The region of Sudair exists in the Northern part of the old Province of Yamamah which used to be part of the Al Rub Al-Khali in the South and to Nfod Al- Thwairat in the North. Indeed, the Sudair area extends from Alatk Sudeer Valley, Alatch, in the Southern part of the Tuwaiq Mountains slope, crossing the Almaltaha in the Northern part and penetrating the Al Arma Mountains till the Al Tenhat meadow. This Area ends in Nfod Al-Thwairat which separates it from the Qasim region. The area, also, is surrounded by the Nfod Dahnaa in the west separating it from the eastern region. Its Western part is bordered by the Nfod-Al Thwairat, and in its Southern part are the Al Wachm and Al Mahmal Province. This area contains three series of Mountains- the most important of them is the Mountain chain of Tuwaiq which has contained many villages since the ancient times….this chain starts from Al Rub Al- Khali and ends in Nfod Al-Thwairat in the North. And, the region of Sudair represents its Northern section.
The second chain of these Mountains is Almdzl that extends from Nfod Al-Thwairat till the end of Khaza and Balboul Mountains in the southern of Tamir. While, the third one is Al Aerma chain which starts at the confluence of Nfod Al Dahnaa with Nfod Al-Thwairat in the North, ending almost fifty kilometers before the city of Riyadh almost. And, between, these series exists wide plains, the most well known between them is Al Abla.
Tawil and Almdzl.
And from what had been said old poets about Sudair:
Nabigha Ben Chayban said:
I see the green meadow after its residents and here is Sudair and most its powerful men had admitted.
And Kattal Al Kilabi said:
Regrettably, I absolutely love a land with a clumsy if only to be visited.
I was made obedient by a gun from Sudair, branches of the astray and short ladder
And, Amrou Ben Al Ahtam said:
Standing on the land with my companions on their ride they said to me: do not disbelieve and you were not an infidel.
I told them I used to see Zayneb shepherding near their homes in Sudair
In the past, life in Sudeer was based on agriculture, herding, and trade….and agriculture is based on the superficial wells- Alkaban in the sides of the Valleys, and palm trees are the prevalent in the region as well as the cultivation of grain and fruit.
And among the region’s largest valleys:
The Arat Valley, the Feki Valley, the Water Valley, the Al Hayer Wjawi Valley, the Alamishqr Valley, the Al Kalbi Valley, the Markh Valley, the Ghat Valley, the Tamir Valley, the Mbayeth Valley, the AL Choki Valley, the Asal Valley, the Artawiya Valley, the Jirab Valley, the Palm Valley.
And among the famous gardens and parks in Sudeer: The AL-Abla garden, the Altnhat garden, the Al-Hira garden, the AL-Khachem garden, the Moterba and Al-Khfisa garden, the AL-Nthim garden, the AL-Zalaa garden, Banaa garder, Zeida garden, the AL-Majmaa garder, the AL-Sebla garden, the Hataba garden, the AL-Mzireya garden, the Al-Hamada garden…and many others.
And among Sudair’s old cities: Majmaa, Horma, AL-Zulfi, Al-Ghat, Al-Khis, Achi, Al- Haer, Jalajel, AL-Tawim, Al-Rawtha and AL-Dakhila, AL-Hasoun, Al-Houta, AL-Attar, Al-Janoubiya, Mokbila, AL-Jinifi, AL-Mouchba, AL-Ouda, Achira, AL-Khotama, and Tamir. Indeed, all these cities lie in the slopes of Tuwaiq Mountain except Tamir which exists in Almdzl Mountain.
While it’s recent famous cities, which were established after the localizing of the desert project, which was adopted by His Majesty Abdul Aziz, God, Bless him, are:
AL- Artawiya, the first city which was established, in 1330AH, in the Kingdom, mabayed, Boutha, Mlih, Athiden, and the Alfruthe.
And since the reign of King Faisal, God’s mercy upon him, the city has been followed by: Jirab, Om Aljamajen, Alkaieya, Om Rjoum and Achaab, and Alchahma and Achrat Alhajr Al Okhra North and West the Al Artawiya….including Albatyraa, Mchech Oth, Hwimtha, and Mecherfa.
And about Sudair, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khamis said:
The Province of Sudair is one of the largest regions of the Al-Yamamah… it is bounded by the Atk in the South and by the Highlands and the Algfav near the periphery of the Sabalh park. Furthermore, the Sudair regions comprises big Valley such as; the Al-Feki Valley, the Water Valley, the Jwi Valley, the Almishpr Valley, the Al-Kalbi Valley, the Tamir Valley, the Al-Ghat Valley, and the Majmaa-Sudeer region’s base.
Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Sharif said about it:
The region of Sudair, its base is Majmaa, and includes Al-Zulfi and the Alghat
Youssef Ben Hamed Al-Bassam-the author of the Al-Zubair before Fifty Years book- said about Njad’s Aaalat.
Sudair’s famous cities: Al-Majmaa, Zulfi, Al-Ghat, Jalajel, Al-Twim, Al-Daakhla, the Park, Al-Hasoun, Al-hota, Al-Janoubiya, Al-Attar, Al-Ouda, Achira, Al-Khtama, Tamir, Horma.
In his book The Gulf Guide, Lorimer, talking about the capital of this province (Majmaa), said: it is the main city and the natural center of Sudair’s administration in Najd.
Sudair is back and its crops multiplied it meets the merchant wherever his sheep.
Sudair’s cities, in the older times, are:
A) The parts of Al-Faki cities which is made of Al-Rawtha, the Al-Houtat, and its surroundings.
B) The part of Mnikh which is made up of Majmaa and the surrounding villages.
C) The part of Zulfi and Ghat
D) The part of Tamir and the surrounding villages
E) And recently, the part of the Al-Artawiya.
In the present time, Sudair included three provinces, namely:
1) Majmaa province: it is the original province, and it covers a vast area of the cities and the villages of the region.
2) The Zulfi province
3) The Al-Ghat province
These two documents go back to the Thirteenth Century AH. They refer to some cities of Sudair. The first document is about the aspect of life in Sudair cities starting from Al-Zulfi and ending with Tamir. This document is written in 1270AH and provided by Professor Mr. Abdullah Ben Nasser Al-Abiid. The Al-Abiid Family is a famous scientific family in Jalajel. Indeed, Sudair’s judge, Abdullah Ben Abiid, during the reign of Imam Turki Ben Abdullah was from the Al- Abiid’s. The second document is a contract sale of two properties of a citizen which was written by Sheikh Mohammed Ben Othman Ben Isa. As it is written in the document, the two properties are in Sudair’s cities Al-Zulfi and the Al-Ghat. This document was written in 1298 AH and its source is Professor Fayez Al-Badrani Al-Harbi.
