Yanbu

Yanbu' al Bahr (Arabic: ينبع‎ "spring by the sea"), also known simply as Yanbu, Yambo or Yenbo, is a major Red Sea port in the Al Madinah province of western Saudi Arabia. It is approximately 350 kilometers north of Jeddah (at ). The population is 188,430 (2004 census). A large number of the residents are foreign expatriates, mostly from Asia, but there are also large numbers from the Middle East and Europe.

History

Yanbu's history dates back at least 2500 years, when it was a staging point on the spice and incense route from Yemen to Egypt and the Mediterranean region. Yanbu served as a supply and operational base for Arab and British forces fighting the Ottoman Empire during the World War I. It remained a small port town until 1975, when the Saudi government designated it as one of the country's two new industrial centres (the other being Al Jubayl on the Persian Gulf).

Geography

The city is divided into three villages, about 15 minutes drive by car away from each other.

The Downtown (often called Al-Balad) is the actual city and has most of the population with all the shopping centers. The majority of the residents are lower class and income Asians, lower class and lower income Saudi Arabians, and some non-Saudi Arabs and other Middle Easterners. Very few Westerners live in this part of Yanbu. Most of the restaurants here are lower class and cater to the various ethnic groups in the area. The area does contain a few international chain restaurants, as well as some coffee shops. Parts of the city, particularly on the edge of the city, are starting to modernize, as new shopping centers as well a new shopping mall are being built. The area as a whole, however, has a rather old, worn out feel to it. at the time being government work out to improve the old and historical part in yanbu down town, where you can find the pretty old buildings with all its old pretty accessories.

Al-Nakheel (The Palms) is the older part of the city, where mostly farms would be found. Any residents here would be exclusively Saudi Arabian.

Yanbu Al-Sina'iya (literally "the industrial Yanbu"), is the industrial city, established around 1975 with a very modern housing architecture. It houses all the major refineries and petrochemical installations and is still experiencing major growth. The industrial city has a section called the Royal Commission. Its residents are made up mostly of Europeans, Americans, and other Westerners. There are also many upper-class Saudi Arabians, upper income non-Saudi Arabs, and upper income Asians. Although the Royal Commission is mostly residential, there are many international chain restaurants, as well as a shopping mall, supermarkets of various sizes, hospitals, banks, and coffee shops. It has a more modern, clean, and more organized feel to it than the Downtown area. It is also more green.

Climate

Economy

Yanbu is an important petroleum shipping terminal and is home to three oil refineries, a plastics facility and several other petrochemical plants. It is the country's second port (after Jeddah) and serves as the main port for the holy city of Medina, 160 km (99 mi) to the east. The natural harbour is protected on both sides by wide coral reefs. These reefs remain mostly untouched making them excellent areas for diving. Three major oil pipelines lead across the desert from the oilfields in the east to terminate at the Red Sea in Yanbu.

Transportation

Airport

Yanbu also has an international airport (code YNB) that was built in 2009. It only offers flights to Riyadh and Jeddah within Saudi Arabia. Internationally, it offers flights to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and to Cairo, Egypt.

Highways

A new highway now passes through Yanbu linking Jeddah to the northern parts of the kingdom and the neighboring countries Syria, Jordan etc.

Naval Base

The naval base called Al-Minhalapin utilizes islands and underwater facilities to protect the landmass.

See also

• Saudi Ports Authority
• 2004 Yanbu attack, an attack by gunmen against Westerners on May 1, 2004
• Battle of Yanbu or Yanbu Landing
• Yanbu Industrial College
• Yanbu International School (YIS), an American-accredited school
• Al Tawhid International School

References

• Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu

Al manar international school

External links

• General information on Yanbu