Dukhna, a place near Al-Rass in Qassim, is becoming a popular weekend destination among residents of various cities in the region.

“It promises to be a popular weekend destination. It has many big and separate rocks that look like mountains from a distance,” said Arnold G. Pineda, a Filipino community leader.

He noted that many of the visitors he saw the last time he visited Dukhna are nature lovers who want to explore the place and want to escape noise of the city.

Because of the mild weather at this time, more local residents and visitors from other regions, such as Hail or Riyadh, are expected to visit the site for camping and picnics.

“There’s a recreational area called Dukhna Park for families. The entry fee is SR5. It has a neatly manicured grass, enhancing the artistry of the place, and amenities that include two comfort rooms. However, there’s no restaurant, so it’s advisable for visitors to bring food to eat if they’re hungry,” Pineda said.

“If you’re there early in the morning, just before sunrise or early dawn, and you look at the horizon and feel immense happiness that’s difficult to describe.”

The same is true late in the afternoon. “Just before sunset, when the skies turn from blue to crimson, so to speak, you watch the spectacle with a bated breath,” he said.

Dukhna is a great getaway from the bustling streets and sprawling shopping malls of Buraidah or Onaiza.

“You feel as if you were in another world. It’s a very quiet place. You hear nothing but silence punctured by chirping birds. What you see there are numerous large rocks in various areas, like what you see when you are in the ‘Hidden Valley’ in Riyadh,” he said.

The place, which is about 130 km from Buraidah, north of the Saudi capital, is perfect for someone who prefers to be alone. The government developed it three years ago with the aim of making it one of the tourist destinations in the region.

Pineda said, however, that being at Dukhna is “a great experience.”

Saudis visit the place too. One of them is Abdullah Al-Mutairi, a production manager at the Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries and Medical Corporation.

“I visited the place once,” he said. “I liked it. It’s an ideal place for people given to introspection. I wish I could visit it more often, but I am bogged down with work commitments.”

Yusoph Lubid, also a community leader, said: “This is why even families have visited Dukhna to pass time. They bring food. Not a few stay there for most of the day as family bonding.”

Others stay there till late in the afternoon. The darkness that would descend on them soon is not a problem since the place is bright at night because of the spotlights installed by the government, making the big rocks in the distance and the environs visible. Dukhna may not be that popular yet because of the various malls and recreational facilities in the region’s cities, but it’s not farfetched to say that it’s on its way to becoming a favored weekend destination, he said.

“Like the Salt Valley in Onaizah, Dukhna will also attract legions of visitors over the years,” he said.