ABSTRACT
Najrān (نجران) 1 is the term used to identify the great southern province, its main town, and primary wādi. Najrān differs vastly from the other southwest areas in that it is not mountainous or coastal, but rather an oasis that rests near an extensive strip of the Yemen border, with the Asīr Mountains in the west and the great sand desert of the Empty Quarter to the east. The capital city of Najrān is most fertile. During the two-month rainy season mountain water that flows through its wādis is collected by the Najrāni wells, which proudly never run dry. Because of the high concentration of sediments, the area is rich in agriculture, boasting a myriad of crops, from bananas to potatoes, with notable grapes and oranges. Historically, dates were the most cultivated produce. Into the twenty-first century over 70 percent of the population work in the agricultural sector, and today many still survive through semi-nomadic means and are involved in animal husbandry.
