Muhayil Asir

Muhayil Asir is a city and governorate in Asir Province in south-western Saudi Arabia. It lies in the Tihamah of Asir, north-west of Abha, at the foot of the Sarawat Mountains. It stands in a basin surrounded by mountains and crossed by valleys that run down from the highlands towards the Red Sea coast.

Muhayil developed as a market where the tribes of the plain and the mountains met to trade crops, livestock and local products. It has grown in recent decades into an administrative and commercial centre serving the surrounding towns and villages. Mountain roads link it with Abha, descending from the heights of the Sarawat by steep passes.

The climate differs from that of the nearby highlands. It is hot in summer and warm and mild in winter, so residents of the colder mountain areas travel there during the winter months, when seasonal events are held. Its traditional markets sell products of the Tihamah such as honey, ghee, grains and aromatic plants. Old Tihamah villages with distinctive stone architecture are found in the wider area, among them Rijal Almaa.