Hofuf is the capital of the Al-Ahsa oasis, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, and Al-Ahsa is a surprise: a green island in a desert of sand and salt flats. It is the largest date-palm oasis in the world, with some two and a half million palms growing on land watered by natural springs that rise from deep aquifers beneath the Arabian Peninsula. Springs and channels have fed farms here for thousands of years, and in 2018 the oasis was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. Hofuf, with nearly three hundred thousand people, and neighbouring Mubarraz stand at its heart.
Qasr Khuzam is one of the old fortified residences of the town, a walled residence of thick, plain masonry built in the long period when the oasis was contested between Ottoman governors, local tribes and Gulf powers. It belongs to the same urban world as the old market and the other forts, and a visit shows how a town grew up behind walls on the edge of the palms. Opening hours and entry arrangements here change, so check before going rather than relying on anything written ahead of time.
The riding is on straight, fast highways. The landscape is flat, open and often hazy with dust, and the road from Dammam and the Gulf coast crosses scrub and sand before the palm groves suddenly appear. Sand blowing across the tarmac is a real hazard, particularly in spring, and so is the heat: from May to September, temperatures climb above forty-five degrees, and riding midday is just dangerous. Winter, from November to March, is the season to be here, with mild days and cool nights. Drive carefully, since road manners are fast and unforgiving, and you will see many pickup trucks and plenty of tailgating.
Fuel is available everywhere in the Hofuf and Mubarraz area, with big stations on the main roads, and you will find cafes serving Arabic coffee, flavoured with cardamom and served in small cups, and bakeries selling dates stuffed with almond. Al-Ahsa dates, especially the variety called khalas, are among the best in the Gulf, and buying a box from a market stall is the right souvenir. In the evening, when the heat drops, the oasis smells of wet earth and woodsmoke, and there is a gentle breeze under the palms.