hijaz

Hijaz, also spelled Hejaz, is a geographic and historic region in the western part of the Arabian Peninsula along the Red Sea. It comprises a rugged inland highland and a coastal plain and includes two of Islam’s holiest cities, Mecca and Medina. The Sarawat Mountains run parallel to the coast, shaping climate and settlement patterns along the western edge of the peninsula.

Historically, Hijaz has been a center of religious life, commerce, and travel. In the medieval and early modern periods it formed part of the Ottoman Empire as the Eyalet of Hejaz, with major towns such as Mecca, Medina, and Jeddah. The region’s religious significance grew with the annual pilgrimage to Mecca from across the Muslim world.

During the Arab Revolt of World War I (1916–1918) Sharif Hussein bin Ali established the Hashemite Emirate of Mecca in the western Hejaz; after a series of campaigns, Ibn Saud conquered the area and incorporated it into the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, formally joining in 1932.

Today, Hijaz is a historical and cultural designation rather than an official administrative unit in Saudi Arabia, where most of its territory lies in the Makkah Region. Its economy is closely tied to the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage, maritime trade via Jeddah, and the broader tourism and religious sector. Arabic is the dominant language, and Islam is central to its identity, with a long history of trade connections across Africa, the Indian Ocean world, and the broader Arab world.