ʿĀd (Arabic عاد) was an ancient Arab tribe and a district in South Arabia that was led by 'Ad ibn Kin'ad.
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The ʿĀd are thought to have lived in what is now eastern Yemen and western Oman, running from the Arabian Sea up into the Dhofar Mountains and to the edge of the Rub' al Khali. Some speculate that this was the first site of camel domestication.[1] Ubar, located in ʿĀd, was a major transshipment point for ancient frankincense trade.
The ʿĀd tribe settled in an area to the East of the Qahtan tribe and established the Kingdom of ʿĀd in South Arabia sometime between 10th century BC and 3rd century AD. The rulers of ʿĀd included Ad ibn Kin'ad, the first leader of 'Ad, who lived some time between the 23rd and 10th century BC; Aldahn Khuljan, who lived some time in the 4th to 3rd centuries BC; and, according to legend, Shaddad, known to the Himyarites as the last leader of 'Ad, who lived in the 6th to 4th centuries AD.
Claudius Ptolemy's Geographos includes mention of the inhabitants of 'Ad's capital, Ubar.
Some time between the 3rd and 6th century AD, the 'Ad state crumbled, in part because of a natural catastrophe that destroyed much of Ubar.
The 'Adid are mentioned in the Qur'an as being the people to whom the Islamic prophet Hud (هود) was sent by Allah to guide them back to the righteous path of faith. According to the story, the citizens did not heed his warnings and the town was destroyed by God in a great storm.
It was mentioned in the Quran that The ʿĀd tribe built the largest building ever built and they were the most powerful humans ever; and that they built very huge buildings just to for showing off their power.
The Quran mentioned that Allah sent The ʿĀd tribe a huge sand storm that killed them all, because they refused to worship him and worshiped النجم الشعرى (Orion's belt).