Wadi Khatabah* وادي ختبه
Wadi (valley) in Asir Region · 73 km north of Mahayel محايل
Strong spring around it now
Spring area within about 5 km of it: 27 km².
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 mapDirections in Google Maps
Original Arabic page: وادي ختبه
When does Wadi Khatabah usually green?
From satellite imagery since 2002It usually greens from September to January, and it greened around it in 23 of the last 24 years in these months.
In October alone: it greened around it in 20 of 24 years since 2002.
The numbers
| Season | Months it greened |
|---|---|
| September 2002 – January 2003 (Jumada al-Akhirah – Dhu al-Qa'dah 1423 AH) | 2 of 5 |
| September 2003 – January 2004 (Rajab – Dhu al-Hijjah 1424 AH) | 2 of 5 |
| September 2004 – January 2005 (Rajab – Dhu al-Hijjah 1425 AH) | 0 of 5 |
| September 2005 – January 2006 (Rajab 1426 – Muharram 1427 AH) | 2 of 5 |
| September 2006 – January 2007 (Sha'ban 1427 – Muharram 1428 AH) | 4 of 5 |
| September 2007 – January 2008 (Sha'ban 1428 – Muharram 1429 AH) | 1 of 5 |
| September 2008 – January 2009 (Ramadan 1429 – Safar 1430 AH) | 3 of 5 |
| September 2009 – January 2010 (Ramadan 1430 – Safar 1431 AH) | 3 of 5 |
| September 2010 – January 2011 (Ramadan 1431 – Safar 1432 AH) | 3 of 5 |
| September 2011 – January 2012 (Shawwal 1432 – Rabi' al-Awwal 1433 AH) | 2 of 5 |
| September 2012 – January 2013 (Shawwal 1433 – Rabi' al-Awwal 1434 AH) | 2 of 5 |
| September 2013 – January 2014 (Shawwal 1434 – Rabi' al-Awwal 1435 AH) | 5 of 5 |
| September 2014 – January 2015 (Dhu al-Qa'dah 1435 – Rabi' al-Akhir 1436 AH) | 5 of 5 |
| September 2015 – January 2016 (Dhu al-Qa'dah 1436 – Rabi' al-Akhir 1437 AH) | 3 of 5 |
| September 2016 – January 2017 (Dhu al-Qa'dah 1437 – Jumada al-Ula 1438 AH) | 4 of 5 |
| September 2017 – January 2018 (Dhu al-Hijjah 1438 – Jumada al-Ula 1439 AH) | 3 of 5 |
| September 2018 – January 2019 (Dhu al-Hijjah 1439 – Jumada al-Ula 1440 AH) | 5 of 5 |
| September 2019 – January 2020 (Muharram – Jumada al-Akhirah 1441 AH) | 5 of 5 |
| September 2020 – January 2021 (Muharram – Jumada al-Akhirah 1442 AH) | 5 of 5 |
| September 2021 – January 2022 (Muharram – Jumada al-Akhirah 1443 AH) | 4 of 5 |
| September 2022 – January 2023 (Safar – Rajab 1444 AH) | 5 of 5 |
| September 2023 – January 2024 (Safar – Rajab 1445 AH) | 5 of 5 |
| September 2024 – January 2025 (Safar – Sha'ban 1446 AH) | 5 of 5 |
| September 2025 – January 2026 (Rabi' al-Awwal – Sha'ban 1447 AH) | 4 of 5 |
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: Mahayel محايل, 73 km in a straight line (the destination is north of the city).
- Nearest town, village or hijrah on the maps: Khatabah* ختبه (town, village or hijrah), less than a kilometre away.
Nearest road: paved road 0.2 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.
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- Wadi al-Hafayan* وادي الحفيان 51 km north
- Wadi Hali* وادي حلي 52 km south
- Wadi Qana* وادي قنا 52 km south
- Wadi Abarir* وادي ابرير 57 km north
- Wadi al-Hana* وادي الحناء 58 km northwest
- Wadi Halahal* وادي حلحال 58 km north
All destinations · Spring in Asir Region 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.