In brief
According to the Saudi Press Agency, historic walled farms—known locally as *hitan* or *falayeh*—in Unaizah Governorate are being converted into tourism and heritage destinations. The farms, which once sustained 80‑90% of the population, now host cafés and restaurants while preserving their original architecture and agricultural features. Archaeologist Mohammed Ibrahim Al‑Zunaidi explains how the farms’ walls marked boundaries and how groundwater in Rawdat Unaizah fueled early settlement, cementing the sites’ role in community life and collective memory.
In Unaizah Governorate in Saudi Arabia’s Qassim Region, the historic walled farms, known locally as hitan or falayeh, are being transformed into tourism and heritage sites, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency on November 2, 2026.
The conversion comes as the farms—once the backbone of local agriculture and community life—now offer cafés, restaurants, and preserved structures, including mud‑brick buildings, traditional wells, and palm trees that serve as living reminders of the area’s history.
Archaeologist and heritage enthusiast Mohammed Ibrahim Al‑Zunaidi explained that the term “hitan” meaning walled farms refers to farms and orchards traditionally enclosed by walls that marked their boundaries. He noted that the farms’ names were often derived from their geographical locations, the names or family names of their owners, or distinctive natural and agricultural features, such as wells and cultivated land.
Al‑Zunaidi also highlighted that the emergence of these farms was closely associated with groundwater in Rawdat Unaizah, which provided favorable conditions for settlement and agricultural activity. He suggested that some of the farms may have pre‑dated the city’s development into its modern urban form, contributing to the establishment of Uneizah’s earliest neighborhoods and homes.
According to Al‑Zunaidi, the walled farms played a significant economic and social role in the lives of Unaizah’s residents. He estimated that between 80% and 90% of the population historically depended on agriculture either directly or indirectly, whether as farm owners, farmers, or workers in related activities. Beyond their economic value, the farms were social hubs, strengthening community ties, facilitating the transmission of agricultural knowledge, and serving as integral parts of the governorate’s collective memory.
With Unaizah’s urban expansion and the diversification of its economy, the farms’ spaces are now being repurposed into tourism destinations that preserve their original features while offering visitors a glimpse into the region’s agricultural heritage and architectural legacy.
