Madinah

Madinah, officially known as al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, serves as the capital and administrative centre of the Medina Region in western Saudi Arabia. Located at 24.46861 latitude and 39.61417 longitude, the city functions as the second holiest site in Islam and holds profound historical importance.

Geographically, the urban area of Madinah spans 293 square kilometres out of a total area of 589 square kilometres, with the remaining space occupied by empty valleys, agricultural spaces, older dormant volcanoes, and the Hejaz Mountains. The city operates within the Asia/Riyadh timezone and records a population of 1,300,000 residents according to administrative baseline data, while census figures from 2022 list a population of 1,477,023. Within this population, approximately 58.5% are Saudi citizens and 41.5% are foreign nationals.

Historically existing for over 1,500 years prior to the migration of Muhammad from Mecca known as the Hijrah, the city was originally named Yathrib before the advent of Islam. Under the leadership of Muhammad, Madinah became the capital and base of operations for a rapidly expanding Muslim caliphate. Over subsequent centuries, the governance of the region shifted across numerous dynasties and authorities, including Jewish-Arabian tribes, the Aws and Khazraj, the Rashidun caliphs, Umayyads, Abbasids, Fatimids, Ayyubids, Mamluks of Egypt, Ottomans, the First Saudi State, Muhammad Ali of Egypt, the Hashemite Sharifate of Mecca, and ultimately the present-day Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Today, the city remains anchored by foundational religious institutions, most notably al-Masjid al-Nabawi, which houses the tomb of the prophet Muhammad. Other prominent landmarks of religious significance include the Quba Mosque—recognized as the oldest in Islam—as well as Masjid al-Qiblatayn, Mount Uhud, Al-Baqi' cemetery, and the Seven Mosques. In 2024, the municipality joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.