RIYADH: The historic pilgrimage route known as the Zubaida Trail, which connected the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq, was marked by trade points and centers and served as a passage for Arab tribes, remaining active throughout history.

According to Dr. Muna Abdulkarim Al-Qaisi, an ancient archaeology specialist and professor at the University of Kufa in Iraq, various people traveled along this road, with the first reference dating back to the third century B.C.

In an interview with the Saudi Press Agency, Al-Qaisi explained that Akkadian peoples, who came from the Arabian Peninsula, arrived in southern Iraq, specifically on the outskirts of the city of Uruk, via this route.

The route saw a second period of activity during the Achaemenid era, when it was called Al-Muthaqaf. Later, it was named Al-Hira route, extending along the Euphrates River. It connected with the Silk Road, linking Nasiriyah, Dumat Al-Jandal, Seleucia (Ctesiphon), Hatra, the Tharthar Valley, Sinjar, and Anatolia. In the Islamic era, the Zubaida Trail began from Kufa and led to Makkah.

Al-Qaisi said that excavations between Samawah and Diwaniyah yielded significant findings, including evidence of ancient peoples entering the region and visiting the lands of Sumer and Akkad. Continued excavations, she added, could lead to further tremendous archaeological and historical revelations.

Khalaf Al-Ghufaili, a tour guide, history professor, and archaeology enthusiast, said that the Akkadian Arabs were the first to take the ancient trade route, now known as the Zubaida Trail. They migrated from the Arabian Peninsula and headed northward toward Mesopotamia in the fourth millennium B.C., settling alongside the Sumerians who had been in Mesopotamia before them.

Their language became known as Akkadian Arabic, and the Akkadians, along with the Sumerians, Assyrians, and Babylonians who preceded them, dominated Mesopotamia, Al-Ghufaili added.

RYADH: Saudi authorities arrested 12,974 people in one week for breaching residency, work and border security regulations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

According to an official report, a total of 8,044 people were arrested for violations of residency laws, while 3,395 were held over illegal border crossing attempts, and a further 1,535 for labor-related issues.

The report showed that among the 815 people arrested for trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 54 percent were Ethiopian, 41 percent Yemeni, and 5 percent were of other nationalities.

The Ministry of Interior said that anyone found to be facilitating illegal entry to the Kingdom could face imprisonment for a maximum of 15 years, a fine of up to SR1 million ($260,000), as well as confiscation of vehicles and property.

Suspected violations can be reported on the toll-free number 911 in the Makkah and Riyadh regions, and 999 or 996 in other regions of the Kingdom.