Book

Farasan... My Father's Voice

Dr. Aisha Abbas Natto

Published: July 21, 2026, 10:54 KSA

My late father used to tell us in our childhood about a family member living in Farasan. We would listen intently, but we didn't know where Farasan was or how to get there, so it seemed to us then like a name floating on the sea surface more than settled on maps. My father passed away, and his words remained stuck in memory, waiting for the moment of their fulfillment.

The years passed until the appointed meeting that destiny had written. Upon my arrival at the Farasan Islands, it was my pleasure to visit the home of the writer and author Ibrahim Miftah, a house that embodies the authenticity of Jazan and the generosity of its people, where human warmth meets the scent of the place. And there was the surprise I did not expect: Farasan is not a single island as I imagined in my childhood, but an archipelago comprising between 200 and 264 islands of varying sizes, led by the larger Farasan Island. A sea extending with its clear blue color, mangrove forests embracing the waters, and beaches weaving from sand and light a natural scene whose beauty does not fade over time.

I stood before this magnificent scene, and the image of my father came back to my mind in all its details. I realized then that his talk was not just a passing story, but a window he opened for me to get to know this precious part of our homeland. And I became certain that some words need long years to reveal their meanings, and that some places we do not visit for the first time, but rather return to them through the memories of those we love. I left Farasan more convinced that the Kingdom is not just a homeland with vast borders, but an ever-renewing story with every city, and a tale told with every island. And Farasan will remain for me the place that brought back my father's voice, connected my childhood to my present, and proved that the most beautiful journeys are those that begin with a word from a father and end with a wonder that never leaves the heart.