Tabuk, Saudi Arabia in the context of "Hijaz"

Hejaz is a historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes the majority of the western region of Saudi Arabia, covering the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif and Al-Bahah. It is thus known as the "Western Province", and it is bordered in the west by the Red Sea, in the north by Jordan and the Gulf of Suez, in the east by the Najd, and in the south by Yemen. Its largest city is Jeddah, which is the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia, with Mecca and Medina, respectively, being the third- and fourth-largest cities in the country.

As the location of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, respectively the first and second holiest sites in Islam, the Hejaz is significant in the Arabo-Islamic historical and political landscape. This region is the most populated in Saudi Arabia, and Arabic is the predominant language, as in the rest of Saudi Arabia, with Hejazi Arabic being the most widely spoken dialect here. Some Hejazis are of ethnically diverse origins, although the vast majority are of Arab origin.

Tayma /ˈteɪmə/ (Arabic: تيماء, romanized: Taymāʾ; Taymanitic: 𐪉𐪃𐪑, TMʾ, vocalized as: Taymāʾ), also spelled Tema, is a city and governorate, in Tabuk Province, and major oasis with a long history of habitation. It is located in northwestern Saudi Arabia at the point where the trade route between Medina and Dumah (Sakaka) begins to cross the Nafud desert. Tayma lies about 264 km (164 mi) southeast of Tabuk and approximately 400 km (250 mi) north of Medina. The oasis is situated in the western portion of the Nafud desert.

Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport, more commonly known as Tabuk Airport (IATA: TUU, ICAO: OETB), is a public and military airport located in Tabuk City, Saudi Arabia. Originally operated exclusively as a military facility, it was renovated and upgraded to international status in 2011. The airport features a single terminal equipped with air bridges for passenger boarding. It is named in honor of the late Crown Prince and Minister of Defense, Sultan bin Abdulaziz.

The Expedition of Tabuk (Arabic: غَزوَة تَبوك; Ghazwat Tabūk), also known as the Campaign of Hardship (Ghazwat al-ʿUsrah), was a military campaign that was initiated by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in October 630 CE (Rajab AH 9), in response to reports of a potential Byzantine invasion of northern Arabia. He led a force of as many as 30,000 north to Tabuk, near the Gulf of Aqaba, in present-day northwestern Saudi Arabia. Although no direct battle occurred, the campaign was significant for asserting Muslim presence in the region and securing strategic alliances.