Al Thumamah (Riyadh)

Country Saudi Arabia

First settledAround 8,000 BC to 3,000 BC (Neolithic period)

Al-Thumamah الثمامة
Al-Thumamah, 2013
Al-Thumamah
Coordinates: 25°15′05″N 46°37′50″E / 25.25141°N 46.63067°E / 25.25141; 46.63067
Country	Saudi Arabia
Province	Riyadh Region
First settled	Around 8,000 BC to 3,000 BC (Neolithic period)
Area
• Total	2.1 km2 (0.8 sq mi)

Al-Thumamah (Arabic: الثمامة, romanized: ath-Thumāmah, lit. 'the blade of grass'), alternatively spelt as al-Thumama and pronounced as ath-Thumamah, is an arid lowland desert area situated in Wadi Thumamah at the edge of al-Armah mountains in the northeastern fringes of Riyadh in Riyadh Governorate, Saudi Arabia.^[1][2][3][4] Named after thumam (Arabic: الثمام), the Arabic word for desert bunchgrass, it is located approximately 50 miles (80 km) from Riyadh and is known for hosting outdoor recreational places, most notably the Thumamah National Park.^[5][6][7] The first census of the area was conducted in 1981 during the reign of King Khalid.^[8]