Perched above 2,000 metres in the Asir highlands of south-western Saudi Arabia, this national park offers birding unlike anywhere else in the country. The habitat is genuinely surprising — juniper and wild olive woodland draped across steep escarpment slopes, with terraced farmland and rocky wadis threading through the valleys below.
The air is noticeably cooler and cleaner than the lowlands, which makes long morning walks genuinely pleasant rather than a battle against heat.
Dawn is when the park earns its reputation. Work the wooded ridgelines early and you stand a reasonable chance of locating Arabian Woodpecker as it works the older junipers — listen for the drumming before you see it. Yemen Warbler moves through dense scrub at mid-elevation and rewards patience; it is skulking but not impossible.
Philby's Partridge is present on rocky slopes but genuinely difficult, best treated as a bonus rather than a target. Rüppell's Weaver is far more obliging, often visible around cultivation edges and village gardens near Habala and Al Soudah. The endemic and near-endemic count here is the main draw, and a focused two or three days will cover the bulk of them.
Access from Abha city is straightforward — roughly 25 kilometres to the Al Soudah area, with good tarmac roads. Accommodation in Abha ranges from budget options to comfortable hotels; some visitors stay at the Al Soudah park lodges if availability allows.
Local birding guides are available through Saudi birding networks and are genuinely worth hiring for the first day, as productive spots are not always obvious from the trail signage alone.
Pack layers regardless of season — temperatures drop sharply at night — and visit between October and April to avoid the summer heat and maximise bird activity.