Farasan Islands

The Farasan Islands (; transliterated: ) are a small group of coral islands approximately 40 km off the coast of Jizan in the Red Sea, belonging to Saudi Arabia. The government provides free ferry rides twice a day to Farasan Islands from Jizan Port. The largest island of the archipelago is Farasan Island; others include Sajid Island and Zufaf Island. The islands are a popular tourist destination. In recent years the Saudi government has tried to increase the tourism quality and worth (as part of a larger tourism drive in the country) of the Islands in order to attract even more visitors. History In the 1st century AD, the islands were known as Portus Ferresanus. A Latin inscription dating from 144 AD has been found on the island which attests to the construction of a Roman garrison. It is believed that the islands may have been attached to the province of Arabia Felix, before being transferred to Aegyptus some time before 144 AD. If this is correct, it would make the Farasan Islands the farthest Roman outpost, being nearly from Rome itself. It remained this way up until the Arab Muslim conquest of the islands and subsequent Islamization. Climate The climate in the Farasan archipelago is characterised by a long hot season (April–October) and a short mild one (November–March). In the long dry period high temperatures are usually dominant. The mean annual temperature is 30 C. Furthermore, the mean relative humidity in winter ranges from 70% to 80% and in summer between 65% and 78%. The highest rainfall occurs in April and the precipitation is generally unpredictable in the southern part of Red Sea.