Al Lith (Arabic: الليث) is a city in the Tihamah region on the coast of the Red Sea south west of the holy city of Mecca. It is the fifth largest city in population in Makkah Province, and it is one of the large sea ports of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea, and Miqat Yalamlam is located north of it. The population of Al Lith is over 20,800 people (2022 census).[2]
Al Lith
الليث Al Lith | |
|---|---|
| Nickname: The Pearl of the Red Sea | |
  Al Lith Location in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | |
| Coordinates: 20°9′0″N 40°16′0″E / 20.15000°N 40.26667°E | |
| Country |  Saudi Arabia |
| Province | Makkah (Mecca) |
| Joined Saudi Arabia | 1925 |
| Government | |
| • City Governor | Mohammad Al Qabbaa[1] |
| Population (2022) | |
• City | 20,811 |
| • Metro | 73,753 (Al Lith Governorate) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| Postal Code | (5 digits) |
| Area code | +966-12 |
Geography
editIt is located 180 km to the south west from the holy city of Mecca, and 190 km south of Jeddah. Its northern villages are just 90 km away from Mecca. It extends to Hejaz mountains and Adham and Taif cities to the east and extends as far south as Al Qunfudah city. The international coastal road Jeddah - Jizan passes by it.
Climate
editAl Lith has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh).
| Climate data for Al Lith | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.7 (87.3) |
31.6 (88.9) |
34.2 (93.6) |
35.0 (95.0) |
39.3 (102.7) |
41.3 (106.3) |
41.9 (107.4) |
41.2 (106.2) |
39.8 (103.6) |
37.1 (98.8) |
34.0 (93.2) |
32.1 (89.8) |
36.5 (97.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.0 (68.0) |
20.3 (68.5) |
22.3 (72.1) |
24.2 (75.6) |
27.0 (80.6) |
28.6 (83.5) |
30.2 (86.4) |
30.3 (86.5) |
28.3 (82.9) |
25.5 (77.9) |
23.3 (73.9) |
20.9 (69.6) |
25.1 (77.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 20 (0.8) |
6 (0.2) |
7 (0.3) |
11 (0.4) |
8 (0.3) |
2 (0.1) |
2 (0.1) |
4 (0.2) |
3 (0.1) |
8 (0.3) |
20 (0.8) |
21 (0.8) |
111 (4.4) |
| Source: Climate-data.org | |||||||||||||
History and profile
editAl Lith got its name from the Valley of Leith, which is located at the east of it near Ghumayqah village.[3] Al Lith today is a commercial port that receives pilgrims and goods from all corners of the world. In the past, it used to be a large commercial port that receives ships from Jizan, Yemen, and the coast of Africa and exporting those goods after that to Mecca and Jeddah.
The Al Lith area boasts prominent underwater diving sites.[4]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud visits Al Lith". Al Riyadh. 21 April 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
- ^ "Places in Al-Līth (Mecca Region, Saudi Arabia) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
- ^ Hassan Faqih, 1413
- ^ Eric Bjurstrom (May 1997). "Beneath the Waters of the Red Sea". The Middle East (267). Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2014.