Qaryat Al-Faw, the first capital of the Kindite kingdom, witnessed the establishment of several ancient civilizations, with its plethora of tombs depicting their presence and passing.
There are three types of cemeteries that can be distinguished in Al-Faw. The first is located on the western edge of the city and consists of the collective family cemeteries that belonged to those of heightened political and social status in the city.
The tomb is 5 meters deep, 1 meter wide, and 6 meters long from north to south. There are holes on the eastern and western walls in which a person could put his legs to go into or out of the tomb.
In addition, there are four doors on the four sides. Three of these doors lead to caves carved in round shapes, while the western door leads to a built room tiled with white plaster and a lower room at the northern end which contains a pit containing valuable things belonging to the deceased.
The second type consists of the cemeteries of the noblemen, where the tomb consists of eastern and western rooms with a ditch in the middle that is three-and-a-half meters deep, with holes in the eastern and western sides for people to enter and exit the tomb.
The third type of cemeteries belonged to the common people of the various kingdoms. They are located to the northeast of the city, on the edge of the western valley in the plaster area that lies to the north of the market. The cemeteries are strikingly similar to Islamic cemeteries. These tombs are composed of an irregular and un-plastered ditch between 1 and 5 meters long and ends with a tomb closed with a small clay board, which is similar to those used in the village buildings. Excavators found several jars among the dead upon opening them.
Al-Faw is considered as one of the most important archeological sites in the Arabian Peninsula. It boasts special importance due to its geographic location as a commercial center and a crossroads for caravans loaded with minerals, grains and weavings.
It was a major transit point for the caravans coming from the kingdoms of Sheba, Ma’in, Qataban, Hadhramout and Himyar on their way to Najran, Al-Faw then to Al-Aflaj and Yamamah before heading east to the gulf and north to Mesopotamia and Syria.
The tombs can be found about 150 km from the headquarters of Wadi Al-Dawasir governorate from the southeast, specifically in the area where Wadi Al-Dawasir overlaps with the Tuwaiq Mountains in an area called “Al-Faw.”
ThePlace: Qaryat Al-Faw, the first capital of the kingdom of central Arabia
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ThePlace: Qaryat Al-Faw, the first capital of the kingdom of central Arabia
Threat to Kingdom’s security is ‘red line’ that will be ‘addressed and neutralized,’ Saudi envoy says
- Abdulaziz Alwasil tells UN Security Council the situation in southern Yemen is ‘a just cause with social and historic dimensions’ that can only be resolved through dialogue
- Recent military activity in the south was unilateral, resulting in an escalation that harms the interests of Yemeni people and undermines efforts to address issues in the south, he said
NEW YORK CITY: Any attempt to threaten Saudi Arabia’s national security is a “red line” and will be met with decisive action, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the UN told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Speaking during a meeting of the council to discuss Yemen, Abdulaziz Alwasil said the situation in the south of the country is “a just cause with social and historic dimensions” that can only be resolved through dialogue.
“We stress that any attempt to threaten our national security is a red line, and we will not hesitate to take the necessary actions and steps to address it and neutralize it,” he added.
Alwasil reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for Yemeni President Rashad Al-Alimi, the Presidential Leadership Council, and the Yemeni government in their efforts to achieve security, stability, development and peace while preserving national unity.
He said military activity by Southern Transitional Council forces in Hadramout and Al-Mahra on Dec. 2, 2025, was unilateral, did not have the approval of the Presidential Leadership Council, and was not carried out in coordination with the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen.
It had resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of the Yemeni people, undermined efforts to address the issues in the south, and ran counter to the coalition’s objectives, Alwasil added.
The Kingdom, working with its coalition partners, the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government, had moved to contain the situation by dispatching a military force to coordinate arrangements with the Southern Transitional Council in Aden, he said.
The aim was to ensure the return of the southern council’s forces to their previous positions outside of Hadramout and Al-Mahra, and the handover of camps to legitimate government forces and local authorities in line with agreed procedures, Alwasil added.
He expressed regret over the military operations that took place in Hadramout and Al-Mahra, close to Saudi Arabia’s southern border, which he said posed a direct threat to the Kingdom’s national security, as well as the security of Yemen and regional stability. Such steps were extremely dangerous, he added, and contradicted the principles on which the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen had been founded.
Alwasil welcomed a prisoner and detainee exchange agreement signed in Muscat on Dec. 23, which he described as an important humanitarian measure to alleviate suffering and build confidence.
He praised Oman for hosting and sponsoring the consultations and supporting negotiations, and commended the efforts of UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, the International Committee of the Red Cross and all others that has played a part.
Regarding the political efforts to resolve the crisis, Alwasil said Saudi Arabia welcomed President Al-Alimi’s call for an inclusive conference in Riyadh to bring together all stakeholders to discuss just solutions to the situation in southern Yemen.
Preparations for the conference have begun, he added, in cooperation with the Yemeni government and southern representatives, reflecting the close ties between the two countries and their shared interests in stabilizing Yemen.
He urged all southern stakeholders to participate actively and constructively in the talks, to help find comprehensive and just solutions that meet the legitimate aspirations of the people of southern Yemen.
Alwasil called on all Yemeni forces and stakeholders to cooperate and intensify their efforts to reach a lasting political settlement that would ensure security and stability.
He described the southern issue as “a just cause with social and historic dimensions,” adding that “the only way to address it is through dialogue that leads to a comprehensive political solution” based on nationally and internationally agreed terms of reference.
