Winding Al-Hada Road reaches up to 2,177 meters above sea level, so we planned to take a scenic 23 km-long dual highway passing through the high Hijaz Mountains and take some photos. But to our surprise, the police officer at the gate in Al-Hada didn’t allow us to go there with our truck, so we ordered Bolt (41 SAR) to bring us down and up with some stops.
As we continued to descend the road, we noticed the temperature climbing. It can be as high as 45°C down and drop as low as 20°C by the summit. They added new concrete barriers along the road, so it’s not easy to stop where you want, and at the remaining viewpoints, baboon hordes are waiting for food. But still, they are timid, and it’s not easy to catch a photo.
In the late afternoon, we took the longest cable car in the Middle East to get a different perspective on the road (🎫 100 SAR / return, last ride at 20:00). It connects the Al-Hada summit to No’man Valley with a strange water park.
In the evening, we enjoyed embers tea (3 SAR), considered one of the leading warm drinks in the area. It is prepared straight on the lit embers in stalls along the sides of the road.
Parking location – Alhada: 21.364459N 40.268319E (🚻)