Chamis Muschait - Khamis Mushait 6.73

Khamis Mushait or Khamis Mushayt is a city in south-west Saudi Arabia, located east of Abha, the provincial seat of the Asir province, 1300km 650 nautical miles from Dhahran and 884km from the national capital of Riyadh. It is the capital of the Shahran Tribe.HistoryUntil the 1970s Khamis Mushait was a small town of less than 50,000 servicing the surrounding mild-climate agricultural region. Since then its population has grown dramatically to reach over 513,000 as of the 2011 census. The city is surrounded by farms producing agricultural crops.King Khalid Air Base (KMX) has a 12400ft paved runway without customs facilities. The base was designed and built by US Army and Air Force engineers in the 1960s and 70s and has F-15 service facilities. During the Gulf War in 1991, the US Airforce had a base here from which they launched bombers on Baghdad.Notable landmarksKhamis Mushayt has several souks, including Khamis Souk and Silver Souq, both of which are noted for their silver jewellery, and Spice Souk. Notable hotels include Mushayt Palace Hotel and Trident Hotel. Also of note is Al-Hayat Hospital and Khamis Mushayt Mosque.