Arar

The name Arar (Arabic: عرعر) is derived from the name of a nearby valley called Wadi Arar. The term "Arar" is linked to the Arabic verb ʿarara, which means "to cut" or "to tear the earth," reflecting the valley’s distinctive erosive landscape. While the word "Arar" is also the Arabic name for the Juniperus procera tree (ʿarʿar), which is native to the southwestern highlands of Saudi Arabia, the juniper tree itself does not naturally grow in the northern region where the city is located. The association with the juniper tree is primarily linguistic and historical rather than botanical. Historical Arabic literature, including poetry by Imru' al-Qais and writings by geographers such as Yaqut al-Hamawi and Al-Hijri, mention Wadi Arar, indicating that the name has long been linked to the region well before the establishment of the modern city.

The city of Arar was founded in 1951 following the construction of the Trans-Arabian Pipeline by Saudi Aramco. Initially, Arar served as an oil pumping station, equipped with a health center and worker housing. The early workforce primarily consisted of individuals from Al-Ahsa, Hail, Yanbu, and Al-Wajh. In 1954, a summit was held in Arar between King Saud of Saudi Arabia and King Hussein of Jordan during their respective reigns. In 1968, the remains of an ancient city were discovered approximately 30 km from Arar. The site yielded numerous finely crafted sculptures and statues of aquatic creatures such as turtles and fish. Additionally, around 200 inscriptions in the Safaitic and Thamudic scripts were found. Iraqi Airways Flight 163 crashed near the Arar Domestic Airport on 25 December 1986. The plane was flying from Baghdad, Iraq, to Amman, Jordan. …