Yanbu
NASA photograph of Yanbu' al Bahr
Flag Coat of arms
Yanbu
Coordinates: 24°05′N 38°0′E / 24.083°N 38°E / 24.083; 38
Country	Saudi Arabia
Province	Yanbu
Established	491 BC
Joined Saudi Arabia 1925
Government
- Mayor
- Provincial Governor	Abdulaziz Bin Majid
Population (2004)
- Total	250,000
	Yanbu Municipality estimate
Postal Code	(5 digits)
Area code(s)	+966-?
Website	[1]

Yanbu city.

Yanbu' al Bahr (Arabic: ينبع "spring by the sea"), also known simply as Yanbu, Yambo or Yenbo, is a major Red Sea port in the Al Madinah province of western Saudi Arabia. It is approximately 350 kilometers north of Jeddah (at 24°05′N 38°00′E / 24.083°N 38°E / 24.083; 38). The population is 188,430 (2004 census). A large number of the residents are foreign expatriates, mostly from Asia, but there are also large numbers from the Middle East and Europe.

[edit] History

Yanbu's history dates back at least 2500 years, when it was a staging point on the spice and incense route from Yemen to Egypt and the Mediterranean region. Yanbu served as a supply and operational base for Arab and British forces fighting the Ottoman Empire during the World War I. It remained a small port town until 1975, when the Saudi government designated it as one of the country's two new industrial centres (the other being Al Jubayl on the Persian Gulf).

[edit] Geography

The city is divided into three villages, about 15 minutes drive by car away from each other. The Downtown (often called Al-Balad) is the actual city and has most of the population with all the shopping centers. Yanbu Al-Nakheel (The Palms) is the older part of the city where mostly farms would be found. Yanbu Al-Sina'iya (literally "the industrial Yanbu"), is the industrial city, established around 1975 with a very modern housing architecture. It houses all the major refineries and petrochemical installations and is still experiencing major growth.

[edit] Economy

Yanbu is an important petroleum shipping terminal and is home to three oil refineries, a plastics facility and several other petrochemical plants. It is the country's second port (after Jeddah) and serves as the main port for the holy city of Medina, 160 km (100 miles) to the east. The natural harbour is protected on both sides by wide coral reefs. These reefs remain mostly untouched making them excellent areas for diving. Three major oil pipelines lead across the desert from the oilfields in the east to terminate at the Red Sea in Yanbu.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Airport

Yanbu also has a domestic airport (code YNB) that was founded in 1980.

[edit] Highways

A new highway now passes through Yanbu linking Jeddah to the northern parts of the kingdom and the neighboring countries Syria, Jordan etc.

[edit] Naval Base

The naval base called Al-Minhalapin utilizes islands and underwater facilities to protect the landmass.

[edit] See also

• Saudi Ports Authority
• 2004 Yanbu attack, an attack by gunmen against Westerners on May 1, 2004
• Battle of Yanbu or Yanbu Landing
• Yanbu Industrial College
• Yanbu International School (YIS), an American-accredited school
• Al Tawhid International School

[edit] External links

• Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu
• The Cove, Yanbu housing project
• General information on Yanbu
• Geutebruck's model IP video security solution protects Yanbu