Souk Okaz

Souk Okaz (Saudi Arabia), situated at 45 Km from the city of Taif, has played a very important role in pre-islamic and early Islamic times for the Arabic language: it used to be a place where tribes would meet, trade and compete in Arabic poetry. The most reputed Arabic poets of this period would come to Souk Okaz to take part in these competitions.

The Development of Souk Okaz Project is part of the SCTA*’s “Tourism Destinations & Sites Development Program” initiative to develop sustainable tourism and benefit from its socio-economic impact through the encouragement of private investments in the region. GAIA-Heritage was contracted by Tourism Leisure & Sports (T&L) to assess the cultural heritage value of the site, recommend protection and enhancement measures, and design a programme for academic research, studies and conferences around its intangible heritage.

*Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities