After 9 years, ‘Ala Khota al-Arab’ embarks on its eighth journey

In 2014, Al Arabiya channel unveiled its inaugural documentary program, shedding light on the true scenarios depicted in the verses of the poets of the Hanging Poems, “Muʻallaqāt.”
The mountains of “Ad-Dakhoul, Hawmal, Al-Washm and Al-Tubad” became well-known locations, not just fabrications of the poets’ imagination. The first journey was successful, bringing back to mind the likes of Imru Al-Qais, Amr ibn Kulthum, al-Hutai’ah, Jahdar al-Yamami, and others.

Ala Khota Al-Arab was launched in 2014. (Supplied)

Eid al-Yahya addressed them as if he had summoned them from history to his present, walking in their footsteps, standing among their remnants and the remnants of their loved ones, honoring and cherishing their memories.

The seven journeys

Subsequently, the journeys of “Ala Khota Al-Arab” traversed from the south to the north, and from the east to the west, across the heartland of the Arabian Peninsula and its outskirts.
These journeys sought to document the network of the Incense Route, a handful of stations along the Silk Road, the Prophet’s migration, and the stories of selected women in the Arabian Peninsula.
They delved into the silent history incapsulated in rock carvings and examined the architectural drawings that illustrate the history of architecture in the Arabian Peninsula and beyond.

The eighth journey unfolds

Today, steps tread upon the earth, journeying through history to arrive at the eighth expedition of “Ala Khota Al-Arab”. A chapter that feels both near and distant at once. In this eighth journey, Eid al-Yahya retraced the footprints of Arab tribes, their poetry, tales, and the influences of travellers and scholars, as he pieced together the inaugural map of Hajr al-Yamama and its stages of expansion, leading up to the Riyadh we recognize today.
As is their custom, the Al Arabiya team traced the narrative back to its initial human footprint, to the gateway of Hajr al-Yamama, and onto the road of Al-Qiddiya.
Gradually, this documentary series charted the journey of the Banu Hanifa tribe from Hijaz to Najd, their settlement in Wadi Al ‘Ard – which later became known as Wadi Hanifa – and chronicled the establishment of the first, second, and the eventual emergence of the third Saudi state.

Recapturing the history of Hajr al-Yamama

Spanning these crucial historical epochs, the program “Ala Khota Al-Arab” delved into eras that unfolded in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, before and after the advent of Islam, capturing the tumultuous periods, the Riddah wars, and the subsequent restoration of security and stability, leading to the establishment and flourishing of states.
A narrative woven from threads of distant and more recent history tells the tales of Hajr al-Yamama – tales of battles, treaties, and epics that unfolded across its valleys, plains, and plateaus. A narrative of truthful prophets and false claimants, victories and defeats, armies, scholars, and poets. All of this was captured in an expedition that spanned over thirty days, duringwhich Al Arabiya team leveraged its human and technological resources to recover a history that is largely forgotten.
The Al Arabiya Field Team In a concerted effort to uncover what time had shrouded, Eid al-Yahya undertook rigorous academic and field research. Following this, Al Arabiya dispatched its cameras to chronicle the valleys, towers, and dams of Hajr al-Yamama, extending as far as Al-Masmak Palace and Diriyah.
The journey then broadened to encompass Al-Arid and Al-Abakkayn mountains, where moments from the Riddah wars were simulated with purebred Arabian horses. These demonstrations utilised knights who wielded swords, shields, and bows, items which were brought out from their museum for the first time.
Picture in all its dimensions In the final stage of the journey, before the eighth journey was ready to be aired on Al Arabiya’s screen, another round of extensive research and preparation ensued.
Words were carefully chosen to weave together the stories and their heroes. Subsequently, scenes, both imaginary and real, were thoughtfully crafted. These elements were then seamlessly combined at the sound and picture effects table to create a narrative. This narrative is delivered by the voice of Wael Habbal, and presented by Eid al-Yahya.
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