RIYADH: One of the oldest villages in the Hail region, sitting adjacent to the iconic Salma Mountains, is attracting an increasing number of tourists because it was built on the rim of an extinct volcano’s crater in pre-Islamic times.
Located around 90 km southeast of Hail City, Taba is affiliated with the Al-Shanan governorate, known for its abundance of farms, date palm trees, ancient wells, and archaeological inscriptions. The Taba is also one of the largest dormant volcanoes in the northwest of the Kingdom.
The village has a population of about 5,000 and is considered one of the most important tourist attractions in Hail, drawing visitors from both inside and outside the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
The village’s residents have faced challenges in recent times because of the volcano. In 1983, Taba experienced consecutive earthquakes that caused cracks in buildings and deep fissures, exceeding 3 meters in width in some areas.
Bariqa Al-Shammari, a Taba resident, praised the government for its response in the aftermath, which included loans and financial compensations for residents and farmers.
Mohammed Al-Sanitan, another resident, said that at the time the government formed a committee that studied the situation and introduced safety measures.
Recently, Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet approved additional compensation of SR200,000 ($53,000) for every person, or their heirs, affected by the natural disaster.
Several beneficiaries thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their support.
