minṭaqah (province), western Al-Shamālīyah (Northern) region, northwestern Saudi Arabia. It is bordered by the provinces of Al-Hudūd al-Shamālīyah to the northeast, Al-Jawf to the east, Tabūk to the south, and Jordan to the north. Al-Qurayyāt fronts the Gulf of Aqaba to the west. The province is mostly upland plateau with rock and gravel and is covered with grass and shrub that are used for grazing. The valley of the Wadi Sirhān is the main physical feature of the area; it formerly served as an important caravan route from the Mediterranean to the central and southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Al-Qurayyāt is sparsely populated; Al-Nabk is its capital. Pop. (2004 prelim.) 100,436.