Rawdat al-Sijan* روضة الصيجان
Rawdah (meadow) in the Eastern Province · 165 km south of Hafrel Batin حفر الباطن
No visible spring around it now
From the latest satellite image: the best reading in 26 September – 3 October 2026 · 15–22 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH. This page updates every night.
Open it on the mapMay require a permit — check the reserve’s conditions
Original Arabic page: روضة الصيجان
When does Rawdat al-Sijan usually green?
From satellite imagery since 2002It greened around it in 2 of the last 24 years in the spring months (November to April).
In October alone: it greened around it in 0 of 24 years since 2002.
The numbers
| Season | Months it greened |
|---|---|
| November 2002 – April 2003 (Sha'ban 1423 – Safar 1424 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2003 – April 2004 (Ramadan 1424 – Rabi' al-Awwal 1425 AH) | 3 of 6 |
| November 2004 – April 2005 (Ramadan 1425 – Rabi' al-Awwal 1426 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2005 – April 2006 (Ramadan 1426 – Rabi' al-Akhir 1427 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2006 – April 2007 (Shawwal 1427 – Rabi' al-Akhir 1428 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2007 – April 2008 (Shawwal 1428 – Rabi' al-Akhir 1429 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2008 – April 2009 (Dhu al-Qa'dah 1429 – Jumada al-Ula 1430 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2009 – April 2010 (Dhu al-Qa'dah 1430 – Jumada al-Ula 1431 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2010 – April 2011 (Dhu al-Qa'dah 1431 – Jumada al-Ula 1432 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2011 – April 2012 (Dhu al-Hijjah 1432 – Jumada al-Akhirah 1433 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2012 – April 2013 (Dhu al-Hijjah 1433 – Jumada al-Akhirah 1434 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2013 – April 2014 (Dhu al-Hijjah 1434 – Rajab 1435 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2014 – April 2015 (Muharram – Rajab 1436 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2015 – April 2016 (Muharram – Rajab 1437 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2016 – April 2017 (Safar – Sha'ban 1438 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2017 – April 2018 (Safar – Sha'ban 1439 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2018 – April 2019 (Safar – Sha'ban 1440 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2019 – April 2020 (Rabi' al-Awwal – Ramadan 1441 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2020 – April 2021 (Rabi' al-Awwal – Ramadan 1442 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2021 – April 2022 (Rabi' al-Awwal – Ramadan 1443 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2022 – April 2023 (Rabi' al-Akhir – Shawwal 1444 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2023 – April 2024 (Rabi' al-Akhir – Shawwal 1445 AH) | 0 of 6 |
| November 2024 – April 2025 (Rabi' al-Akhir – Dhu al-Qa'dah 1446 AH) | 2 of 6 |
| November 2025 – April 2026 (Jumada al-Ula – Dhu al-Qa'dah 1447 AH) | 0 of 6 |
We calculate “greened around it” from a monthly image (MODIS, NASA) on 1 km cells within about 5 km of the point, using the same definition of spring as the map. A year missing more than a third of its monthly images is not counted.
Access and the rules of the place
- Nearest city: Hafrel Batin حفر الباطن, 165 km in a straight line (the destination is south of the city).
- Nearest town, village or hijrah on the maps: Hadbat al-Saman* هضبة الصمان (town, village or hijrah), 23 km away.
Nearest road: nearest paved road 35.9 km, and an existing dirt track less than 0.1 km awayA straight-line estimate from open data that may not match reality; it does not mean the road suits your car. The decision and its responsibility rest with you.
Authority: King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority
Outings are free in most of the reserve; As-Summan and Ad-Dahna require a permit (6 a.m.–6 p.m., no overnight stays)
As-Summan and Ad-Dahna permit
Source of the conditions
Last checked: 3 October 2026 (22 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH)Boundaries are approximate, from OpenStreetMap, and are not the official boundaries. Conditions may change; the authority’s website is the reference.
Before you go: cars, reserves and camping
- Do not drive into a rawdah or faydah (meadow); leave your car on the road and walk. Some reserves require a permit for all or part of them (such as As-Summan and Ad-Dahna in King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve), so check the reserve’s conditions before you go.
- Bringing cars and quad bikes into protected rawdahs and faydahs (meadows) is prohibited, and the fine doubles with repeat violations. Fine: SAR 500 the first time, SAR 1,000 the second time, SAR 2,000 the third time (per vehicle). Official source (in Arabic)
- Driving off the designated tracks inside protected areas is a serious violation, and the fine is set according to the reserve and the extent of the damage. Fine: SAR 200 to SAR 10,000. Source: Umm Al-Qura gazette (in Arabic)
- Entering or crossing a protected area without a permit is a violation, and the warning principle applies to it. Fine: SAR 3,000 to SAR 5,000. Source: Umm Al-Qura gazette (in Arabic)
- Camping inside a protected area without a licence is a violation, and the warning principle applies to it. Fine: SAR 200 to SAR 10,000. Source: Umm Al-Qura gazette (in Arabic)
- Camping in the open desert on vegetation-cover land is allowed only with a prior permit from the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development, requested online. Fine: Camping in forests or national parks without a licence: SAR 500 the first time, SAR 1,000 the second, SAR 3,000 the third (per camp). Request a permit · Official source (in Arabic)
- A short individual camp permit (from 1 to 10 days) has no fee but is mandatory, and a season permit (3 months) has a fee of SAR 300, under the regulatory rules for desert camps (Decision Q/T/5/2025). Source (press report) (in Arabic)
We checked these rules on 3 October 2026 (22 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH). Regulations may change, and the authority’s website is the reference. The decision and its responsibility rest with you.
Nearby destinations
Straight-line distance- Rawdat al-Saqa'abiah* روضة الصقعبية 2 km southwest
- Rawdat Atala* روضة اطلع 3 km south
- Rawdat Umm Irq* روضة ام عرق 7 km east
- Rawdat Radayan* روضة رضيان 8 km south
- Rawdat al-Ruthiah* روضة الروثية 13 km northwest
- Rawdat Mahijin* روضة محيجين 13 km east
All destinations · Spring in the Eastern Province now · The «Where is the spring?» map
Sources and the limits of the numbers
- Greenness is from satellite imagery, not a field visit: it does not guarantee the condition of the place on the ground or permission to enter it. The cell is about 500 m, so a narrow shaib does not show, and a new farm may slip through.
- Some sites are reserves or private property, camping has its own regulations, and wadi beds are dangerous. The decision and its responsibility rest with you.
- Place names are shown in Arabic as on the maps, with a Latin form: the known spelling where one exists (cities, reserves, regions and the best-known destinations), otherwise an automatic letter-by-letter transliteration marked *. Transliterations are approximate and may differ from local spellings; the Arabic name is the reference.
Sources: the NDVI greenness index from NASA MODIS (Terra and Aqua) and NOAA-20 imagery through the NASA GIBS service, and monthly images since 2002 for the comparison with past years; landmark names from Desert Maps (maps_ksa@); approximate reserve boundaries and road distances © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) (data of 6 May 2026 (19 Dhu al-Qa'dah 1447 AH)); city names from DataPulse. The classification and areas are DataPulse calculations, not official figures.
The information is analytical to support decisions; it is not financial or investment advice. The decision and its responsibility rest with the user.