Khamis Mushait
| Khamis Mushayt خـميــس مشيـــط | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Khamis Mushayt | |
| Coordinates: SA 18°18′N 42°44′E / 18.300°N 42.733°ECoordinates: SA 18°18′N 42°44′E / 18.300°N 42.733°E | |
| Country |
 Saudi Arabia |
| Province | Asir |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Saeed Bin Mushait |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 713,000 |
| Time zone | EAT (UTC+3) |
| • Summer (DST) | EAT (UTC+3) |
| Area code(s) | +966-7 |
| Website | Khamis Mushayt Municipality |
Khamis Mushait or Khamis Mushayt (Arabic: خميس مشيط, Ḫamīs Mušayṭ) is a city in south-west Saudi Arabia, located east of Abha, the provincial seat of the Asir province, 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) 650 nautical miles from Dhahran and 884 kilometres (549 mi) from the national capital of Riyadh.[1] It is the capital of the Shahran Tribe.
History
Until the 1970s Khamis Mushait was a small town of less than 50,000 servicing the surrounding mild-climate agricultural region. Since then its population has grown dramatically to reach over 513,000 as of the 2011 census.[2] The city is surrounded by farms producing agricultural crops.[3]
King Khalid Air Base (KMX) has a 12,400 ft (3,780 m) paved runway without customs facilities. The base was designed and built by US Army and Air Force engineers in the 1960s and 70s and has F-15 service facilities.[4] During the Gulf War in 1991, the US Airforce had a base here from which they launched bombers on Baghdad.[3]
Notable landmarks
Khamis Mushayt has several souks, including Khamis Souk and Silver Souq, both of which are noted for their silver jewellery, and Spice Souk.[3] Notable hotels include Mushayt Palace Hotel and Trident Hotel.[3] Also of note is Al-Hayat Hospital and Khamis Mushayt Mosque.
Al-Hayat Hospital
Statue of coffee in Heritage area of Khamis Mushait
King Fahad Mosque
References
- ↑ Cordesman, Anthony H. (1987). Western Strategic Interests in Saudi Arabia. Croom Helm. p. 170. ISBN 978-0-7099-4823-0. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ "Saudi Arabia: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". World Gazetteer. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 Ham, Anthony; Shams, Martha Brekhus; Madden, Andrew (15 September 2004). Saudi Arabia. Lonely Planet. p. 134. ISBN 978-1-74059-667-1. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ Cordesman, Anthony H.; Al-Rodhan, Khalid R. (2007). Gulf Military Forces in an Era of Asymmetric Wars. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 216. ISBN 978-0-275-99399-3. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
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