region’s wells. Saudipedia, however, notes a theory that the name comes from the Latin Tabu, meaning “isolated place.”