Originally named Soltan Abad, the modern-day city of Arak was founded in 1808 by Yusef Khan-e Gorji,[13] a pro-Iranian warlord of Georgian Muslim origin who was given refuge by Qajar ruler Agha Mohammad Khan following a territorial dispute with his cousins, who were supported by Russian empress Catherine the Great.

With the Shah's approval, Yusef Khan diverted the main river to drive out the hostiles and build the war fortress of Soltan Abad to act as a buffer.

[citation needed] In 1891, shops, gardens, and government buildings of Soltan Abad were repaired by the order of deputy governor Mirza Hasan (Etemad os-Saltane).

Large parts of the city were formerly annexed as personal property to the pre-existing army commanders, and were then ultimately turned over to the state around 1918–1922.

Modern factories for vegetable oil, soap, sugar beet, and wool industries were established within the city.

[citation needed] In 1972, two major state-owned enterprises were established in the city, including an aluminum smelter and a heavy engineering plant.

Arak has a hot-summer mediterranean continental climate (Köppen: Dsa; Trewartha: Dcho, formerly Dcao according to the NOAA weather data for 1961-1990 years), that is, in general, relatively cold and dry.

The weather of the city is hot and dry in summer, cool in autumn, cold and snowy in winter, and mild in spring.

[22] The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways signed a €1.2 billion deal with its Italian counterpart for establishing a high-speed railroad between the Iranian cities of Qom and Arak.

The main agricultural products of the city are grain, barley, and fruits including grape, apple, walnut, and almond.

Saruq is a small village outside Arak, and its name is used in order to prevent confusion with rug from the modern-day country of Iraq.