It is the most populous region (mintaqah) in Saudi Arabia. It is located in western Saudi Arabia and has an extended coastline. It has an area of 153,128 km² and a population of 6,915,006
The Sharifate of Mecca (Arabic: شرافة مكة, romanized: Sharāfa Makka) or Emirate of Mecca was a state, non-sovereign for much of its existence, ruled by the Sharifs of Mecca. A sharif is a descendant of Hasan ibn Ali, Muhammad’s grandson. In Western sources, the prince of Mecca was known as Grand Sherif, but Arabs have always used the appellation “Emir”