The mountain village of Al-Jarf in the north of the Rijaal Alma' region is one of the oldest traditional settlements in the Kingdom, boasting a series of former palace buildings, forts and houses, and a mosque dating back 400 years. Without a tarmac road to provide access to the outside world and frequently cut off entirely in times of heavy rain, however, the inhabitants of Al-Jarf are pinning their hopes on local authorities' plans for renovation to revive its once thriving market and encourage tourist interest. The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities has included Al-Jarf on its list of sites of historic interest to be renovated and developed, but studies conducted several months ago by a committee made up of municipality, governorate and Civil Defense officials have yet to bear fruit. “There have been calls for some time for renovation work to be done in Al-Jarf as well as building a road, and the Emir of Asir Prince Faisal Bin Khalid has ordered that road access be opened as soon as possible,” says Abdullah Bin Bajad, sheikh of the local Bani Qatba tribe. The studies for renovation and road projects are reportedly awaiting review by the authorities concerned before work can go ahead. “We are hoping the village can become another tourist outlet for the Rijaal Alma' region. It's in an advantageous location and has spectacular views,” Bin Bajad said. Al-Jarf has two well-preserved forts which served for hundreds of years to protect local inhabitants from raiders, and according to Faye' Yaqoub of the Aal Mawhoub tribal branch, the village was known 200 years ago as “Mu'tiq” – “liberating”, “place of liberation” - due to its privileged site towering above the Rijaal Alma' region. “It was built at a time when there was no state, no ruler and no security, and its location helped protect it from attacks by robbers and looters,” Yaqoub said. Market areas developed around the forts until the village enjoyed considerable trade activity, with merchants bringing products from nearby areas and locals selling honey, fat and grain to neighboring regions. Nowadays many goods are brought up from the port of Al-Qunfudah, but trade has declined in recent times due to the emigration of the original population to larger towns in search of work. Ahmed Badawi, a local resident in his seventies, has spent his entire life in Al-Jarf. “The village is dissected by tunnel-like alleyways over 200 meters in length and everyone uses them,” Badawi said. “Al-Jarf has three entrance gates which are closed in the evening, and there's no other way in or out.”
