Unaizah (Arabic: عنيزة ʿUnaizah) or officially The Governorate of Unaizah (also spelled Onaizah, Onizah, or Unayzah; Arabic: محافظة عنيزة Muḥāfiẓat ʿUnaizah) is a Saudi Arabian city in the Al Qassim Province.

[2] Historically, Unaizah was an important stopping point for Muslim pilgrims coming from Mesopotamia (now Iraq) and Persia (now Iran) on their way to Makkah.

Many scientists and historians believe that Unaizah was inhabited hundreds of years before the spread of Islam, citing its reference in numerous poems from some of the most important poets of pre-Islamic Arabia such as Imru' al-Qais.

The city experiences very little precipitation, especially in summer, but receives a fair amount of rain in March and April.

The region also grows grapes, grapefruits, lemons, leeks, mandarins, oranges, pomegranates and dates.

Unaizah is home to some pioneers in education; the first Saudi person from Al-Qassim Province to earn a PhD.

[5] The first Saudi female from Al Qassim Province to earn a PhD degree was also raised in this city.

It faced resistance from neighboring provinces and brought Unaizah at the forefront of a national debate.

Qassim University is located approximately 30 kilometers north of the city, and enrolls both males and females.

Amin al-Rihani (the famous Franco-Lebanese scholar and traveler) spoke highly of the city's architecture and works of art in his book "Kings of Arabia" likening it to Paris thereby coining the nickname "Paris of Najd" for the city.

[9] There are twelve tourist festivals and activities recognized by the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities, and a calendar has been made for these events.

Some of the most notable venues in which festivals are held are the following: There are five hotels in Unaizah, two of which are currently under construction, in addition to the rental apartments and suites distributed all around the city: Although Unaizah is thought to be relatively more accepting of visitors than its neighbors, its tourism industry faces criticism for a number of reasons.

[11] All of the Saudi citizens of Unaizah are Sunni Muslim with a small minority of Dharmic religions, (mostly Hinduism) brought and practiced in the city by Asian workers (mainly Indians).

They came to power when Prince Yehya Al-Sulaim in 1822 killed the governor appointed by the Ottoman emperor, Abdullah Al-Jamei.

It was the only city of the Najd region to invite a Saudi Shiite cleric to speak in a public event, in a grass-roots effort to promote a united national identity.