Al-Jawf
The northern oasis region around Dūmat al-Jandal — one of the oldest continuously settled places in Arabia.
- Type
- Region
- Name means
- The hollow (root j-w-f)
- Centre
- Dūmat al-Jandal
- Country
- Saudi Arabia
The name
From j-w-f (ج-و-ف), 'hollow, interior' — the region lies in a broad depression, and the name describes it exactly.
Antiquity
Its centre, Dūmat al-Jandal, is among the oldest named settlements in Arabia, appearing in Assyrian records well before the Islamic period and standing on the route between the Peninsula and the Levant.
Position
Al-Jawf's importance has always been positional: it is the northern gate, where routes from Iraq, the Levant and the interior converge on reliable water.
Frequently asked questions
What does al-Jawf mean?
'The hollow', from the root j-w-f — the region sits in a broad depression. Its centre, Dūmat al-Jandal, is one of Arabia's oldest settlements.
Sources
- ياقوت الحموي، معجم البلدان، 626هـ — مادة: الجوف ودومة الجندل
Last reviewed: 2026-07-27