Mansoojat Foundation

Najd and Central Region

Central Saudi Arabia, or Najd, is a land of desert, escarpment and oases. Traditionally, this region has been populated by nomadic herders and settled farmers. Tribal affiliation is valued and frequently spans the nomad–settler divide.

From its capital at al-Dir‘iyyah near Riyadh, the Al Saud dynasty first united central and eastern Arabia in the 18th century, before finally unifying all regions of the Kingdom between 1902 and 1932.

Building was chiefly of sun-dried mud, freely available and thermally inert, so helping to keep houses cool. Clothes were worn loose for the same reason.

Urban dress is similar throughout Najd.