Ask in Arabic or English about date varieties, oases, trade routes and heritage cuisine — answers grounded in our encyclopedia
Bisha is the date capital of southern Saudi Arabia.
• It is located on the banks of Wadi Bisha.
• The region is famous for over a hundred varieties of dates, such as Safri, Helwa, and Shebibi.
• Bisha hosts the largest date auction festival in the south every summer .
Bisha is the date capital of southern Saudi Arabia on the banks of Wadi Bisha, famed for over a hundred varieties such as Safri, Helwa and Shebibi, and hosts the largest date auction festival in the south every summer.
Open pageAreekah is a southern dish from Asir, Al-Bahah and Bisha: warm brown bread kneaded with date paste, shaped into a dome and filled with ghee and honey. Served at weddings and Friday breakfasts. Modern take: a layered areekah parfait.
Open pageAjwa dates hold a special place in Islamic heritage; the prophetic hadith says: 'Whoever eats seven Ajwa dates in the morning will not be harmed that day by poison or magic.' Al-Madinah has passed down their cultivation as a medicinal and spiritual legacy.
Open pageAjwa is a dark, soft-textured date from Al-Madinah. It is renowned for its medicinal value, mentioned in prophetic medicine, and is among the most prized dates in the Islamic world.
Open page