The historical importance of the city is driven by the fact that it was a stopover for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims coming from Egypt and the Levant, as defined by the Islamic prophetMuhammad. The city was also located along pre-Islamic caravan routes between Yemen and the Levant. As a coastal town, fishing was the main source of income for the people of Rabigh, until the discovery of oil.[5]
Rabigh is known to have existed before the advent of Islam. Even up to the 17th century, the area in and around the city was known by its old name, al-Juhfah, also spelt al-Johfah.[5] During the time of Muhammad, Rabigh was a frequent site of raids by Muslims on the Meccan caravans that passed through the region.[6] It has been recorded Sahih Bukhari that Muhammad defined Al-Juhfah as the miqat for pilgrims arriving for Hajj and Umrah from Egypt and the Levant.[7][8]
According to Islamic historical sources, in April 623 CE, Muhammad sent Ubaydah ibn al-Harith with a party of sixty armed Muhajirun to the baṭn (Arabic: بَطْن, lit. 'valley') of Rabigh. They expected to intercept a Qurayshi caravan that was returning from Ash-Shaam, under the protection of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb and 200 armed riders.[9][10][11][12][13] The Muslim party travelled as far as the wells at Thanyat al-Murra,[9][12] where Ubaydah ibn al-Harith shot an arrow at the Quraysh. This is known as the first arrow of Islam.[14][15] Despite this surprise attack, "they did not unsheath a sword or approach one another," and the Muslims returned empty-handed;[10][11][12] however, two Meccan traders left their caravan, became Muslim, and went with the expedition back to Medina.[14]
Modern history
With the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia and the completion of the East–West pipeline, Saudi Aramco chose Rabigh to be the site of their new refinery and port. Construction on the Rabigh refinery began in 1981, during the reign of King Fahd. The joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Japan's Sumitomo Chemical, the $10-billion Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company, also known as Petro Rabigh, was founded in 2005. It is currently the second-largest integrated oil refinery and petrochemical production facility in Saudi Arabia.[16]
The nearest major airport to Rabigh is the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, 148 km (92 mi) to the south. The Haramain high-speed railway stops at King Abdullah Economic City, providing high-speed rail connections to Jeddah, Mecca and Medina.
Culture
Natural landmarks
The Red Sea hosts many coral reefs, and is thus the site of several marine sanctuaries, many of which are situated close to the coast. The Five Corals Reef is one such reef situated approximately 15 km (9 mi) south west of Rabigh.
