Medina Province
منطقة المدينة المنورة | |
|---|---|
| Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah | |
 Map of Saudi Arabia with Madinah highlighted | |
| Coordinates: 25°0′N 39°30′E / 25.000°N 39.500°E / 25.000; 39.500 | |
| Country |  Saudi Arabia |
| Region | Hejaz |
| Seat | Medina |
| Governorates | 8 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Development Authority / Municipality |
| • Body |
|
| • Municipal Commissioner | Fahd Al-Buliheshi |
| • Governor | Salman bin Sultan |
| • Deputy Governor | Saud bin Khalid |
| Area | |
• Total | 151,990 km2 (58,680 sq mi) |
| Population (2022 census) | |
• Total | 2,389,452 |
| • Density | 15.721/km2 (40.717/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 (SAST) |
| ISO 3166-2 | SA–03 |
| Area code | 014 |
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Medina Province, also known as Medina Region and officially spelled Madinah (Arabic: منطقة المدينة المنورة, romanized: Minṭaqat al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah), is a province of Saudi Arabia in the Hejaz region along the Red Sea coast.[1] The provincial seat is Medina, the second-holiest city in Islam.[2] Other historic cities in the province include Yanbu, Badr, and several others. The province also contains Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[3]
History
The Medina Province shares its historical background with the city of Medina, including major events in early Islamic history such as the Battle of Badr and the establishment of Quba Mosque, the first mosque in Islam.[4][5]
The province was created in 1925 following the Saudi conquest of the Hejaz and the absorption of the Kingdom of Hejaz into the Sultanate of Nejd, forming the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd in 1926, which was later renamed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932.[6][7] The modern provincial boundaries were defined later.
At the start of the 2020s, Medina launched the Humanizing Medina program, led by Fahd Al-Buliheshi, the Municipal Commissioner of Medina, under the supervision of the Medina Development Authority. The program aims to make the city and the surrounding province more walkable, sustainable, and accessible for residents and visitors. As part of this effort, the region has also begun incorporating traditional Hejazi architectural elements in new public projects, following the launch of the Saudi Architecture Map by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2025.[8]
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 1,084,947 | — |
| 2004 | 1,512,724 | +2.81% |
| 2010 | 1,781,733 | +2.77% |
| 2022 | 2,389,452 | +2.48% |
| source:[9] | ||
Governorates
Medina Province comprises eight governorates, with Medina City serving as the seat of the province. The governorates are categorized into Category A and Category B based on the availability of services.[10]
| # | Governorate | 2010 Census | 2022 Census |
|---|---|---|---|
| – | Medina | 1,183,205 | 1,477,047 |
| 1 | Yanbu | 299,526 | 359,631 |
| 2 | al-Ula | 64,482 | 60,103 |
| 3 | Badr | 64,209 | 58,259 |
| 4 | Mahd Al-Dhahab | 61,936 | 48,590 |
| 5 | Khaybar | 48,901 | 45,532 |
| 6 | Al-Hunakiyah | 59,474 | 43,256 |
| 7 | Wadi al-Fara | 35,382 | 23,120 |
| 8 | Al-Ais | 30,169 | 22,445 |
Transportation
Air
Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport is the main airport in the Medina Province, serving domestic and international flights and handling 8,144,790 passengers in 2018.[11] The airport project has received several international recognitions, including an award from Engineering News-Record in 2015[12][13] It was also the first airport in the region to receive LEED Gold certification.[14]
The province is also served by Al-Ula International Airport in al-Ula governorate and Prince Abdulmohsen Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Yanbu governorate.[15][16]
Roads
The Medina Province is connected by major highways including Highway 15 and Highway 60, and is served by a network of ring roads around the provincial capital, including King Faisal, King Abdullah, and King Khalid Roads. In 2015, the Medina Development Authority began the Darb as-Sunnah project to upgrade the 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) route between the Quba Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque.[17]
Bus
The province’s bus network, operated by SAPTCO, began in 2012 and includes 10 lines serving around 20,000 passengers daily.[18][19]
Metro
The Medina Development Authority has proposed the Medina Metro, a three-line urban rail system planned to serve the provincial capital.[20]
Rail
The Medina Province is served by the Haramain High Speed Railway, which opened in 2018 and links the province with Mecca, Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport, and King Abdullah Economic City.[21] The route is 444 kilometres (276 mi) long, operates at 300 km/h, and has a capacity of 60 million passengers annually.[22]
Ports
Medina Province has two ports, both of which are located in Yanbu: Yanbu Commercial Port and King Fahd Industrial Port.
Education
Universities
Taibah University is the principal public university in the Medina Province. It was established in 2003 following the merger of several colleges previously affiliated with King Abdulaziz University. It offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs, including medicine, engineering, business administration, and computer science, and maintains branch campuses in Yanbu, al-Ula, and Mahd Al-Dhahab.[23]
Islamic University of Madinah is an international public university founded in 1961, specializing in Islamic studies, Arabic language, Sharia, and related fields. It also offers programs in engineering and computer science. The university attracts students globally and provides a range of scholarships.[24]
University of Prince Mugrin is a private, non-profit university established in 2017. It offers programs in business, engineering, architecture, and information technology, and is known for international academic partnerships and a focus on applied education.[25]
Colleges of Technology
The Medina Province hosts multiple technical colleges for men and women, affiliated with the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC). These institutions provide diploma and applied bachelor’s programs in engineering technologies, information technology, business support, and other vocational fields.[26]
General Education
All public schools in the Medina Province, from elementary to secondary levels, are supervised by the Ministry of Education.
List of governors
| Name | Term of Office | Monarch(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Office established | ||
| Muhammad bin Abdulaziz | 1925 – 1965[27] | Abdulaziz, Saud, Faisal |
| Abdulmohsen bin Abdulaziz | 1965 – 1985 | Faisal, Khalid, Fahd |
| Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz | 1985 – 1999 | Fahd |
| Muqrin bin Abdulaziz | 1999 – 2005 | Fahd, Abdullah |
| Abdulaziz bin Majid | 2005 – 2013[28] | Abdullah |
| Faisal bin Salman | 2013 – 2023 | Abdullah, Salman |
| Salman bin Sultan | 2023 – present[29] | Salman |
See also
- Provinces of Saudi Arabia
- List of governorates of Saudi Arabia
- List of cities and towns in Saudi Arabia
- List of islands of Saudi Arabia
- List of caliphal governors of Medina
References
- ^ "Population Characteristics surveys" (PDF). General Authority for Statistics (Saudi Arabia). 2017.
- ^ "Medina". Trawell Guide. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ "USESCO and Saudi Arabia: A Snapshot Picture" (PDF). UNESCO. Retrieved 2012-11-17.
- ^ "Quba Mosque". Saudipedia. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
- ^ "Site of the Battle of Badr". IslamicLandmarks.com. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia – History". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
- ^ "The 1932 decree: How Saudi Arabia was born under one name". Saudi Gazette. 2025-09-22. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
- ^ "Saudi Architecture Map". Time Out Riyadh. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia: Regions & Major Cities – Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de.
- ^ Brinkhoff, Thomas (1 August 2025). "Saudi Arabia: Administrative Division". City Population. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ "TAV Traffic Results 2018" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ "Arabian Aerospace – TAV have constructed the world's best airport". Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ "ENR Announces Winners of 3rd Annual Global Best Projects Competition". Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- ^ "PressReleaseDetail". Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia's AlUla airport opens to international flights after expansion". Al Arabiya. 2021-03-21. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
- ^ "Yanbu Airport authorised for international traffic | Times Aerospace". www.timesaerospace.aero. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
- ^ "Darb Al-Sunnah Project (Arabic)". Al-Madinah Newspaper. 9 September 2015. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
- ^ "Madina Buses Official (Arabic)". Madina Buses Official Website. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ "Medina Buses Serves 20k Passengers Daily (Arabic)". Makkah Newspaper. 19 May 2019. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ^ "MMDA Announces a 3-line Metro Project in Medina (Arabic)". Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ "Pictures: Saudi Arabia opens high-speed railway to public". gulfnews.com. 12 October 2018. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
- ^ "About Haramain High Speed Rail". Official Haramain High Speed Rail Website. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ "About Taibah University". Taibah University. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ "About the Islamic University of Madinah". Islamic University of Madinah. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ "About UPM". University of Prince Mugrin. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ "Technical and Vocational Training Corporation – Institutions in Medina Province". TVTC. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ "Appendix 6. The Sons of Abdulaziz" (PDF). Springer. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ "Governor of Madinah Province Receives UN Under-Secretary-General - gcc_press". Gulf in the Media. 6 June 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ "Saudi King Orders Appointment of Faisal bin Salman as Special Adviser, Salman bin Sultan as Governor of Madinah Region". english.aawsat.com. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
External links
- Emirate of Al Madinah Official website
