Tihāmah

coastal plain, Arabia

Also known as: Red Sea coastal plain

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July 14, 2026

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The Tihāmah is a coastal plain that runs along the western edge of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering the Red Sea. It is divided into sections, including Tihāmat ʿAsīr in southwestern Saudi Arabia and Tihāmat al-Yaman in western Yemen.12

While the Tihāmah is largely a salty, arid plain with limited agricultural value, its upper slopes, particularly in Saudi Arabia, have been transformed through irrigation into a productive agricultural area. Major crops include dates, tobacco, and cotton. The Red Sea coast within the Tihāmah is also significant for fishing industries. The region is characterized by a steep escarpment rising from the plain to the highlands of western Arabia.123

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Arabia
The Hejaz and Asir
The name Tihāmah, used for the whole plain, is sometimes subdivided into Tihāmat Al-Ḥijāz and Tihāmat ʿAsīr. There are no natural harbours adequate for large vessels, but the many inlets are well suited for sailing craft. Islands are particularly numerous along the southern part of the coast,…
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The name Tihāmah, used for the whole plain, is sometimes subdivided into Tihāmat Al-Ḥijāz and Tihāmat ʿAsīr. There are no natural harbours adequate for large vessels, but the many inlets are well suited for sailing craft. Islands are particularly numerous along the southern part of the coast,…
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Saudi Arabia
Relief
…coastal plain, known as the Tihāmah, is virtually nonexistent in the north, except for occasional wadi deltas, but it widens slightly toward the south. The imposing escarpment that runs parallel to the Red Sea is somewhat interrupted by a gap northwest of Mecca but becomes more clearly continuous to the…
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…coastal plain, known as the Tihāmah, is virtually nonexistent in the north, except for occasional wadi deltas, but it widens slightly toward the south. The imposing escarpment that runs parallel to the Red Sea is somewhat interrupted by a gap northwest of Mecca but becomes more clearly continuous to the…
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Yemen
Relief and drainage
…running north-south known as the Tihāmah (an extension of the Tihāmat ʿAsīr), the western highlands, the central mountains (the Yemen Highlands), the eastern highlands, and finally the eastern and northeastern desert regions.
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…running north-south known as the Tihāmah (an extension of the Tihāmat ʿAsīr), the western highlands, the central mountains (the Yemen Highlands), the eastern highlands, and finally the eastern and northeastern desert regions.
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