The Five Highest Peaks of the Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula holds several tall mountains, mainly in the west beside the Red Sea. The Hijaz besides Asir ranges stand out. Mount Nabi Shuaib tops the list - Mount Souda, Mount Farou, Jebel Shams or Mount Gypsum follow. The next sections list the five highest summits.
Mount Nabi Shuaib sits in Yemen and reaches more than 3,000 meters, the highest point in the peninsula and the Levant. It belongs to a volcanic belt called the Triangle Chain. Local belief links the summit to Prophet Shuaib - a mosque plus a tomb carry his name. The ground is steep and broken - yet over 4,000 people lived there at the time of the 2004 census.
Mount Souda, the loftiest point in Saudi Arabia, stands in the Asir region and also tops 3,000 meters. Visitors crowd the area for its cable car down to Abha city. Souda Park but also nearby tourist villages form part of large projects that tie the mountain to the Tihama lowlands and to cities such as Mecca next to Jeddah.
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Mount Farou lies close to Abha and almost matches Mount Souda in height - the gap is only a few centimeters. Both attract visitors - yet Farou focuses on hiking as well as raw nature - it feels wilder.
Jebel Shams, Oman's highest summit, rises above Al-Hamra in Al-Dakhiliya. People call it “Sun Mountain” because daylight strikes it first. Peach and apple trees grow on its slopes and the views draw sightseers.
Mount Gypsum, the UAE's tallest mountain at over 1,900 meters, stands in the north of Ras Al Khaimah within the Hajar range. Snow sometimes covers the crest or small farms rely on rainfall. Cable cars and leisure sites now bring tourists to the area.
